Irish Cream Poundcake Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

WBJ

Pantry was bare, so I substituted air for all the other ingredients and just poured a glass of Irish cream for me and dreamed about the cake.

amovino

Mix 1/4-1/2 cup Irish whiskey with a couple tablespoons of sugar. Heat on stove to dissolve sugar. When cake comes out of the oven, poke holes in the cake with a long toothpick or bamboo skewer. Pour the hot whiskey syrup ove the cake. Let cool about 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. Also, I used whiskey (didn’t have Irish cream) in the glaze, which made it quite boozy tasting.

Noah

Yes. I reduced both sugars in the batter by half, added 25 grams of plain yogurt, and an extra egg. Icing per recipe. Result: nice moist crumb.

Nick

Yes, serve it with a shot of irish cream on the side, or better yet serve it with a fifth on the side!

Gwen

Dear Amy: A trick I learned in a baking class: grease your pans with butter (or you could use Crisco)--bottom and sides, place a "cut to fit" piece of parchment paper into the pan over the butter (and up the sides), then butter the parchment paper. Your quick bread loaf or cake will come out fo the pan with professional results!

Jacci

IMHO - Don't waste your time with Bailey's - Five Farms Irish Crème is so much better - it is a single batch Irish Crème from County Cork, Ireland and the focus is more on the whiskey than the over-sweetened crème that is the focus of Baileys.

Meredith

I made this last night and found a few truths:1. You must use a metal tin. Glass takes longer to bake and you'll run until burning issues. 2. Follow the call for 9" pan (unless you're really good at adjusting bake time/temperature)3. Make sure you ingredients are all room temperature. It makes a difference because cold ingredients change the temperature of the batter and can incorporate differently.4. Plan to tent the cake with tin foil at some point while baking

Kwikwit

Regina- I have same issue due to wonky oven. I use instant thermometer to check doneness for pound cakes and loafs - they’re done when thermometer hits 210F

Lynne

Think this could be made in a bundt pan? has anyone tried that?

Birdie

Amazing. Came out absolutely perfect. Would be really good with some pecans in the icing for a little crunch.

CatPerson

I am not an Irish whisky or Scotch fan, so I just made my own Kentucky Cream using a Smitten Kitchen recipe for homemade Irish cream, substituting Bourbon for the Irish whisky. Even better, I always have a bottle of homemade spiced bourbon on hand, which has cinnamon sticks, cloves, a shattered nutmeg, and a vanilla bean in it. DELICIOUS and I plan to make the pound cake with it this afternoon.

Jenn

Baked at 350 for 45 minutes, and down to 320 for 5 minutes. Came out perfectly! For glaze, I added an additional 2 tablespoons of irish cream to make it less viscous.

Heather

Looks delicious! Is it okay to make this with a hand mixer using standard whisk attachments, or would this botch the consistency? Thank you.

Michele

Of course you can make this with a hand mixer but you'll have to make a few adjustments to reflect the fact that a hand mixer is not as powerful or fast as a stand mixer. Medium speed on a stand mixer = high speed on a hand mixer. And, you may have to mix for longer than 4-5 minutes.

Laura

Just made this, following the recipe exactly, and it is a PERFECT pound cake - light, moist, and the whiskey flavor is present but not overpowering. Fantastic. Thank you!

Anne

Made this per the recipe to try it for a Patricks dinner next week. On the fence when we tried it after it had cooled- somewhat dry and the Baileys was a bit overpowering. Per comments, wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap. Tried it the next day and it was fabulous. Bailey's flavor mellowed a bit, cake moistened up and was what a pound cake texture should be. Did not put on the glaze, as I was more interested at the cake by itself. Will definitely make it a day or two ahead of the dinner!

alejandra

Funny thing,I’m easily distracted.First time I baked the cake I thought the recipe called for equal amounts of dark and light brown sugar. So that measurement was doubled.I sent wrapped slices off with my boyfriend to take to work , and his coworkers loved it: I haven’t dared to repeat that mistake. I can’t help but notice it had a nice texture, something resembling a blondie or moist cake.This recipe was an excellent use of a large Kirkland brand Irish Cream bottle.

TBB

Didn't have Irish Cream on hand, so I used Amarula. Tastes fabulous. I could probably get away with just making the icing and give the bowl to my wife- she'd be very happy.

Marti

I found the cake a bit dry but the flavor was great. Next time I will do what someone suggested and make a syrup with the Irish cream and some sugar and pour it over the cake after poking holes.

Robin

Well this was a conundrum for me. I followed the recipe exactly using a 9” loaf pan. Using a convection oven, as usual I set the temperature down 25 degrees and set the timer for 15 minutes less, 45 minutes.Although the cake was very brown, the top was very jiggly. I put foil on the top and put it back in the oven. I ended up cooking it for an hour and 20 minutes. The top was still soft when I took it out of the even and it sank quite a bit as it cooled. Rather dense and dry.

Robin

After sitting over night at room temperature wrapped in foil, the cake moistened up a lot. And the center that sank way down wasn’t gooey at all. Was much better the next day. Would make again, maybe next time not on convection setting

Robin

I’d like to try this again, using Grand Mariner or Chambord instead of Irish Cream.

VICKI

Made the cake as written. Beautiful crumb Light and fluffy. Made in a 9-cup bundt pan. Perfect.

Robin

I’m curious about the “light and fluffy” part because pound cake is normally pretty dense, was it the cooking it in a Bundt pan instead of a loaf pan? How long did you cook it?

cheching

I received an enormous bottle of Baileys for my house warming, so I’ve made this cake many many many times - and I’m still not sick of it! It’s wonderfully moist, and the flavour of the Irish cream definitely comes through. This cake is quite caloric though, so I make it into 24 cupcakes to help with portion control. I also increase the Irish cream in the glaze to 4 tbsps to make it more spreadable.

lmcl

I think it’s odd the Irish cream goes in after the flour- did anyone change this order and put it in with the other wet ingredients?

Michael

Added a little whiskey to glaze.

augusta

I tried this in a castle-shaped Nordic ware pan that I have dodged using, after reading all the notes and a couple of Bundt pan cookbooks and checking websites. I used a commercial product to prepare the pan, as it’s quite convoluted. The cake mixed up beautifully and rose right to the top of the pan. Did watch the oven; it was done in less than 45 minutes. Unmolded beautifully. Thinned the glaze a bit with unmodified cream, as I wanted the pretty architectural details visible. Lovely!

PattK

This cake was delicious, but I was disappointed that the flavor of the Irish Cream didn't come through. I used Five Farms Irish Cream along with Kerrygold butter, but the pound cake just tasted like ... well, a good pound cake. Any ideas on how to amplify the Irish Cream flavor short of poking holes in the baked cake and pouring a thinned glaze over the cake??

ASHes

This recipe frustrated me. I made it twice, both times measuring everything out and despite my best efforts, both times it came out overbaked and dry despite underbaking slightly and watching the cake closely. The second time the middle was even slightly under but the outsides were over...

Jewels

That really is frustrating ASHes. I often bake my cakes at a lower temperature after preheating to the recipe (so preheat to 350 and drop temp to 325 when putting the cake in). Maybe try a different shaped pan (8 or 9 inch round) or a pan with a different coating. Another thing I sometimes do is turn the oven off when the cake is almost done and leave the cake in the oven for four or five minutes, this helps the inside to finish baking without the outside getting overdone. Good luck!

Art

I needed two cakes but only have one metal pan in the proper size. I used one metal and one glass. I made the batters separately as not to mess with the baking process. Everything went well until the bake. The metal pan deffo took an extra 10/15 minutes with tented foil, but easy overall. The glass was a nightmare. The batter cooked “wonky”, and took 20 mins extra cook time. I read glass takes longer to heat to the proper temp, which can cause those issues so lesson learned. It was still good!

Don

I put the Irish cream only in the cake, not the frosting (used milk instead), and it was delicious.

Carol

Extraordinarily dry.

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Irish Cream Poundcake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to bake pound cake at 325 or 350? ›

Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Not 350°F. Generously grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan with butter or nonstick spray. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Why is my pound cake not moist? ›

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake's moisture level. If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet. Finding the right balance between wet and dry ingredients is key.

What makes a pound cake fall apart? ›

Extra sugar or leavening causes a cake to fall; extra flour makes it dry.

What causes a pound cake to be gummy? ›

Those gluey pound cake streaks happen when your over-cream the butter and sugar. The cake rises in the oven and then it quickly collapses a bit while cooling which causes those gummy streaks. To prevent this, use a low speed with creaming and do so just until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

What happens if you bake a cake at 325 instead of 350? ›

Baking at a lower temperature yields a lighter crust. And not only is the crust lighter, it's more tender, as well. Notice the thicker, darker crust from the cake baked at 350°F (above left), compared to the crust from the cake baked at 325°F.

How long to leave pound cake in pan before removing? ›

How long do you leave pound cake in the pan? When it's done baking, let the cake sit in the pan for 10 minutes: no more, no less. It's enough time for the cake to firm up some after baking so that it doesn't fall apart, but not so much time that the cake gets stuck to the pan. Ten minutes is the sweet spot.

Can you overbeat a pound cake? ›

Be careful not to overbeat the butter-sugar mixture, especially on a hot day — you could rupture the air cells and cause the batter to be heavy.

How thick should pound cake batter be? ›

Unlike layer cakes, which use a thin batter that should never fill the pan more than halfway (more on that here), pound cake batter is thick, and should fill the pan within an inch of the top to encourage a prominent crown.

What causes a pound cake to crack on top while baking? ›

Pound cakes, in particular, are dense batters. In the oven, the outside begins to cook much faster than the inside; the crack is from the inner batter rising and releasing steam through the semi-cooked outer batter.

How do I keep my pound cake from being dense? ›

If the gluten is overworked, you will end up with a tougher and dense pound cake – NOT good. Another way to avoid this is to use cake flour instead of AP flour. CHEAT NOTE 1 – CAKE FLOUR can be substituted for AP flour because it'll give a lighter texture to your pound cake.

What causes a hole in a pound cake? ›

The the holes in the cake are air bubbles that have been trapped in the batter, that get baked into it eternally. Well, until it's all eaten, that is. The crumb of the cake is uneven with holes in it and the texture is often quite dense, which I will explain in a moment.

Should you sift flour for a pound cake? ›

To make the cake:

Sift the cake flour (215 grams/ 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons) into a large bowl and add the salt (¼ teaspoon). Whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, combine the butter and sugar.

What causes a sad streak in pound cake? ›

Even though your cake is completely baked, slicing into it, you may find a dense and damp streak in the center (I run into this issue a lot with pound cakes). This wet ring in cakes can be caused by the cake settling after baking. A cake settles dramatically like this when the eggs, butter and sugar are over creamed.

Can I use both butter and oil in cake? ›

A blend of these two ingredients gives the cake the best possible flavor and texture. Butter provides flavor while oil adds moisture and keeps it from being too dry. A cake made with all oil would be moist but lacking in flavor, and an all-butter cake may have a more buttery taste, but would be more dry.

What temperature should pound cake be when done? ›

Baked goods temperature chart
Baked goodPull Temperature
Pound cake210°F (99°C)
Crème brûlée, flan, pumpkin pie170–175°F (77–79°C)
Bread pudding, quiche, meringue pies160°F (71°C)
Cheesecake150°F (66°C)
6 more rows

Is it better to bake a cake at a lower temperature? ›

Baking temperature can significantly impact the texture and appearance of your cake. For a crunchy crust and a golden hue, opt for higher temperatures. For a soft, fluffy sponge with an even rise, use lower temperatures.

What causes a pound cake to be heavy? ›

Why is my cake so dense and heavy? Reason #1 – Chances are not enough air was incorporated into the butter and sugar. This could be because the creaming time wasn't long enough, or because the sugar, eggs or flour were incorporated too quickly.

How long to bake an 8 inch cake at 325 degrees? ›

Each pan should hold about 500 grams of batter. Bake the layers on the middle rack in the oven at 325 F/165 C for about 25 minutes or until the top springs back when touched. You can also use a cake tester or toothpick in the center to check for doneness.

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