Baileys Layer Chocolate Cake

To make this birthday worthy cake I used my moist and delicious Baileys Chocolate Cake recipe along with spiked buttercream and liquor filled chocolate spheres. Let’s make it together.

Buttercream cake with chocolate spheres on the top.

HOW TO MAKE BAILEYS CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE AND IRISH CREAM CHOCOLATES

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Liquor Filled Chocolates
Baileys Buttercream
Baileys Chocolate Cake Recipe
Tort, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost the Cake
Use Textured Icing Comb
Two Tone Buttercream Rope Border
Decorate the Cake

After I made an easy no egg Irish Cream Tiramisu last year it was only a matter of time before I whipped up another Baileys’ spiked dessert.

To make this moist Irish Cream Cake I used my deliciously Easy Chocolate Cake, Baileys Swiss Buttercream. And I garnished the cake with homemade liquor filled chocolate spheres. Let’s break it down to steps.

Cut round buttercream cake on a cake stand with cake layers showing.

LIQUOR FILLED CHOCOLATES

Let’s start with Baileys filled chocolates. These are fairly easy to make. All you need is a half-sphere mold, melted chocolate, and a dropper to pour liquor into chocolate.

Melted chocolate in a bowl and half sphere silicone mold.

CHOCOLATE SPHERES

I used Ghirardelli melting wafers to make chocolate spheres.

Line your works surface with wax paper. It’s going to get a bit messy around here. First, melt the chocolate disks according to the packaging, (step1).

Then fill the mold cavities with melted chocolate. Smooth the top with a spatula to ensure all the half-spheres are filled with melted chocolate, (step 2-4). Now carefully lift the mold and turn it upside down, letting the melted chocolate drip onto a wax paper. Give it a little shake, (step 5-8).

Filling a silicone mold with melted chocolate.

Then turn the mold and smooth the top with a spatula again. Residual chocolate will fall into the cavities and you’ll need to “shake” it out again, (step 1-5).

Once again smooth the top with a spatula. Be sure to keep the edges around cavities as clean as possible. Chill for 15 minutes, (step 6-8).

TIP : If you leave too much chocolate around the cavities your spheres won’t be as pretty.

Scrapping off chocolate from a silicone mold.

Repeat the coating process. This ensures that chocolate half-spheres are thick enough yet hollow plenty to fill with the liquor. Chill for 20 minutes, (step 1-8).

Filling a silicone mold with melted chocolate, and then letting the excess chocolate pour out.

With a spatula pick up melted chocolate of the wax paper and scrape it off into a bowl with the remaining melted chocolate, (step 1-4).

Picking up melted chocolate from work surface with a spatula and pouring it back to a bowl.

Now we can unmold chocolate half-spheres. Place chocolate halves onto a wax paper, (step 1-4).

TIP : You can prepare chocolate half-spheres ahead of time and store them into a cool place, dark place before assembling.

Unmolding chocolate half spheres from a silicone mold.

FILL THE CHOCOLATES WITH LIQUOR

It’s best to wear the gloves for this step.

Pour some Baileys Irish Cream into a shot glass. Draw liquor with a dropper, (step 1-2)

Heat a plate in a microwave on high setting for about a minute or longer depends on the microwave. Take 2 half spheres and turn them upside down. Place them onto the warm plate and gently sift them for 1 -2 second just until the edges are melted. Don’t wait for too long or you’ll melt too much chocolate, (step 3-4).

With a dropper fill one chocolate half-sphere with Baileys Irish Cream. Immediately place another half-sphere with the melted edge on the top, align the edges to seal the chocolates. If there are small gaps in between the 2 half-spheres use additional melted chocolate to seal them, (step 5-8). Place filled and sealed liquor filled chocolates onto a cool plate and chill for 5 minutes.

TIP : To seal any small gaps between 2 half-spheres dip your finger into the melted chocolate and spread the chocolate over the gap, smoothing it with your finger.

Sealing 2 half spheres filled with liquor and creating 1 full sphere.

COAT CHOCOLATE WITH LUSTER DUST

In this next step I dusted chocolate spheres with gold luster dust. Pour some dry luster dust into a bowl. Dip in a large food only paint brush and dust each chocolate sphere. Try not to hold the spheres with you warm hands for too long as chocolate will start to melt, (step 1-5).

TIP : You can make liquor filled chocolate a week ahead. Store them in a cool dark place.

Dusting chocolate spheres with large brush dipped in gold luster dust.

BAILEYS SWISS BUTTERCREAM

I used 4 cups of Baileys Swiss Buttercream to fill and frost this 6 inch cake. To flavor Swiss Buttercream with Baileys Irish Cream simply beat about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of liquor into the 4 cups of Vanilla Swiss Buttercream.

Swiss Buttercream is great as a cake filling and a frosting too. It’s really easy to smooth and pipes beautifully onto cakes and cupcakes.

TIP : You can prepare Swiss Buttercream ahead of time. Store it in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for 3 months. Let it come to room temperature before using and re-beat if necessary.

TIP : When using 8/9 inch cakes adjust the amount of buttercream needed, You’ll need 6 cups to fill and frost the cake.

BAILEYS CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE INGREDIENTS

This triple Baileys Cake wouldn’t be complete without super delicious and moist chocolate cake. I used my easy Chocolate Cake Recipe. This recipe make 4-6 inch baked cakes or 2-8/9 inch baked cakes.

And to make the chocolate cake extra special I substituted some of the buttermilk for Irish Cream Liquor.

Flour
Sugar
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Salt
Cocoa Powder
Buttermilk – don’t have buttermilk? Use of these 6 Homemade Buttermilk Substitutes
Baileys Irish Cream
Eggs
Hot Water
Espresso Powder (optional) – coffee brings out chocolate flavor

TIP : Follow my Easy Chocolate Cake recipe and use 1/2 cup Baileys Irish Cream and 1 cup Buttermilk.

TORT THE CAKE

I used 2-6 inch baked cakes that I trimmed and torted. And so I had a total of 4 cake layers.

FILL AND CRUMB COAT THE CAKE

Spread a small dollop of buttercream onto a cake board. Place 1^st cake layer onto the cake board and spread a thin layer of Baileys Buttercream over it. Repeat until you used up all the cake layers. Crumb coat the cake and chill for about an hour or until firm, (step 1-8).

FROST THE CAKE

With the remaining buttercream frost the outside of the cake. Spread soft Irish Cream buttercream over the top and then onto the sides, (step 1-8).

Smooth sides and top with a spatula, (step 1-8).

Smoothing frosting on a cake with icing smoother.

USE TEXTURE ICING COMB

Immediately after use a decorative icing comb to add some texture to the sides of the cake, (step 1-2). You’ll need to smooth the sides of the cake with an icing comb several times to get an evenly textured buttercream, (step 3-8).

TIP : Notice in step 4, I pressed a little too hard on the icing comb scrapping off to much of the buttercream that the dark chocolate cake started to show. It’s a simple fix, spread a thick layer of buttercream over that area and smooth the side of the cake with the icing comb again until it looks even. Chill the cake for 20-30 minutes.

Smoothing the sides of the cake with textured icing comb.

TWO TONE BUTTERCREAM BORDER

I love using 2 tone buttercream. It’s so fun to pipe swirls, stars or borders with it.

TIP : Here is how to achieve 2 tone buttercream look. Spread about 2/3 cup of Chocolate Swiss Buttercream onto a piece of food wrap. Then layer 2/3 cup Baileys Buttercream onto or next to it. Form a pouch,(step 1-5). Tie one end and trim the other, (step 6). Fit the buttercream pouch into a piping bag fitted with a Star Piping Tip # , (step 7-8).

TIP : How to make Chocolate Swiss Buttercream? Melt 1/4 cup dark chocolate and let it cool to room temperature. Beat melted and cooled chocolate into 1 cup Swiss Buttercream.

Layering chocolate and baileys buttercream onto a plastic wrap.

PIPE BUTTERCREAM BORDER

Press onto the piping bag and let the buttercream come out until both colors are coming out of the nozzle. Then pipe a border onto the cake. Turn the turntable as you pipe, (1-5).

Piping a border with 2 tone buttercream.

DECORATE CAKE

Finish line is within the reach!

Let’s decorate this pretty cake with chocolate sprinkles and piped 2 tone buttercream stars, (step 1-5).

Dusting top of the cake with chocolate sprinkles and piping buttercream stars circle.

Deck the top of the cake with homemade Baileys Chocolates. Nest homemade liquor filled chocolate spheres onto the piped buttercream stars.

Placing chocolate spheres on the top of the cake.

HOW LONG DOES THE CAKE LAST?

This cake will last in the fridge for at least week, covered to prevent drying out once cut.

CAN I FREEZE THE CAKE ?

It can also be frozen (without chocolate decorations) for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost in the fridge and then bring to room temperature before serving.

Slice of a cake with chocolate sphere broken showing the liquor filling.

WHERE CAN I FIND RECIPES TO MAKE BAILEYS CAKE ?

BAILEYS CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE – I used my EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE. Full batch makes 4 – 6 inch baked cakes or 2 – 8/9 inch baked cakes.

And to make this Baileys Cake I used 2 – 6 inch baked cakes that I trimmed and torted so I had total of 4 cake layers. You can freeze other 2 baked cake for later or make an extra tall cake using all 4 baked 6 inch cakes. Or use 8/9 inch baked cakes.

TIP : Follow my full batch Easy Chocolate Cake recipes and use 1/2 cup Baileys Irish Cream and 1 cup Buttermilk in the recipe

SWISS BUTTERCREAM – make one batch of Vanilla Swiss Buttercream.

TIP : Flavor one batch of Swiss Buttercream with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup Baileys Irish Cream. Gradually beat liquor into the buttercream.