This rich Dark Chocolate Guinness Cake with Baileys Buttercream is to die for. The cake is moist and chocolatey with a touch of Guinness flavor, and the Baileys frosting is perfectly sweet and creamy!

Dark Chocolate Guinness Cake with Baileys Buttercream
Since moving I have baked 3 cakes and we have only been here two weeks!
And somehow, two of the three cakes start with dark chocolate. I obviously am not going to be ready for bathing suit season…which in Florida starts like 2 months earlier than everywhere else.
But hey, at least I will be ready for St. Patrick’s Day with this Irish themed cake!
I am not really into wearing green, but I am totally down for some Irish themed desserts filled with alcohol. :)
This cake is kind of like an Irish Car Bomb, minus the whiskey and with a good dose of sugar added to it.
And don’t worry, the alcohol in the cake with cook out…however, the Bailey’s Buttercream will have a small level of alcohol in it.
But isn’t that what St. Patricks Day is all about?!

If you really wanted to take this cake to another level, you could make a Jameson Whiskey glaze to drizzle on top!
Just melt 4 tablespoons butter in the microwave and then whisk in 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons Jameson Whiskey and a splash of vanilla extract. Then drizzle away!
But I didn’t feel that this cake needed anything extra, so I skipped my original plan for a whiskey glaze. It’s perfect just as it is with a deep chocolate flavor and creamy Bailey’s Irish Cream frosting!
If you are serving a large group of people — or just really love cake — this recipe is easily doubled to make a two tiered cake.
Just slather some buttercream in between the two chocolate cake layers and then pipe your frosting on top. And viola, you have a super impressive two tiered cake!
This recipe was developed for Dixie Crystals.
Dark Chocolate Guinness Cake with Baileys Buttercream
Ingredients
For the Guinness Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour*
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 3 oz dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Guinness
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
For the Baileys Buttercream
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
- 3 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
Instructions
- For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease one 8-inch round cake pan. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter and chopped chocolate.
- Once melted, stir in sugar. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk in Guinness and vanilla extract until smooth. Quickly beat in egg until combined. Whisk in dry ingredients until smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in pan until completely cool, then transfer to cake plate and frost.
For the Frosting- Cream butter in the bowl of a stand mixer on high until light and fluffy. Add Baileys Irish Cream and beat until combined.
- Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all sugar has been added, give it a taste and decide if you would like a little more Bailey’s Irish Cream. If yes, add 1 teaspoon at a time until desired flavor is achieved.
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag, and pipe along the top of the cake. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
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