Irish Cream Cake

I want to say this is the best cake ever. It was delicious. It was moist. It was terrific. But it wasn't my favorite. I'm still in love with Rudolph's Cake and with the Best Carrot Cake, better than this. However, like I said, this was a good cake. The baking of the actual cake was easy. I had never whipped eggs, and then folded them in, so that was the hardest part...ok maybe separating the eggs was since I had to use 7 eggs, to get 5.

I used more Bailey's than it called for. I know that is shocking. Also, it really did soak through the cake. The butterscotch didn't seem at all sweet. D said the taste of it picked up on the 2nd day.

Cream cheese frosting...well how can that be bad.

Overall, had I never had Best Carrot Cake, I'd be all over this. And if you notice, my frosting skills have gotten better. That's because I bought an offset spatula.

Irish Cream Cake

Photo by ALB

Yield: Makes 12 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups DOMINO Granulated Sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup Irish cream liqueur
Butterscotch Filling (below)
Cream Cheese Frosting (below)
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
14 pecan halves, toasted (didn't use)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla extract, beating until blended.
Combine flour and soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Brush cake layers evenly with liqueur. Spread half of Butterscotch Filling between each cake layer; spread Cream Cheese Frosting on top and sides of cake (just sprinkle them on top). Gently press chopped pecans onto sides of cake; arrange pecan halves on top (didn't do).

Southern Living, JANUARY 2003

Butterscotch Filling

Yield: Makes 2 cups

1/2 cup firmly packed DOMINO Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stir together brown sugar and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and mixture is blended. Stir in 1/2 cup milk until blended.
Whisk together remaining milk, flour, and salt; stir into brown sugar mixture, and cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat 5 minutes or until thickened. Gradually add eggs, and cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool. Stir in pecans and vanilla.
Southern Living, JANUARY 2003

Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: Makes 3 cups

1 (8-ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) package DOMINO 10-X Confectioners Sugar, unsifted
Beat first 3 ingredients with an electric mixer until creamy. Add confectioners sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed until smooth.
Southern Living, JANUARY 2003