Ingredients
COCOA FUDGE CAKE
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour or 2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2/3 cups cocoa
- 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk OR 2 Tbsp vinegar in 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
IRISH COFFEE BUTTERCREAM
- 1/2 cup Baileys or other Irish Cream Liqueur
- 2 packets ~2 tsp instant coffee
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
IRISH COFFEE PREP
- Pour your Baileys into a microwave safe cup or bowl, and add the instant coffee. Microwave for about 20 seconds, and then stir. Repeat if necessary. The instant coffee should be completely dissolved. Set aside. IT MUST BE ROOM TEMPERATURE OR COLD BEFORE YOU ADD IT TO YOUR BUTTERCREAM.
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350°, and grease and flour two 8 inch round pans
- Mix all of the cake ingredients together in the order they're listed on medium speed first, scraping the sides occasionally. Then turn it up to high and let it go for 3 minutes, scraping occasionally.
- Pour into your pans, and pop in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before putting them on a cooling rack.
For the Buttercream
- Mix the butter, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla together, scraping the sides occasionally. Slowly add in the Irish Coffee mixture, continuing to mix and scrape and it should come to a very smooth, easy to spread frosting. The amounts to bring it to the correct consistency will be different for everyone depending on many factors, so if it's too stiff, add a tablespoon of cream, milk, or more Baileys, whichever you have on hand. If it's too runny, add a little more icing sugar.
ASSEMBLAGE
- Level your cakes. There are many tutorials online, but you want to make sure they are FLAT.
- Using a spatula, distribute about 1/2 cup of frosting between each layer of cake. Make sure it's level before adding the next level directly on top.
- Frost the outside of your cake with a very thin layer of buttercream to lock all those crumbs in!
- Pop it in the fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes to harden the crumb coat and seal those in. We don't want any crumbs on our final product!
- Bring it out of the fridge or freezer and frost the rest with a nice thick layer of buttercream. Check the pictorial above for how to get the two-toned look!
Nutrition
Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 382mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1.4mg