If you’re looking for the perfect Irish Cream Chocolate Cake that delivers rich chocolate flavor with a hint of creamy, dreamy Irish cream—without the alcohol—this is it!

This cake is incredibly moist, infused with espresso, and topped with a silky espresso buttercream and a luscious Irish cream chocolate ganache. Whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, a special occasion, or simply craving an amazing cake, this recipe is a must-bake!

This cake is a chocolate lover’s dream, with layers of deep, moist cocoa cake enhanced by warm espresso and the rich chocolate flavor of ganache. And let’s not forget the star of the show: LorAnn Irish Cream Super Strength Flavor! Unlike traditional Irish cream liqueur, Bailey’s Irish Cream, or Irish Whiskey, this version has zero alcohol, making it the perfect way to enjoy that creamy, decadent taste without the buzz.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Moist, rich layers – Thanks to a perfect balance of sour cream, hot coffee, and just the right amount of baking soda and baking powder, these cake layers bake up soft and tender.
Silky espresso buttercream – Infused with real espresso, white chocolate, and just 1/8 teaspoon of LorAnn’s Irish Cream Super Strength, this buttercream is smooth, creamy, and packed with flavor.
Decadent ganache – A blend of chocolate chips, heavy cream, and Irish Cream Super Strength, this ganache takes the cake over the top!
Customizable flavors – You can easily swap the Irish Cream Super Strength Flavor for another LorAnn flavor, like caramel, or hazelnut, for a whole new twist.
No alcohol needed – Get the Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake experience without the alcohol content, making it perfect for all ages!

Equipment You’ll Need

To make this cake, you’ll need a few essential baking tools :
8-inch cake pans (or three 6-inch pans)
Parchment paper for lining cake pans
Kitchen scale for precise measurements
Measuring cups and spoons
Large mixing bowl for dry ingredients
Separate bowl for wet ingredients
Bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment
Hand or stand mixer for the buttercream
Wire rack for cooling cakes
Cake board or serving plate
Offset spatula for smooth frosting
Pastry brush for applying espresso soak
Microwave-safe bowl for ganache
Serrated knife for leveling cake layers

Your Shopping List

Pantry Essentials:

All-purpose flour – 2 ¾ cups (for the cake)
Baking powder – 2 tsp (for the cake)
Baking soda – 1 tsp (for the cake)
Unsweetened cocoa powder – 1 ¼ cups (for deep chocolate flavor in the cake)
Granulated sugar – 2 ¾ cups (for the cake and sweet espresso soak)
Powdered sugar – 3 cups (for the buttercream)
Salt – ½ tsp (for balancing sweetness)
Vanilla extract – 3 tsp (for the cake and buttercream)
LorAnn Irish Cream Super Strength Flavor – 2 tbsp (for the cake, buttercream, and ganache)
Instant espresso powder – 2 tsp (for the buttercream)
Chocolate chips (Ghirardelli recommended) – 1 cup (for ganache)
White chocolate – 8 oz (for buttercream)

Fridge Items:

Salted butter – 1 cup (for the cake) + 4 cups (for buttercream)
Sour cream (or full-fat plain yogurt) – 1 ¼ cups (for moisture in the cake)
Heavy cream – ½ cup (for ganache)
Large eggs – 5 (for the cake)
Pasteurized egg whites : I like to get a carton of eggwhites for this – ¾ cup (for buttercream)
Strongly brewed espresso or coffee – 1 ¼ cups total (¾ cup for cake + ½ cup for soak)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prep The Cake Layers

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans or three 6-inch cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
In a separate bowl, combine cocoa powder and hot coffee, stirring until smooth. Mix in sour cream, vanilla.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.
On low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and wet ingredients, starting and ending with dry.

Divide evenly between prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes.

chocolate cake batter being poured into prepped cake pan

Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Make the Sweet Espresso Soak

Whisk together espresso and sugar
Set aside the layers and gently brush the espresso soak before frosting.

Make the Buttercream

In a bowl of a stand mixer, whisk egg whites and powdered sugar until smooth.
Add butter, beating on high speed until fluffy.
Pour in melted white chocolate, vanilla extract, and espresso milk mixture.
Whip for 10 minutes until silky.

Irish Cream Ganache

Heat heavy cream and pour over chocolate chips.
Stir gently until smooth.
Add Irish Cream Super Strength and let cool slightly.

Assemble the Cake

Trim cake layers if needed.

Brush with espresso soak.

Place the first cake layer on a serving plate.
Spread with espresso buttercream, then add the second layer on top of the cake.

Apply a thin crumb coat, chill for 15 minutes, then frost the whole cake.

Drizzle with chocolate ganache and decorate with chocolate shavings, whipped cream, or espresso beans.

Bringing It All Together YOUR WAY!

Skip the Irish Cream: The cake is delicious on its own or with another LorAnn flavor!
Make it boozy: Swap LorAnn Irish Cream Super Strength for Bailey’s Irish Cream.
Bake it as a Bundt Cake: Adjust baking time to 50-55 minutes.

This Irish Cream Chocolate Cake is a decadent treat perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, birthdays, or just a weekend indulgence. The combination of flavors makes it one of my favorite chocolate cakes ever! Huge thanks to LorAnn Oils for sponsoring this post—your continued support allows me to create recipes like this one. Let me know if you try it, and don’t forget to tag me on TikTok and Instagram!

Happy baking!

Other Recipes You’ll Love

If you love this Irish Cream Chocolate Cake, here are some other decadent recipes you might enjoy:

Fudgy Coffee Cupcakes – Deep, rich chocolate cupcakes with a coffee kick.
Easy Mascarpone Espresso Frosting (No Butter) – A silky-smooth frosting that pairs perfectly with any chocolate dessert.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cake with Peanut Butter Filling – A peanut butter and chocolate lover’s dream cake!
Shamrock Milkshake with Whipped Irish Cream – A festive and creamy milkshake with a touch of Irish charm.
Key Lime Gummy Bear Cake – A fun and tangy cake with a unique gummy bear twist.
Shamrock Shake Cheesecake Pistachio – A delicious, creamy cheesecake with pistachio flavors and a festive St. Patrick’s Day touch.

(Note: Some of the links mentioned may be affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

Stay in touch!

I’d love to hear how your Irish Cream Chocolate Cake turned out! Did you make any fun modifications or creative twists? Leave a comment below and let me know! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram @almonds_and_apricots so I can see your beautiful creations.
Happy baking!

Irish Cream Chocolate Cake

This Irish Cream Chocolate Cake is rich, moist, and infused with deep chocolate and espresso flavors. It features a silky espresso buttercream, a decadent Irish cream chocolate ganache, and a sweet espresso soak to keep every bite flavorful.Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any special occasion

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Author: Kala Boulard

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Irish Cream Cake

250 g 1 cup salted butter diced & at room temperature
3 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
550 g 2 ¾ cups sugar
250 g 5 large eggs room temperature
125 g 1 ¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
200 g ¾ cup strongly brewed coffee or espresso, warm
2 tbsp LorAnn Irish Cream Super Strength (optional of flavor)
300 g 1 ¼ cups sour cream or plain full-fat yogurt, room temperature
350 g 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Sweet Espresso Soak

120 g ½ cup strongly brewed espresso (about 2 shots)
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Irish Cream Espresso Buttercream

180 g ¾ cup pasteurized egg whites
360 g 3 cups powdered sugar
908 g 4 cups salted butter, softened
227 g 8 oz melted white chocolate (Ghirardelli recommended)
8 g 2 tsp LorAnn Vanilla Extract
1/8 tsp LorAnn Irish Cream Super Strength
2 shots freshly brewed espresso

Irish Cream Chocolate Ganache

1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup heavy cream
⅛ teaspoon LorAnn Irish Cream Super Strength

Instructions

For The Cake
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans OR three 6-inch round cake pans, making sure to tap out any excess flour. You can also us cocoa powder! For extra protection- line the bottoms with parchment paper for easy release.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and warm coffee until smooth and lump-free. Stir in the sour cream, vanilla, and Irish Cream Super Strength until fully incorporated. This mixture will be thick and creamy.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add in the sugar and continue beating for another 3-5 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating 30-40 seconds after each addition. This ensures they incorporate smoothly and keep the batter light.
On low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the chocolate mixture in thirds, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined—do not overmix, as this can make the cake dense.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans, about 670g per pan. Smooth the tops with a spatula.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before assembling.

For the Buttercream

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and powdered sugar on low speed until smooth and glossy.
Switch to medium-high speed and add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time. Beat for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Pour in the melted white chocolate, vanilla extract, Irish Cream Super Strength, and espresso.
Whip for an additional 10 minutes until silky smooth.

Irish Cream Ganache

Mix all ingredients in a glass microwave-safe bowl.
Heat on high in 30-second intervals until the heavy cream is warm and steamy (not bubbling).
Stir gently until everything is incorporated and allow to cool slightly before adding a drizzle to the chilled cake.

CAKE ASSEMBLY

Once the cakes are fully cooled, trim the tops with a serrated knife if needed to create even layers.
Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each cake layer with the sweet espresso soak. This will enhance moisture and intensify the espresso flavor.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake board. Spread a generous layer of espresso buttercream on top.
Place the second cake layer on top. Apply a crumb coat (a thin layer of buttercream to seal in crumbs) and chill the cake for 15-20 minutes.
Frost the entire cake with the remaining espresso buttercream, smoothing the sides with an offset spatula.
Drizzle with a chocolate ganache drip.
Pipe buttercream swirls on top for an elegant touch.
Add espresso beans or festive sprinkles for decoration.

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The Ultimate Irish Cream Chocolate Cake (No Alcohol!)