So, Life Love and Sugar makes this amazing Bailey Irish Cream Poke Cake…it is all about chocolate and alcohol, which I cannot argue with generally.
It is basically a chocolate cake (with Bailey’s in it).
Topped with a fudge (with Bailey’s in it) that melts into the holes poked in the cake.
Iced with a chocolate whipped cream (with Bailey’s in it).
I made the cake, exactly as suggested save that I put 2 teaspoons of espresso powder in it to give it an extra chocolatey punch that I thought it would need to fight off the Bailey’s (and I wasn’t wrong).
I also made the fudge exactly as suggested. A few tips here: Prepare the fudge about 5 minutes before the cake is done…that way it is ready to go ASAP when you pull the cake from the oven. If you wait at all, even the length it takes to melt chocolate, you will have a thick layer of fudge on top of your cake. IN ALL HONESTY, this was NOT a problem for me. I LOVE layered cakes and I love fudge…and you know how sometimes when you get a poke cake it is more wet cake that has cooled and hardened a bit than an actual incorporation of ingredients? I hate that. Anyway, this turned out to be a thick layer of fudge on top of the cake, as seen below:
I put the cake in the fridge (btw, that was a MIRACLE! I don’t know how all these cooking bloggers do it, but my fridge it CONSTANTLY full of everything from Greek Yogurt to berries soaking in wine. Like, seriously…do they have a “blogging fridge???). Anyway, sorry about that, I put the cake in the fridge and let it cool completely.
I brought it out and iced it with the Bailey’s crème…guys, at this time I’m salivating. The icing whipped up a treat and I was so excited that I almost couldn’t wait to eat it. When I say almost, I mean, I didn’t wait to eat it. I immediately cut myself a slice, which is why I’m not a successful blogger yet…I have impulse control. BUT I made up for it by putting the 2nd cake slice I cut into a cute little bowl:
THE PROBLEM was that by the time I got to topping it with chocolate chips and a drizzle of syrup it was too much. Too much Bailey’s, too much chocolate, and too many different textures, all together it was beautiful…but eating it I immediately decided to make some changes:
- ADD espresso powder.
- Make sure the fudge is ready to go when the cake comes out.
- Leave the Bailey’s out of the icing.
- Top with only a light drizzle of chocolate syrup.
Otherwise, this cake goes in my “MAKE AGAIN WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS AROUND” pile…although, let’s be honest, that cake is so huge that I couldn’t eat it all on my own if I wanted. So, if you don’t have a stuck up family who hates alcohol, take it to a family gathering and rekindle some love.
Go here for the recipe: https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2018/02/26/baileys-chocolate-poke-cake/
AS AN ASIDE: So, I know everyone has to make a buck…especially if they are a blogger for a living…BUT there are some things that irritate the hell out of me and guess what? This blogger hits them all. There is a video and a) it comes way before the recipe, b) it starts automatically, c) it starts with an ad, and d) if you scroll past it the damn thing pops out into the side bar and scrolls along with you. *flicks it away* I never invited you along with me…now git!
This would only be a little, tiny…okay a medium sized irritation, but add to that the pop up asking for us to join her mailing list that comes up at the same time. So, I’m stuck watching a video I can’t close – with a pop up blocking the recipe I’m looking for. UGH!
Finally, there is an ad IN the recipe…and by this time I was so annoyed with this page I almost didn’t make the cake (I mean, obviously I did…because I love chocolate and Bailey’s and I would do almost anything for them).
