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Closeup of a Baileys irish coffee cake topped with whipped cream.
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5 from 2 votes

Baileys Irish Coffee Cake

This Irish coffee cake is an absolute doddle to make. It has an intense coffee flavour, a delightfully soft texture and it's topped with pillowy whipped cream spiked with Irish cream liqueur. Expect to fall deeply in love with this Baileys coffee cake.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Worldwide
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 8
Calories: 404kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Deep 7-inch (18cm) circular cake tin loose bottomed

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons Instant coffee granules
  • 125 g Butter softened
  • 170 g Light muscovado sugar
  • 2 Eggs large, free range
  • 180 g Plain flour all-purpose
  • teaspoons Baking powder
  • 60 ml Soured cream
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

Topping

  • 125 ml Double cream
  • 1 tablespoon Icing sugar
  • 3 tablespoons Baileys Irish cream
  • 1 tablespoon Grated chocolate

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180C/ 350F/ GM 4 and prepare a deep 7-inch (18cm) loose-bottomed circular cake tin by greasing it with butter and lining the base and sides with baking parchment.
  • Put the kettle on to boil then let stand for 5 minutes.
  • Use 40ml of the water from the kettle to dissolve the coffee granules. Keep stirring for 1-2 minutes until they eventually dissolve.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together using electric beaters until light and fluffy, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition (don't worry if the mixture curdles).
  • Mix in the soured cream, vanilla extract and coffee.
  • Sieve the flour and baking powder into the bowl and fold in using a large metal spoon until no streaks of flour remain.
  • Spoon into a baking tin, use a blunt knife to spread it out, then bake for around 35 minutes until a cocktail stick comes out clean when poked into the centre.
  • Let cool completely in the tin then remove and peal off the baking parchment.
  • Put the cream and Baileys into a bowl. Sieve the icing sugar in and then beat until the cream reaches soft peaks.
  • Spread the cream over the top of the cake and scatter grated chocolate over it.

Notes

  • Always use digital scales when baking - they give far more accurate results than using cups or scales with weights.
  • Ensure your oven is preheated to the correct temperature before baking commences. Putting a cake into an oven that is still heating up will lead to a less superior bake.
  • Pay attention to the size of the baking tin. This recipe calls for a deep 7-inch (18cm) circular tin. Using a smaller/ large tin will affect the depth of the cake and the cooking times.
  • Let the kettle stand for 5 minutes after it has boiled and use this to dissolve the coffee.
  • Keep stirring the granules in the water until dissolved. It may take a minute - there's a lot of coffee involved.
  • Diehard coffee fans should use the full amount of coffee specified in the recipe card.
  • But those looking for a slightly more subtle coffee taste should dissolve 3 tablespoons of coffee in 2 tablespoons hot water.
 
Storage Instructions
It's fine to store this cake at room temperature for a couple of hours. However, if it needs to be stored for longer, cover and transfer to the fridge to keep the Baileys whipped cream in tip-top condition. Remember to take the cake out of the fridge 1-2 hours before eating to allow the sponge cake to come back to room temperature and the coffee flavour to shine.

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 727IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 2mg