Baileys cake

Seriously good Baileys cake

Baileys Irish creme is one of the most popular liqueurs around, and it's become a popular ingredient among chefs aiming to present truly gorgeous desserts to amuse their clientele.

Which is why it felt so right to add a good few slugs to a birthday cake I was making. Somehow the sponge cake on its own just didn't have the necessary 'pizzaz' for the occasion. But it soon did.

If you've got a special celebration coming up, or you want to add a real 'treat factor' to a family or friends get-together, you owe it to yourself and your guests to try this Baileys cake!

It's a really easy recipe, and the end result is sensational. No sophisticated decoration is needed. The cake will be remembered for its taste, not its appearance (although there's no reason to not dress it up, if you want to!)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4 and grease a 5-or 6-inch round tin.

Sieve the salt, cinnamon, cocoa and flour. Set aside.

Cream the sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, then alternately, blend in a spoonful of the sieved flour mix and a spoonful of Baileys. Continue to mix until the consistency is smooth and even.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the cake mixture.

Turn into the tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 45 mintues to one hour (the Baileys cake sponge is ready when a skewer comes out clean).

When it has cooled, cut it horizontally to make a top and a bottom layer.

Whisk together the cream filling ingredients and then spread over the bottom layer. Add the top layer, and refrigerate for one hour to allow the cream filling to become a little firmer.

Mix the icing ingredients and spread over the top of the sponge.

Decorate your cake with chocolate chips or shaving. Or don't bother, just tuck in!

Where next?

• Want something fabulous to drink with your Baileys cake? Try this Irish coffee recipe.
• If not a sponge cake, what about a Baileys cheesecake?
• Want some Christmas-y or special occasion recipes?
• Why not try out some really traditional Irish food recipes.