Bailey's Chocolate Cake with Peppermint Icing

This cake is a combination of a few great things, Bailey's Liquor and chocolate, and, chocolate and peppermint. The chocolate cake stays fluffy and moist, and the peppermint icing adds the perfect amount of sweetness and minty flavor without being overpowering. Something else that puts this cake over the edge, is Bailey's chocolate ganache used between the layers. This cake is also simple to pull together. I used two bowls, one for wet and one for dry ingredients, but you can just pour the wet ingredients directly into the bowl of the dry to have one less dish to wash.

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Pull Together:

Cake -

• 1 3/4 cups cake flour or 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups of sugar

• 3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 large eggs

• 3/4 cup milk

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup Baileys Irish Cream

• 3/4 cup boiling water

• 1 tsp vanilla

Icing -

• 1/2 cup of butter softened

• 8 oz cream cheese softened

• 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

• 1 tablespoon crushed peppermint

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Steps:

Cake -

1. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 300°F.

2. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and combine.

3. In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, vegetable oil, Irish cream, water, and vanilla extract and slowly pour into the dry ingredients. Mix well.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the cake's pans and bake for about 32-34 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.

5. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

Icing & Assembly -

1. While the cakes are cooling, prep the icing and ganache if desired. Cream together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes scraping occasionally.

2. Add the powdered sugar, cover the bowl so it does not go everywhere, pulse a few times with mixer, then have mixer slowly combine all together. Once fully mixed, add in peppermint extract and crushed peppermint.

3. Once it is fully combined and at the desired peppermint level, you can start to assemble the cake.

4. Start by cutting off the tops of the cake to create a flat surface. With the first layer of cake on a pedestal, create a border with the icing to lock in the ganache, if using, if not fill the layer with an even layer of icing, repeat with next layer. Once you have your final layer on top, cover the whole cake with a thin layer of icing, your crumb coat. Chill the crumb coat for at least 10 minutes. Once it has been chilled use remaining icing to ice the cake fully, top with sprinkles and decorations. Enjoy and have fun!