If you love Baileys Irish Cream and you love chocolate cake, I must introduce you to your new favorite dessert. This fantastic treat marries the two together and is the most perfect treat.
What is a Poke Cake
A poke cake is made by poking holes in a freshly baked cake and pouring a liquid such as jello, sweetened condensed milk, or in this case, Baileys Irish Cream, over the cake into the holes. The result is a super moist and rich dessert.
Tips and Tricks
Use mint extract. Peppermint extract will give the cake a different taste (think of the difference between a candy cane and an Andes mint) so I would not recommend using it. Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh. Drop a little baking soda in some vinegar and mix some baking powder with water to test their freshness. They both should bubble right away. If they don’t it’s time to replace them. Baking powder and baking soda should be replaced every six months. Measure your flour correctly. See more on this important step below. Wait to poke your holes. After your cake comes out of the oven, wait a little bit to poke the holes. If you poke too soon, you are going to end up with more cake on the handle of your wooden spoon than in the pan. Pour the Baileys while the cake is warm. This will allow it to soak into the cake. Replace the coffee. This cake is made with freshly brewed coffee, but it doesn’t taste like coffee. If you are still nervous, just replace the coffee with hot water.
Measuring Flour
Getting the right amount of flour can make or break your baking recipe. By using the wrong type of measuring cup or scooping it directly from the container it’s stored in, you can get too much flour which will result in a cake that is really dry. Follow these steps to measure your flour correctly.
Mix dry ingredients. Whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients. To your large bowl of dry ingredients, add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, mint extract, and coffee. Mix until just combined. Bake the cake. Pour the batter into a 9×13 pan and bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs. Add Baileys. Let your cake cool for 10 minutes. Poke holes in the top and pour the Baileys into the holes. Frost your cake. Refrigerate your cake overnight then frost it with homemade stabilized whipped cream or Cool Whip and chopped Andes mints or Andes baking chips.
Whisk the flour in the bag or container it’s stored in. Use a spoon to scoop the flour from the container it’s stored in into a dry measuring cup. Don’t scoop it directly with the measuring cup. Use the flat side of a spatula to level off the measuring cup.
Making in Advance
This is a great dessert recipe to make in advance because it needs to sit overnight. Bake your cake then add the Baileys and keep it in the refrigerator for up to two days in advance. I recommend frosting it right before serving.
Storing
Since this cake is made with dairy, it should be refrigerated. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or tinfoil and store your Baileys poke cake in the refrigerator for up to four days. To freeze your chocolate poke cake with Baileys, cover tightly with foil and freeze for up to three months. Allow to thaw before enjoying.
Other Chocolate Dessert Recipes
Baileys Brownies Chocolate Zucchini Cake Easy Fudge Recipe
If you make this chocolate poke cake recipe with Baileys or any of my other recipes, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you.
