If you’re looking for a dessert that feels instantly special without demanding you spend all day fussing in the kitchen, then oh boy, do I have the recipe for you! Sometimes, you just need a little something extra decadent for the grown-ups, don’t you? That’s where my **Baileys Irish Cream Cake** comes in. It’s unbelievably rich, wonderfully creamy, and just the right amount of cozy and boozy.
When St. Patrick’s Day rolls around, this is the first cake that pops into my head—it’s got that festive spirit built right in! As a Family Cooking Specialist, I always believe that keeping traditions alive should be joyful, not stressful. This cake uses some simple shortcuts, but it tastes like it came straight from a fancy bakery. It’s a wonderful way to end a family celebration and make new memories around the table. Trust me, the moment that creamy glaze soaks into the cake, you’ll be hooked.
If you want to see another favorite cake perfect for sharing, you should check out my recipe for a raspberry cake roll! It’s just as fun to make!
Why You Need This Baileys Irish Cream Cake Recipe
Listen, I know we all love baking from scratch, but sometimes the week is hectic, and we still want something show-stopping! That’s why I adore this recipe. It proves you can have an incredibly flavorful, sophisticated cake without spending hours measuring tiny specialty ingredients.
Here is why this recipe is going straight into your favorites folder:
- The flavor is intensely rich—that Irish Cream really sings!
- It starts with a yellow cake mix, making prep a breeze.
- It’s perfectly suited for grown-up celebrations.
- It has that gorgeous golden color that looks fantastic on a party table, especially for St. Patrick’s Day.
Perfect for Adult Celebrations
Because we are using liqueur in both the batter and the glaze, this really shines at gatherings where kids aren’t the main focus. It’s my go-to recipe when I need an amazing centerpiece for my **St Patrick’s Day Party Food** spread. It’s fun, festive, and honestly tastes better than most things you buy pre-made! It just screams celebration without any fuss.
Essential Ingredients for Your Baileys Irish Cream Cake
The magic of this cake comes from using a foundational mix but elevating it dramatically with some seriously good soaking liquid. I’ve broken down exactly what you need below. Don’t skip on the quality of that Irish Cream; it’s the star of the show here, and you’ll taste the difference!
Here is the rundown of what you need:
- 1 cup chopped pecans – these go right into the bottom of the pan!
- 1 package boxed yellow cake mix – yes, we’re taking a shortcut, and I’m not sorry about it!
- 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix – this is what makes it so creamy inside.
- 4 large eggs – fresh ones, please!
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup Irish Cream Liqueur – for the batter soak.
And for that incredible glaze that makes the whole cake sing:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup Irish Cream Liqueur – this is what you brush on after baking.
If you’re interested in another recipe using quality ingredients, take a peek at my white chocolate raspberry cookies—they are divine!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
A note on those pecans: you certainly don’t have to toast them first, but if you have an extra five minutes, it deepens their flavor wonderfully. When it comes to the liqueur, while a lot of the alcohol cooks off during the baking time, the flavor certainly concentrates! If you swap it out entirely for milk or cream, you lose that signature warmth. You can also use any brand of cake mix or pudding you like; they all work out fine in the end.
Step-by-Step Instructions for the Baileys Irish Cream Cake
Alright, let’s get baking! This cake feels fancy, but truly, the steps are so straightforward. My favorite part is definitely pouring that warm, boozy glaze over the finished cake. It’s pure magic. Just follow these steps, and you’ll have the absolute best **Baileys Irish Cream Cake** ready for your party!
Preparing the Batter and Baking
First things first, let’s get the oven to 325 degrees F. Make sure you’ve greased and floured your 10-inch Bundt pan really well—we don’t want any sticking! Sprinkle those chopped pecans right over the bottom of the pan; they’ll be the topping once we flip it. In a big bowl, you just combine the cake mix, the dry instant vanilla pudding mix, the eggs, water, oil, and the 3/4 cup of Irish Cream liqueur. Use your mixer, but be careful! Mix it just until everything is combined. Seriously, don’t overmix it, or you’ll lose that tender crumb we worked so hard for. Pour that lovely batter right over the nuts and bake it for about 60 minutes. Stick a toothpick in the center—if it comes out clean, you’re golden!
Creating the Irish Cream Glaze
While that gorgeous cake is cooling down a bit, we whip up the glaze. Pour the butter, 1/4 cup of water, and the granulated sugar into a small saucepan. Set it over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Here’s the key: keep boiling it for exactly 5 minutes while stirring constantly. This boils off some water and gets the syrup consistency just right. Once those five minutes are up, pull it straight off the heat and stir in that last 1/4 cup of Irish Cream liqueur. Wow, that smells amazing!
Glazing the Baileys Irish Cream Cake
Once the cake has cooled for about 10 minutes in the pan, flip it out onto a wire rack to cool completely—and I mean completely! To help the glaze really soak in, take a skewer and prick all over the top and down the sides of the cake. This cake is thirsty! Spoon about half of that warm glaze over the top and use a brush to gently work the rest into the sides. Let it absorb for a few minutes, then repeat until you’ve used most of the glaze. You can save a tiny spoonful to drizzle over individual slices right before serving. It just melts right in!
For another great baking adventure, you might want to save this recipe for chocolate peppermint bread for later in the year!
Tips for the Best Baileys Irish Cream Cake Results
I want your bake to be absolutely perfect, so let me share a few little secrets I’ve picked up over the years when tending to my Bundt pans. Pan prep is non-negotiable for this moist **Baileys Irish Cream Cake**! Don’t just rely on cooking spray. You need to grease that pan thoroughly—I mean reaching every nook and cranny—and then dust it well with both flour and maybe even a little extra cocoa powder if you used a darker pan, just to be safe! This extra step ensures a clean release.
When testing for doneness, the toothpick is your starting point, but don’t stop there. If it comes out with wet batter, obviously it needs more time. However, if it comes out absolutely bone-dry and dusty, you’ve likely baked it too long, and it might dry out as it cools. We are looking for just a few moist, tender crumbs clinging to the toothpick. When you gently press the top of the cake, it should spring back lightly, which means the structure has fully set. It’s that combination of tests that locks in the perfect texture.
If you have extra time later, you absolutely have to try my guide on how to bake perfect cookies every time!
Serving Suggestions for Your Festive Baileys Irish Cream Cake
This **Baileys Irish Cream Cake** is so rich and decadent, it barely needs anything else! For an adult gathering, I love serving just a thin slice alongside a spoonful of freshly whipped cream—maybe sweetened with a tiny bit of maple syrup. Chocolate shavings are always a win, too, particularly dark chocolate which cuts through the sweetness of the glaze beautifully! This cake is definitely the star when you are looking for amazing **St Patrick’s Day Food Ideas Party** centerpieces.
Pairing with Green Foods For Party Themes
Since this cake has such deep, warm notes, you want to pair it with something bright to keep things interesting. If you’re setting up a full spread that screams **St Patrick’s Day Aesthetic**, try surrounding it with some fun, lighter things. Think about light fruit salads or maybe even serving it with a side of my pink coconut mojitos which offer a lovely, refreshing counterpoint. It balances out all the richness perfectly. It fits right in with all the best **St Patrick’s Day Food Ideas**!
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips for Baileys Irish Cream Cake
One of the best parts about making a cake that gets soaked in glaze like this **Baileys Irish Cream Cake** is that it actually gets *better* the next day. I always tell folks that I bake mine the afternoon before a big party. This gives the Irish Cream glaze time to work its magic and really permeate the whole cake structure. It’s the ultimate make-ahead dessert!
When it comes to storing it, here’s what I do. Once the glaze has completely set—that usually takes a couple of hours at cool room temperature—I cover the entire cake loosely with foil or plastic wrap. Because of the sugar content in the glaze, you can safely keep this cake on the counter, tightly covered, for about two to three days. The moisture from the glaze keeps the cake incredibly tender!
Now, if you are planning to keep it longer than that, or if your kitchen is really warm, you should move it to the refrigerator. Just make sure to let it sit out for about an hour before serving! A cold cake doesn’t show off its creamy flavor profile as well as one that’s totally room temperature).
Storing leftovers is just as easy. If you have slices left over, wrap them individually in plastic wrap. If you want something quick, my recipe for cream cheese banana bread freezes beautifully if you want an option you can keep tucked away for a rainy day!
Frequently Asked Questions About This Baileys Irish Cream Cake
I always get so many questions when I post a boozy dessert! It’s understandable—we want this **Baileys Irish Cream Cake** to be perfect for our specific gathering. Here are a few things folks ask me most often, hoping to clear everything up before you even turn on the oven!
Can I make the Baileys Irish Cream Cake without alcohol?
That’s a fair question! Since the Baileys is such a core flavor, removing it absolutely changes the profile, but you can certainly try! You need a liquid replacement for texture, so I suggest using 3/4 cup of heavy cream mixed with about 1/2 teaspoon of good quality almond extract to try and mimic some of that nutty complexity. For the glaze, just use heavy cream instead of the liqueur when you boil it, and then maybe mix in a couple of drops of vanilla extract off the heat. It won’t have that adult kick, but it will still be wonderfully moist!
What other St Patrick’s Day Food Ideas Party desserts pair well with this cake?
If you’re planning out all your **St Patrick’s Day Food Ideas Party**, you need a variety! Since this cake is so rich, you want something lighter or sweeter on the side. I absolutely love making a batch of my easy, festive no-bake Oreo balls and dyeing the chocolate coating green! They are super simple and look fantastic next to the cake. Another fun, simple idea that screams holiday is making puppy chow and calling it **Leprechaun Bait**!
What is the best pan size for this Baileys Irish Cream Cake?
The recipe is specifically written for a 10-inch Bundt pan. That size is critical because it dictates the baking time—sixty minutes is perfect for that depth. If you use a smaller Bundt pan, you’ll likely need to add another 10 to 15 minutes of baking time, so keep checking it with that toothpick. If you try to use a wider, shallower pan, the baking time will be much shorter, so I really stick to the traditional Bundt shape for this one!
Estimated Nutritional Information for Baileys Irish Cream Cake
Now, I know we bake for love, not for tracking macros, but when you’re bringing a big, decadent dessert like this **Baileys Irish Cream Cake** to a party, folks sometimes ask! Because we are using a boxed mix, pudding mix, and that lovely liqueur, the nutrition is definitely on the indulgent side—and that’s totally okay for a special occasion!
Keep in mind that these numbers are just good estimates based on the ingredients I use and the standard serving size of 1 slice. Your actual numbers might shift a bit depending on your exact brand of cake mix or the type of liqueur you choose. When you want comfort food that truly hits the spot, this is it!
Here’s what one slice generally looks like:
- Calories: around 450
- Fat: about 25g (with 10g of that being saturated fat)
- Carbohydrates: roughly 55g
- Sugar: 45g (It’s a sweet cake, friends!)
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: around 300mg
If you love hearty, home-cooked goodness, you absolutely must check out the recipe for my sweet potato lentil soup. It’s total comfort in a bowl!
Share Your Baileys Irish Cream Cake Creations
Baking should always be a shared experience, and my favorite part of posting these recipes is hearing how they turn out in *your* kitchens! Seriously, I love seeing the beautiful Bundt shapes you all manage to achieve.
If you made this **Baileys Irish Cream Cake** for a special weekend gathering or just decided you needed a creamy, festive treat, please don’t keep that joy to yourself! Head down to the comments section below and tell me how it went. Did you manage to get that glaze soaked in just right? Did your guests rave about it?
And those photos—I just live for them! Snap a picture of your finished cake and share it on Instagram or Facebook. Tag me so I can see all that creamy, boozy goodness! It truly helps me know which recipes I should feature more often.
If you enjoyed this recipe and want to see more of my family-focused bakes and tips, feel free to check out my page right here!
Print
Baileys Irish Cream Cake
- Total Time: 75 min
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A rich cake made with yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding, and Irish Cream Liqueur, topped with a sweet Irish Cream glaze.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 package boxed yellow cake mix
- 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup Irish Cream Liqueur
- 1/2 cup butter (for glaze)
- 1/4 cup water (for glaze)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (for glaze)
- 1/4 cup Irish Cream Liqueur (for glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. Sprinkle pecans over the bottom of the pan.
- In a large bowl, combine yellow cake mix, vanilla instant pudding mix, eggs, water, oil, and 3/4 cup Irish Cream liqueur using a mixer.
- Pour the batter over the nuts in the pan.
- Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan. Flip the cake out of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
- While the cake cools, make the glaze. Combine butter, 1/4 cup water, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove the glaze mixture from the heat and add 1/4 cup Irish Cream liqueur.
- Prick the top and sides of the cooled cake with a skewer.
- Spoon glaze over the top and brush onto the sides of the cake. Allow the cake to absorb the glaze and repeat until most of the glaze is used. Save some glaze to pour over sliced pieces.
Notes
- Bake this cake for adult gatherings due to the liqueur content.
- Use your preferred brands for ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 60 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Keywords: Baileys Irish Cream Cake, adult dessert, St Patrick's Day cake, bundt cake, creamy cake, Irish liqueur dessert