Irish Cream Bundt Cake with Baileys Glaze & Chocolate Ganache
This Irish Cream bundt cake with Baileys glaze and chocolate ganache drizzle takes bundt cake and steps it up a notch. Added flavor of Baileys liqueur infuses each part of this bundt cake making this cake recipe extra special and sure to please.
This is one of those recipes that is seasonally inspired for St. Patrick’s Day, but is so good that it has staying power throughout the year.
How can it not be fantastic? A rich bundt cake speckled with pecans and flavored with Baileys Irish Cream and then drenched in Baileys glaze? Already a winner. Then adding silky ribbons of chocolate ganache. Just stop. Do not pass go.
Run to the store now and get everything you need for this cake ASAP. Trust me you’ll thank me. It’s that good.
You might think you need lots of fancy ingredients from the store to make this cake happen, but I promise you that you don’t.. This cake has all the usual suspects: butter, flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and baking soda.
What makes it special? Well, pecans add a nice little chewy crunch to the fluffy, moist cake but they aren’t the stars of the show. That’s the rich decadent flavor of Baileys Irish cream. A full cup of it goes directly into the cake batter.
So you’ve got a luscious cake infused with the first layer of Baileys flavor. That’s already a cake full of extra flavor. But then, you take that creamy whiskey flavor to the next level by basing the glaze on Baileys too. The otherwise simple butter and sugar glaze has an extra 3 tablespoons of Baileys added into the mix to really frost this bundt cake with flavor.
And not only is the glaze layered on top of the bundt cake but the glaze is infused into the cake itself. Before you pour the glaze over the cake, take a skewer and poke holes throughout the bundt cake. Then pour the Bailey’s glaze over the cake. The glaze will get into each hole, filling the cake with extra frosting and moisture.
And last but not least? The chocolate ganache. Baileys and chocolate go together so well. Think mudslides. I knew I wanted to bring this flavor combination to this cake, but I didn’t want to overwhelm the cake by slathering it in tons of chocolate frosting. That could muddle all the delicious Irish cream flavor I was trying to bring out in the cake.
Rather than top this cake with mass amounts of chocolate, I wanted just a little rich chocolate ganache to compliment the Irish Cream without overpowering it. Think of it as the bow on an already beautifully wrapped present.
Or the icing on the cake. Which in this case is the most decadent Irish Cream bundt cake with Baileys glaze and chocolate ganache that you could ever imagine.
Other Sweet Cakes To Enjoy:
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Ingredients
For The Irish Cream Bundt Cake
- 1 C unsalted sweet cream butter softened
- 2 C sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 C flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 C Bailey's Irish Cream
- 1 C pecan pieces
For The Glaze
- 1/2 cup unsalted sweet cream butter
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Bamboo stick
For The Chocolate Ganache
- 1 C semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
- 1 squeeze bottle
- 1/2 C mini chocolate chips
Instructions
To Make The Bundt Cake
- Preheat oven to 325 and spray bundt cake pan with baking spray, set aside
- Using a standing mixer, beat together all the cake ingredients until combined
- Pour the pecan chips into the bundt pan
- Pour into the bundt cake batter over the pecans in the bundt pan and bake in the oven for 65-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center
- Place the cake onto a cookie sheet and allow to cool while you make the glaze
To Make The Glaze
- Using a medium saucepan, combine all glaze ingredients and mix until melted and combined
- Using a bamboo stick, poke holes all over the still warm cake
- Pour glaze onto the cake, making sure the glaze gets into each hole
- Allow cake to cool for about 20 minutes before removing and placing onto a serving plate
To Make The Chocolate Ganache
- Using a small sauce pan, heat up the heavy whipping cream
- Pour the chocolate chips into a heat safe bowl
- Once the heavy whipping cream starts to simmer, pour over the chocolate chips
- Allow to sit for two minutes
- Using a whisk, whisk until combined
- Pour into a squeeze bottle
- Drizzle the ganache over the cake
- Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips
Yum! Your bundt cake looks amazingly delicious!! I love combining Bailey’s and chocolate. SO good! I just made a chocolate tart with Bailey’s in the filling. Such a great combination ;)
What a gorgeous looking cake! I know my sister is going to love this! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday.
The cake was wonderful but it did not look anything like your picture! The glaze was clear and I poked holes in the cake like you said and poured the glaze in the holes. Your picture looks like you made a different glaze and poured it over the top of the cake?
I agree with Lisa – what is the glaze you are using in the photos? The directions are a bit confusing – are you saying I need to pour the glaze onto the cake BEFORE I remove it from the pan? If so, do I need to make extra to pour on top after I remove it? Needs to be more clear. Not to be too on the nose, but you seem to glaze over the details here. Otherwise, looks and smells great, but a bit worried the photo doesn’t match the recipe. Bringing to a St Patty’s day party, so hoping it works out
You bring up a really good point, and one I did not discuss. The recipe as written- yes you do the glaze before you release the cake from the pan. Pictured though the glaze has been added after its been released and set on a serving tray. Either will work, just make sure to still poke some holes so it infuses the cake.
I don’t think the glaze on the cake in the picture is the glaze in the recipe. Followed the recipe and the Baileys glaze is a clear-ish caramel color and runs down the cake, pooling in the center and around the sides rather than “coating” the cake like the glaze in the picture. Was powdered sugar supposed to be added at some point to make it lighter in color and thinker?
This recipe is very good with the exception of the glaze. Something seems off . The glaze was definitely not as thick as pictured. I even let the glaze completely cool to thicken . It helped some but still not as pictured.
Exactly there was no way this was the same glaze recipe, I actually added a cup or two of powdered sugar to make it the same consistency and color, and still didn’t coat like picture!
Howdy Meaghan, I’m loving this recipe and for sure gonna make it for the next get together, and am wondering how you think it would be if I poked the cake all over with like a skewer or something and poured on some Baileys, kinda like a poke cake? Maybe might get too soggy? Thought of making instant pudding with Baileys and doing it too…any suggestions?
I’d worry just using Bailey’s would make it soggy, but some Irish cream infused pudding sounds like a delicious addition!
I’ve recently had problems with my mixer exploding as I mixed so this time I whisked everything together except butter then beat in butter with electric mixer. Turned out great! Also skipped all the icings due to dietary concerns. Was fantastic.