Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the flavors of a traditional Irish Cocktail turned into a decadent dessert. Chocolate Guinness cake is brushed with an Irish whiskey glaze and then topped with fluffy frosting flavored with Bailey’s Irish Cream. Even if an Irish Car Bomb isn’t your thing, you’ll love this cake!
Cake:
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 9-inch cake pans, and line with parchment paper.
Glaze:
1/2 cup Irish whiskey
1/2 cup sugar
Bring whiskey and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil vigorously, uncovered about 10 minutes until mixture is reduced slightly and syrupy. Keep warm until ready to use.
Frosting:
8 ounces Neufchatel cheese (low fat cream cheese), softened
1-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup Baily’s Irish Cream liquor
1 cup heavy cream
Beat softened Neufchatel cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add Baily’s and beat just until combined. With mixer running, slowly pour in heavy cream and beat until mixture holds soft peaks. Chill until ready to use.
Assembly:
Place 1 cake layer on cake dish. Brush top of cake with half of the warm Irish Whiskey glaze. Allow to cool slightly. Spread a thin layer (about 1-1/2 cups frosting) over cake; top with second cake layer and brush with remaining warm glaze; let cool. Top with remaining frosting. Pile the frosting fairly high and let it fall irregularly around the side of the cake to give the appearance of the foam at the top of a Guinness.