Irish Cream Coffee Cake Recipe (2024)

By Lidey Heuck

Published March 7, 2024

Irish Cream Coffee Cake Recipe (1)

Total Time
2 hours
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour and 50 minutes
Rating
4(451)
Notes
Read community notes

This playful twist on a classic crumb cake adds a generous pour of Irish cream liqueur to the batter. While it’s often served with coffee, Irish cream is not coffee-flavored, but made with whiskey and cream, along with hints of chocolate and vanilla. It lends a rich vanilla flavor to this simple cake, and its boozy edge cuts the sweetness. Use an Irish cream liqueur that tastes good on its own, because its flavors will shine through. A simple crumb mixture, flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped pecans, forms both the streusel topping and a spiced ribbon running through the cake. The cake isn’t complete without the Irish cream glaze. Cut this coffee cake into big squares and serve with coffee; extra Irish cream is optional.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

    For the Cake

    • ¾cup/170 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
    • 2cups/260 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
    • ¾cup/150 grams granulated sugar
    • 2large eggs, at room temperature
    • ½cup/120 grams sour cream, at room temperature
    • teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 2teaspoons baking powder
    • ¼teaspoon baking soda
    • 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
    • ½cup/120 milliliters Irish cream liqueur (such as Baileys), at room temperature

    For the Crumble

    • cups/195 grams all-purpose flour
    • 1packed cup/220 grams light brown sugar
    • ¾cup/170 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 1cup/100 grams pecans or walnuts, chopped
    • teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

    For the Glaze

    • 2tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
    • ½cup/62 grams confectioners’ sugar

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

622 calories; 32 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 74 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 42 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 338 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Irish Cream Coffee Cake Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Dust the exposed sides with flour.

  2. Step

    2

    Make the crumble: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, butter, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix well with your hands until the mixture forms crumbles, then set aside.

  3. Make the cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and granulated sugar. Mix on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula after each addition. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.

  4. Step

    4

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, add half the flour mixture, the Irish cream liqueur, then the rest of the flour mixture. Use a spatula to make sure the batter is well mixed.

  5. Step

    5

    Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Scatter about a third of the crumble evenly over the cake, forming a thin, even layer. Spoon the rest of the cake batter over the crumble in big spoonfuls. Gently spread with a spatula to cover, then top with the remaining crumble mixture.

  6. Step

    6

    Bake until the crumble is browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs on it, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the cake and remove it using the parchment paper overhang.

  7. Step

    7

    Make the glaze: In a small bowl, combine the Irish cream liqueur and confectioners’ sugar and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable. Drizzle it over the cake and set aside until hardened, about 15 minutes, before cutting into squares and serving. The cake will keep, well-wrapped at room temperature, for up to 3 days.

Ratings

4

out of 5

451

user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Name Laura

There should be a step 6. I emailed NYT and got this info:step 6 mentions the baking time to be 45-50 minutes, the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs on it. You would then let it cool for about 30 minutes before putting the glaze on top to avoid it sliding off the cake while it's too hot.

Moist, good Irish cream flavor

Followed recipe and was great, except doubled the Bailey’s in the glaze. Next time might add more pecans.

Marie

Could I use a bundt pan?

Sue

Skip the cake. Pour Bailey's over ice cream.

Silvia

Made it as a Bundt cake with great results. The only modifications made we subbed plain, whole milk yogurt for sour cream (because that's what I had in the house) and increased baking time by about 10 minutes.

Suzanne

Can you recommend how to adjust the baking powder and soda for high-altitude - Mile High City, 5280 feet.

Janice ewing

Why the parchment paper greasing pans worked for centuries?

abbie from NoCa

I made this today - needed to procure a 9"sq pan, but fortunately we live near several Amazon warehouses, so an order placed last night was delivered before I woke up. I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing, but it worked to my advantage.I followed this recipe exactly. I must say, it was quite delicious! Our guests had seconds and I sent them each back to their hotel with a large portion. I will definitely repeat this one, probably this weekend!

William Wroblicka

Step 6 says to bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes. Step 7 tells you how and when to apply the glaze.

Thad

This cake was a hit at my house. Definitely going to make it again. I will concur with the recipe that you should keep it at room temperature. I put it in the fridge because I like chilled cake, and all the cold butter turned it very crumbly.

PatM

Because the paper helps you lift it out of the pan whole. A layer cake you could flip out upside down, but with the crumb topping it would be messy to flip.

jan

I would add an extra 2 or 3 Tablespoons of flour, reduce the baking powder just slightly and increase to baking temp to 360 or so. Check for doneness early (it will bake faster). ...High altitude baking is always and adventure. :)

Brie

Thank you! I had to scroll through 20 comments to find one from someone who actually made the cake! Appreciate your input.

William Wroblicka

There are many recipes for coffee cakes on the NY Times Cooking website that don't contain any alcohol.

Ann Haas

Despite all the butter in the crumb topping, it was very dry once baked although the interior crumb topping was very moist. If I make this recipe again, I think I'll use all the crumb mixture in the middle of the cake and then make a bigger batch of glaze to frost the cake once it's cooled.

Amy

I followed the recipe as given, but omitted the glaze, and it was delicious! Wow.

Mohammad Salehi

Great Recipe.

MAK

I made this with Gluten Free (Bob's Red Mill) flour - like for like. It was very good. No adaptations needed.

Midge

I made it in a Bundt and it was fairly dry. Next time I'll add more sour cream or just bake it in the recommended 9" pan, thank you very much. :)

Eunice

I just made this, and it is sooo tasty! I used an 8x11" pan, and it took almost an hour to set up. I agree with Ann that the topping dried out a bit. Next time I will use most of the crumble in the middle. I used walnuts instead of pecans...yum. Suggestion: it would be nice if the ingredients were in the same order as the instructions, so you're not having to jump around. I almost put nuts in the cake ;)

Keetwoman

My husband, who NEVER eats such things, just polished off his second helping, pronouncing it to be "the best cake" he's ever eaten. That is saying something. Magically delicious.

Anyah.

works in a 9x13 pan without layering. bake for 25-30 minutes. Delicious!

Peggy Carey

I thought the crumb measurements looked too much so I reduced by a third and still thought that there was more than enough crumb. Discovered I don't like Irish Cream liqueur, so gave it all away to neighbors. Loved the texture of the cake though, so will try with another ingredient.

alisonia

Made half the recipe. It fit in a 9x5 silicone loaf pan, placed on a sheet pan in a 355 degree oven. Using walnuts, I put 3/4 of crumb mixture in the middle, 1/4 on top. Baked for 50 minutes. Turned out perfectly moist and delicious. I didn’t really taste much of the Bailey’s Irish Cream, so next time I would either double the amount, or skip it. I think more cinnamon and nuts, and mini chocolate chips would be delicious additions. This is a fabulous sour cream coffee cake.

M Hanners

I made this as written, but served it without the glaze. The glaze would be great, but I liked the cake with just the crumbs on top. I have 9 inch round baking tins and used one of those. It took 55 minutes to complete the baking at 350, which I checked with an oven thermometer, as my oven is not reliably accurate. At 45 minutes the center was still wet but 13 minutes later, the knife came out basically clean with a few crumbs and the cake didn't dry out on the outside.

What A Winner!

I used a 9x13 pan and followed the measurements as directed except for subbed rolled oats for nuts (possibly another quarter cup of butter but who doesn’t love butter?!?). Baked for ~37minutes at 350*F. Drizzled icing with only 1/4cup confectioners sugar and a tablespoon of Irish cream. What turned out was a moist yet fluffy cake! I thought the Irish cream could have been subbed out but by the third piece the family and I decided it just adds a little kick.This will be a new staple at our home!

Sue F.

Getting the top layer of batter on is a royal pain. Instead, put the batter in a pastry bag (or ziplock with a corner cut off) and "pipe" the batter on. East peasy and now uniform.

Julia

I found the dough to be very sticky and difficult to spread, even with a greased spatula. Despite that, it worked out great! It was just what the office post-Patty's day. I saw some comments saying it was dry, I didn't experience that, it was just on the denser side.

Joanne Ago, NH

This came out Great!! My baking time was longer by 15 minutes but other than that, I made and cooked it as directed. It is moist and delicious!

stuart f

Baked in a round 9" cake pan bc I don't have a square one... as a result I had to increase baking time by 10-12 min or so. Used walnuts for the crumb. Superb!

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Irish Cream Coffee Cake Recipe (2024)
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