Irish Cream Coffee Cake

By: Amy Weinberg

Morning. It’s morning, everyone! Today is the day! The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and we’re gonna get out of…. 

THE TANK IS CLEAN!

Finding Nemo, 2003

But really, the sun is finally shining. The grass is as green as my beer so you know what that means….St. Paddy’s Day! (I originally typed this on my phone and St. Paddy’s autocorrected to St. Party’s – fitting.) There are so many different Irish themed flavors that come alive this time of year, most of them in the form of beer. Even if you’re not at all Irish, you’re a little bit Irish on St. Paddy’s Day. On St. Paddy’s Day, your blood runs green with Bailey’s and artificial food coloring.

Whether you’re entertaining guests, or you just need that perfect midnight, not-so-sober snack, I’ve got the recipe for you.

Irish Cream Coffee Cake

What You'll Need:

For Ganache - 

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream

1 cup milk chocolate chips

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Irish Cream liqueur (about half a mini bottle)

For Icing - 

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup plus two tablespoons Irish Cream (about 1 1/2 mini bottles)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

For Hot Fudge - 

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup coffee

1/2 cup Irish cream (2 mini bottles)

The first thing you’ll have to make is the chocolate ganache. Combine your heavy cream and chocolate chips in a saucepan and heat on medium low until all chips are melted. Start adding in your butter in chunks and stir until everything is combined. Final step? Add the Irish cream. Once everything is combined, you’re going to want to pop this in the fridge to cool while we make the other components.

Next, you’ll want to make your Irish Cream frosting. First, combine your butter and powdered sugar and mix on low, gradually adding in the Irish cream. Add in your vanilla and beat on high until the frosting is light and fluffy. Clear some room in your fridge because you’re gonna pop this in right next to the ganache.

The final component of this dessert is the Irish Cream hot fudge sauce. Combine and whisk together all of the ingredients over medium heat. Let your sauce bubble for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Once the sauce cools a little bit, pour about ¼ cup into each empty Irish cream bottle.

 Now that all of the components are ready, it is time for the best part: ASSEMBLY. I used a Granny Smith Apple Coffee Cake because it is what I had, but I would recommend using a no-nut cake for this dessert. I would also recommend semi-freezing the cake beforehand so that it is easier to cut out the hole in the middle. Next, take out your ganache and start spooning it into the hole. The ganache should still be warm so it should finish defrosting the cake. Next start filling a piping bag with your Irish Cream icing and pipe it onto the cake, finishing with a dusting of cocoa.

The final step is the hot fudge. If you are serving this as a dessert for other people, I would recommend serving the Bailey's bottle on the side, allowing your guest to make their own mess. In one swift move, you'll have to tip over and insert the mini bottle into the top of the cake. If you're successful, the bottle will stay still while the cake explodes with chocolate. 

And just a friendly reminder - although everyone is Irish on St. Paddy's Day, this is not a dessert for children. I even got a little tipsy tasting each component!