This slow cooker Baileys cake is a lovely festive bake, combining a rich, fudgy chocolate sponge with the smooth flavour of Baileys. Finished with a creamy Baileys buttercream, it is an indulgent Christmas cake that is simple to make in your slow cooker, leaving you free to get on with other festive jobs.
One of the advantages of making this cake in the slow cooker is that it frees up your oven for other Christmas cooking. The gentle cooking also helps keep the chocolate sponge lovely and moist.
It is delicious with a cup of tea or coffee anytime but works especially well during the run up to Christmas or other festive occasions.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is a velvety soft and fudgy chocolate cake made with buttermilk and Baileys, making it soft and dessert-like.
The cake recipe is a festive, Christmas version of my slow cooker creme egg chocolate cake, which is a great one for Easter time, the basic cake works so well.
Basic buttercream icing is enhanced up with Baileys and cocoa powder to give it a lovely rich colour and flavour.
Ingredients
Here’s what you will need.
- butter
- caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- eggs
- self-raising flour (self-rising flour)
- cocoa powder – adds the rich chocolate flavour.
- buttermilk – this makes the chocolate sponge soft and moist.
- Baileys Irish Cream – gives the sponge its distinctive creamy liqueur flavour.
- icing sugar(powdered sugar) – used in the frosting.
Step by step
- Cream together the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one by one and mix well.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the flour and cocoa powder. Add about a third of the flour and cocoa powder to the main bowl with the butter/sugar, and mix, then add a third of the buttermilk and stir it in. Continue adding the flour and cocoa powder and buttermilk in thirds alternately until it is all used up.
- Add the Baileys to the cake batter and mix well.
- Prepare your slow cooker. Spray the slow cooker pot with cake release spray to prevent the cake sticking if it comes out of the cake case, or grease the pot with butter. Place two large round cake cases (one inside the other) in the slow cooker pot. These fit well in a round 3.5 litre slow cooker.
- Spoon the cake mixture into the case.
- Place a tea towel under the lid and cook on high for approx 1.5 hours or until a cake tester or skewer comes out clean. Keep an eye on it as the time taken really depends on your slow cooker, and do watch out for burning.
- Once done, take the cake out and place it on a cooling rack to cool fully.
- In the meantime, make your icing. I used a stand mixer for this, beating the butter well until very soft, then adding the icing sugar little by little on low speed until light and fluffy. Then add the Baileys and cocoa powder and beat again.
- Once the cake is cool, spread the icing over the top of it and serve.
How to Store Baileys Chocolate Cake
- At room temperature: Store in an airtight cake container in a cool place for up to 2 days.
- In the fridge: Keep covered in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Allow slices to come to room temperature before serving.
- Freezing: Freeze the un-iced chocolate sponge, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before adding the Baileys buttercream.
Recipe tips
- Slow cooker size: I make this in a round 3.5 litre slow cooker, to produce a round cake. If you are using a different size or shape slow cooker you’ll get different results and most likely a less deep cake. If using a 6.5 litre slow cooker and cooking directly in the pot, double the ingredients.
- Using a tin: If you are using a large slow cooker, you could put the mixture in a lined metal or silicone cake tin, instead of directly into the slow cooker pot.
- Catch moisture: Add a tea towel or squares of paper kitchen roll under the lid to stop drips falling onto the cake.
- Removing the cake in one piece: To remove your cake from the pot, first remove the slow cooker pot from the slow cooker using oven gloves. Wait a few minutes for the pot to cool down, then use the edges of the cake case to remove the cake from the pot.
More to Try
- slow cooker Christmas fruit cake – a traditional Christmas cake baked in your slow cooker.
- amaretto slow cooker fudge
- salted caramel slow cooker fudge
- thick and creamy slow cooker hot chocolate
Related
Recipe
Slow Cooker Baileys Christmas Chocolate Cake
This is a rich, fudgy Baileys chocolate sponge topped with smooth Baileys buttercream. An easy festive bake that frees up oven space since it is baked in the slow cooker and makes a lovely addition to your Christmas celebrations.
Calories: 350kcal
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Ingredients
For the cake:
- 100 g (¼ cup + 3 tbsp) butter softened
- 125 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) caster sugar (superfine sugar) I used golden
- 2 medium eggs
- 120 g (¾ cups) self-raising flour
- 30 g (¼ cups) cocoa powder
- 80 ml (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) buttermilk
- 3 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream
For the icing:
- 50 g (3 tbsp + 2 tsp) butter softened
- 100 g (½ cup + 3 tbsp) icing sugar
- 1 tsp Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
Equipment
Instructions
- Cream together the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.100 g / ¼ cup + 3 tbsp butter, 125 g / ½ cup + 2 tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- Add the eggs one by one and mix well.2 medium eggs
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the flour and cocoa powder. Add about a third of the flour and cocoa powder to the first bowl and mix, then add a third of the buttermilk. Continue adding the flour and cocoa powder and buttermilk in thirds alternately until it is all used up.120 g / ¾ cups self-raising flour, 30 g / ¼ cups cocoa powder, 80 ml / ¼ cup + 1 tbsp buttermilk
- Add the Baileys to the cake mixture and mix well.3 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream
- Prepare your slow cooker. I make this in a round 3.5 litre slow cooker, to produce a round cake. See recipe tips for how to proceed with a different size.
- Spray the slow cooker pot with cake release spray or grease it with butter to prevent the cake sticking if it comes out of the cake case.
- Place two large cake cases (one inside the other) in the slow cooker pot. These fit well in a round 3.5 litre slow cooker. If you are using a large slow cooker you could put the cake mixture in a lined metal or silicone cake tin.
- Spoon the cake mixture into the case in the slow cooker pot.
- Place a tea towel under the lid (this prevents moisture from dripping onto the cake) and cook on high for approx 1.5 hours or until a cake tester or skewer comes out clean. Keep an eye on it as the time taken really depends on your slow cooker, and do watch out for burning.
- Once done, remove the slow cooker pot from the slow cooker using oven gloves. Wait a few minutes for the pot to cool down, then use the edges of the cake case to remove the cake from the pot. Place it on a cooling rack to cool fully.
- In the meantime, make your icing. I used a stand mixer for this, beating the butter well until very soft, then adding the icing sugar little by little on low speed until light and fluffy. Then add the Baileys and cocoa powder and beat again.50 g / 3 tbsp + 2 tsp butter, 100 g / ½ cup + 3 tbsp icing sugar, 1 tsp Baileys Irish Cream, 1 tsp cocoa powder
- Once the cake is cool, spread the icing over the top of it and serve.
Notes
Slow cooker size: I make this in a round 3.5 litre slow cooker, to produce a round cake. If you are using a different size or shape slow cooker you’ll get different results and most likely a less deep cake. If using a 6.5 litre slow cooker and cooking directly in the pot, double the ingredients.
Using a tin: If you are using a large slow cooker you can put the cake mixture in a lined metal or silicone cake tin, instead of directly into the slow cooker pot.
Catch moisture: Add a tea towel or squares of paper kitchen roll under the lid to stop drips falling onto the cake.
Removing the cake in one piece: To remove your cake from the pot, first remove the slow cooker pot from the slow cooker using oven gloves. Wait a few minutes for the pot to cool down, then use the edges of the cake case to remove the cake from the pot.
Have you made this recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment below to let me know how you got on!
Louise says
I have made this cake twice now. It’s amazing! The second time I doubled the ingredients as I have a large oval slow cooker. I baked it to take camping. Over a week later the cake was still amazingly moist. Love it!
bakingqueen74 says
fantastic, thanks Louise for your review!
Mary Nolan says
Hi Lucy: I would like to try your slow cooker Bailey’s chocolate cake. A very dear friend has a birthday coming up this week and I would like to bake it for her and leave it on her doorstep. Unfortunately, on February 12, I begin a major kitchen renovation. The room is completely empty, the appliances are all in the garage, and the contractor has stopped working because of the pandemic. So I have no oven in which to make her a regular cake. I do have a slow cooker though! The recipe looks quite simple and easy to do but I do have one question: what on earth is a cake case?
Thanks,
Mary
bakingqueen74 says
Hi Mary oh no sorry to hear about your kitchen. You can see a photo of a cake case or cake tin liner in the Equipment section of the recipe card at the bottom of the page. Cake tin liners are paper cases a bit like large versions of cupcake cases.
Mary Nolan says
Hi again Lucy … I messaged you last night about the cake cases, but for some reason my message didn’t send. I’ve never heard of cake cases, let alone seen them here in Canada. But I used parchment paper to line the sides and bottom of the crockpot and the cake turned out beautifully! I didn’t try it, because it was for the birthday girl, but the batter tasted amazing and the cake looked and smelled divine. I’d send you a photo if I could figure out how!
bakingqueen74 says
That’s great Mary I’m so glad the cake turned out well! Thanks for sending the photos via my Facebook page, it looks wonderful and I hope your friend enjoys it.
Christine Lawrie says
Could I put this in a loaf tin in my large slow cooker?
bakingqueen74 says
Yes sure, if you have one that will fit the mixture! I have only tried it directly in the pot so am not sure what size you would need. Let me know how you get on.
Floria lena says
Wow, this looks amazing –
Belinda McGrath says
Hi just after putting this in the slow cooker. Can’t wait for it to be done. Just wondering for the icing did u mean cocoa powder not baking powder? Thanks.
bakingqueen74 says
Ooh yes I think I did sorry I will change it ASAP! Hope yours turns out well.
Belinda McGrath says
Thanks so much for the speedy response. It didn’t disappoint. Every one loved it.
bakingqueen74 says
Oh great news Belinda so glad you enjoyed it!
Louise - Cooking with kids says
Wow, this looks amazing – I had 3 bottles of Baileys for Christmas – as much as I love it I think I’m going to have to start cooking with it to use it up!
Carrie says
looks amazing!