For a wonderfully rich dense sweet treat, you must try my Baileys Irish cream pound cake. It has a mild Irish Cream flavor topped with an unforgettable glaze.
This wonderful pound cake is rich, dense, and wonderfully sweet. Flavored magnificently with Irish Cream. I think I’m in heaven! Oh, and did I mention this cake is made totally from scratch.
As with all my favorite pound cakes, this has just the right crumb: tender and buttery-pound cake perfection. I adore pound cakes and make them a lot! I hope you try my classic old fashioned pound cake, peach pound cake (one of my most popular cake recipes!), and brown sugar pound vake! These are not only loved by my family but read the comments and see all the other people that make and love these cakes!
Baileys Irish Cream Pound Cake Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flours are not all the same. They vary in protein levels. I use moderate protein flour, like Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour or Pillsbury unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder: This is a chemical leavening agent that helps the pound cake to rise!
- Salt: This adds flavor and is used to activate the baking powder, making the cake rise.
- Irish Cream Liqueur: My preference is the Carolinas brand. Baileys, is of course, great too!
- Milk: Use whole rather than a lower-fat version. The extra fat will provide the best flavor. Make sure your milk is at room temperature before mixing it in!
- Butter: I only have unsalted butter in my house and that’s what I’ve used every time I make a pound cake. I find the taste is superior and the salt ratio in this cake is spot on.
- Brown Sugar: This adds another profile of flavor, with wonderful nuances of molasses, and extra moisture to the pound cake.
- Sugar: This is plain ol’ granulated sugar. The combo of sugars is wonderful in this cake!
- Eggs: I make this with large eggs. For best results, it’s important to have the eggs at room temperature!
- Powdered Sugar
Notes + Tips
- Glaze: The glaze is a little gray in color. It’s not a huge deal but I just want you to be forewarned. I believe the color is caused by the color of the Irish Cream. The flavor of the glaze made it absolutely worth adding!!!
- Size: I use a 12-cup Bundt pan for this recipe.
- Room Temperature: Start with room temperature ingredients. This will ensure everything mixes properly and you will get the maximum volume from the ingredients.
- Over Beating: This may sound strange after you read the recipe and see that the first thing you do is beat the butter for 6 minutes! After the eggs are added you need to beat the eggs just to incorporate them. Do NOT over beat your eggs! Add your eggs and mix until the yolk disappears.
- Baking: It’s very easy to over-bake a pound cake. I like to bake it until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cake Release: I use Baker Joy non-stick spray. This cake always releases from the pan perfectly for me with this spray. I spray the pan heavily after I make the batter, just before I pour it into the pan. That way the spray doesn’t have time to slide down the pan. That said, I’ve just had a reader say that she had problems with the cake release. It’s not clear to me if, indeed, she used a specific baking spray nonstick or a regular nonstick spray. There’s actually a huge difference in how the cake will release. She suggested greasing and flouring the bundt pan. Frankly, I’ll leave it up to you. I haven’t found that that method works as well as the specific baking spray nonstick. I’d love to hear from you about what’s working best for you!!! ♥
Storing + Freezing + make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Pound cakes can be stored at room temperate. Refrigerating will extend the shelf life of your cake. Remember though, as with all butter cakes, it’s best served at room temperature. It will last up to 2 days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge.
- Can You Freeze This Old Fashioned Pound Cake Recipe? Pound cakes freeze beautifully. Wrap it well and it will last up to 6 months.
- Make-Ahead: This cake is perfect for making ahead. It can either be made and refrigerated or frozen.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
How To Make Baileys Irish Cream Pound Cake
-
Combine flour (3 cups), baking powder (1 teaspoon), and salt (1/2 teaspoon) in a small bowl and set aside. In a small liquid measuring cup mix Irish Cream (1/2 cup) and milk (1/2 cup) and set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer beat butter (1 1/2 cups) and sugars (2 cups brown sugar + 1 cup) at medium speed until fluffy about 3 minutes. Add the eggs (5), one at a time, and beat well to incorporate after each addition
-
To the butter mixture, gradually add half the flour mixture and then half the milk mixture. Repeat with remaining flour, then milk, and mix until incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan then smooth batter evenly. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cake to cool in a pan for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan to a plate or serving dish and cool completely.
-
Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining sugar (2 cups), Irish Cream (3 tablespoons), and 3 tablespoons of water, adding more water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth. Drizzle cooled cake with glaze.
***See Full Instructions Below.
More Pound Cake To Love!
- Strawberry Pound Cake
- Chocolate Pound Cake
- Blueberry Pound Cake
- Coconut Pound Cake
- Banana Pound Cake
- Eggnog Pound Cake
- Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake
- Million Dollar Pound Cake
Baileys Irish Cream Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Irish Cream Liqueur
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 eggs large
GLAZE:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons Irish Cream Liqueur
- 3 tablespoons water plus more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F Prepare 12 cup Bundt pan by spraying with nonstick baking spray.
- Combine flour (3 cups), baking powder (1 teaspoon), and salt (1/2 teaspoon) in a small bowl and set aside. In a small liquid measuring cup mix Irish Cream (1/2 cup) and milk (1/2 cup) and set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer beat butter (1 1/2 cups) and sugars (2 cups brown sugar + 1 cup) at medium speed until fluffy about 6 minutes. Add the eggs (5), one at a time, and beat well to incorporate after each addition.
- To the butter mixture, gradually add half the flour mixture then half the milk mixture. Repeat with remaining flour then milk and mix until incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan then smooth batter evenly. Bake in preheated oven 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow cake to cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan to a plate or serving dish and cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining sugar (2 cups), Irish Cream (3 tablespoons), and 3 tablespoons of water, adding more water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth. Drizzle cooled cake with glaze
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Glaze: The glaze is a little gray in color. It's not a huge deal but I just want you to be forewarned. I believe the color is caused by the color of the Irish Cream. The flavor of the glaze made it absolutely worth adding!!!
- Size: I use a 12-cup Bundt pan for this recipe.
- Room Temperature: Start with room temperature ingredients. This will ensure everything mixes properly and you will get the maximum volume from the ingredients.
- Over Beating: This may sound strange after you read the recipe and see that the first thing you do is beat the butter for 6 minutes! After the eggs are added you need to beat the eggs just to incorporate them. Do NOT over beat your eggs! Add your eggs and mix until the yolk disappears.
- Baking: It’s very easy to over-bake a pound cake. I like to bake it until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cake Release: I use Baker Joy non-stick spray. This cake always releases from the pan perfectly for me with this spray. I spray the pan heavily after I make the batter, just before I pour it into the pan. That way the spray doesn’t have time to slide down the pan. That said, I've just had a reader say that she had problems with the cake release. It's not clear to me if, indeed, she used a specific baking spray nonstick or a regular nonstick spray. There's actually a huge difference in how the cake will release. She suggested greasing and flouring the bundt pan. Frankly, I'll leave it up to you. I haven't found that that method works as well as the specific baking spray nonstick. I'd love to hear from you about what's working best for you!!! ♥
Nutrition
Reader Interactions
Comments
Trackbacks
-
[…] Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake from Gonna Want Seconds […]
I would like to add mini chocolate chips to this recipe. Do you think it would work and how much should I add?
Yes I’m sure it’ll work. I have another cake (best chocolate bundt cake)that I add chips to and I add 6 ounces (about 1 cup) and it works great!
Could this be made as a mini Bundt cakes??
I’m sure it can. I haven’t made it in that pan size so I can’t advise.
Make sure you grease and flour the bundt pan, do not follow the directions of using non stick spray. It doesn’t work, the cake does NOT release from the pan. All the ingredients and time and it ended up all ripped up trying to get it out of the pan.
Hi Sandi. I’m so sorry that happened. I didn’t have that problem with this particular cake. I have a pound cake recipe that I haven’t posted because it has the same issue with releasing from the pan! Did you use the baking nonstick spray or the regular?
I make my own non-stick coating for cake baking. Equal parts AP flour, shortening, & vegetable/canola oil. Blend those 3 ingredients until smooth then brush onto cake pan. I store the leftover paste in the frig. I have been using this concoction for years & haven’t had one cake stick to the pan.
I made this recipe last March and am about to make it again. Followed the recipe exactly like it says and it was wonderful! My icing didn’t come out as pretty as yours, so hopefully I do better this time.
Hi Susan! So happy you are making this again! Enjoy <3
does the recipe need to be modified to make it a layer-cake instead of a bundt? i want to frost it with a Bailey’s buttercream. 😉
Hi, Bekah. I haven’t tried this on any pan. You’ll have to adjust the baking time. Not sure what pan you’ll use, here’s the guide: https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-resize-cake-recipes-to-fit-any-pan
Thank you and let us know how it turns out!
I think I may try Baileys Strawberry, and almond milk only because that’s what we drink. We will see how that goes.
I hope it comes out amazing for you! Let me know <3
This looks like a great recipe. Can you eliminate the whole milk and double the amount of bailey’s to intensify the flavor?
Hi Celina. I think that the Baileys can get a bit bitter, so I like the milk/Baileys combo. You may not find it bitter. If you give it a try, let me know how it comes out.
Just giving an update. I followed the recipe’s milk to Bailey’s ratio and the taste is wonderful. It’s a great tasting cake! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you too, Celina!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi, Stephy! Thank you so much for featuring our cake! I love your St. Patrick’s Day round up 🙂