I’m not generally a shot of Baileys (or any liqueur) in my coffee kind of gal. But that said, I do find myself enjoying one or two over the holiday season. Especially if I’m over at my dad’s house on Christmas day sitting around the table playing a game of Canasta. Something warm, yummy, and a bit nostalgic about sipping on a cup of Baileys and coffee. Inspired by those holiday coffees, this Baileys & Coffee Cake is the most delicious thing you’ll eat this holiday season.


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Cinnamon Baileys & Coffee Cake Inspiration

I found myself humming and hawing over what cake to create for our weekly Sunday Family Cake tradition when I went to go drop off a few things at my dad’s house. We were chatting in his kitchen when I spied a bottle of cinnamon vanilla Baileys on the counter by the coffee pot and WHAM! Just like that! Cake inspiration hit.

Luckily for me, my dad is a generous sort, and let me take the bottle home of that creamy smooth liqueur yum to bake away. And let me tell you…this cake turned out so dang good! 1000% better than actual Baileys and coffee and quite possibly my favorite flavor of the year.

A light tan bailey's and coffee flavored cake topped with large buttercream swirls.

Doctored Cake Mix Baileys Cake Layers

First, I loaded these doctored cake mix cake layers up with Baileys and oodles of cinnamon chips to bring out those warm cinnamon notes in the liqueur. And seeing as how it’s already decadent, I went on ahead and sliced each layer into two for a total of 6 layers all lightly brushed in a second helping Baileys.

A slice of baileys & coffee flavored cake sitting on a plate. It has six golden layers with frosting between each layer.

Baileys & Coffee Buttercream

Next up was the buttercream and again, it was all Bailey’s vanilla cinnamon liqueur paired with instant coffee powder to round out that well-known and loved holiday drink. The key to a fluffy and indulgent Bailey’s buttercream frosting is to whip the butter on high for a solid 5-10 minutes first. You want it to be light, fluffy, and cloud-like before adding the remaining ingredients.

A light tan bailey's and coffee flavored cake topped with large buttercream swirls. There are two slices taken out of the cake.

Coffee-Infused Baking

Coffee fan? I bet you’d go caffeine crazy for these fun caffeinated recipes.

 

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A light tan bailey's and coffee flavored cake topped with large buttercream swirls.

Baileys & Coffee Cake


  • Author: Katie
  • Total Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
  • Yield: 10 Slices 1x

Description

An easy recipe for the most delicious Bailey’s & Coffee cake using a doctored cake mix. Full of cinnamon chips and indulgent Bailey’s liqueur this cake tastes like a warm cup of holiday cheer. The perfect Christmas celebration cake or party dessert.


Ingredients

Scale

Bailey’s & Coffee Cake

  • 1 box (461 grams) yellow/golden cake mix

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • ½ cup Baileys Vanilla Cinnamon liqueur *

  • 4 egg whites, room temperature

  • ⅓ cup greek yogurt or sour scream

  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil

  • ¼ cup milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 cup cinnamon chips **

Baileys & Coffee Buttercream


Instructions

Bailey’s & Coffee Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare three 6-inch round cake pans with baking spray and parchment paper.

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer add in the yellow cake mix and ground cinnamon and give it a quick whisk to break up any clumps.

  3. Add in all the remaining wet ingredients and mix until combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.

  4. With a spatula gently fold the cinnamon chips into the cake batter until just combined.

  5. Divide batter between the cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.

  6. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then invert on a cooling rack to fully cool.

Bailey’s & Coffee Buttercream

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter on high speed until light and fluffy. Approximately 5-10 minutes.

  2. Add the icing sugar, instant coffee powder, salt, and Baileys liqueur and mix on low until combined.

  3. Turn the mixer up to high and let mix for 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl when necessary.

Cake Assembly

  1. Level each cooled cake layer and then with the cake leveler cut each layer into half creating 6 total cake layers.

  2. Place one leveled layer of Baileys vanilla cinnamon cake on a cake board or plate. With a pastry brush, brush on a little bit of the Baileys liqueur directly on the cake layer. Top with approximately 1 cup of buttercream.

  3. Repeat with the remaining layers and apply a thin coat of buttercream all over the cake. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

  4. Cover the cake with another layer of buttercream and smooth the sides with a cake smoother.

  5. Decorate the cake as you please. I used my offset spatula and, with the tip, dragged it gently diagonally on the cake from the bottom to the top. I topped the cake with Wilton 2D buttercream swirls and sprinkled on a bit of extra instant coffee powder. Enjoy!

Notes

* Any flavor of Bailey’s liqueur will work for this recipe.

** If you cannot find cinnamon chips you can swap them for chocolate chips or simply go without.

  • Prep Time: 2 Hours
  • Cook Time: 30 Minutes
  • Category: Cakes
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: Slice
  • Calories: 860
  • Sugar: 97 Grams
  • Sodium: 788 Miligrams
  • Fat: 47 grams
  • Saturated Fat: 23 Grams
  • Unsaturated Fat: 20 grams
  • Trans Fat: 3 Grams
  • Carbohydrates: 111 Grams
  • Fiber: 6 Grams
  • Protein: 3 Grams
  • Cholesterol: 51 Miligrams

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