Baileys Frosted Green Velvet Cake
This Green Velvet Cake with a creamy tasty Baileys cream cheese frosting is the perfect cake to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! A delicious moist cake with the perfect amount of that Irish Cream Whisky to take it over the top!
I have always loved St Patrick’s day.
Having an Irish background on my father’s side doesn’t hurt. Everything is green, I remember when I was a kid I would go to McDonald’s and get myself one of those green milk shakes, then I got a little older (ok quite a few years older) and would get myself a green beer!
Now I have a few choices besides this Green Velvet Cake with cake layers that are filled and frosted with a creamy cream cheese frosting! I also love to make an Easy Baileys Cheesecake, or some Baileys Chocolate Truffles or how about a tasty Irish Soda Bread?
We had friends over for dinner last weekend and for dessert I served my Frosted Green Velvet Cake and I heard “that’s so pretty, it’s green”.
Needless to say St Patrick’s has no significance here in Italy. But that never stopped me from pinning a clover pin on my daughters’ jackets on the 17th.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cake/Pastry Flour – you can make your own homemade pastry flour or you can use all purpose flour.
- Salt – if you use unsalted butter then add a bit more salt
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Butter – softened butter
- Sugar – granulated sugar
- Egg – room temperature large eggs
- Vanilla – vanilla extract
- Cocoa powder – Unsweetened Dutch Processed Cocoa powder
- Green food colour – I usually use the gel type
- Greek Yogurt – whole greek yogurt room temperature
- Milk – whole or 2% milk room temperature
For the Frosting
- Butter – softened
- Cream cheese – whole fat cream cheese
- Sugar – powdered, icing also known as confectioners’ sugar
- Vanilla – vanilla extract
- Cream – whole, heavy or whipping cream with at least 30% fat content
- Baileys – either store bought or homemade
- Sprinkles – green sparkling sprinkles if desired
I have discovered there is nothing like greek yogurt to bring out the moistness in a cake. I also prefer it to buttermilk or sour milk. Because of its thickness you sometimes have to add a tablespoon or two of milk.
How to Make Cake Flour
For every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.
Why use room temperature ingredients?
With cakes and other baking, it’s always better to use room temperature ingredients. So, take any cold ingredients out of the refrigerator an hour ahead of time or sooner if it’s cool in your kitchen. Room temperature ingredients blend easier, creating a silky batter, which will help to create a light tender baked good.
How to make A Green Velvet Cake Recipe
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda, set aside.
In a large bowl or stand mixer using the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and beat until well combined, add the vanilla and combine well.
In a small bowl mix together the cocoa and green food coloring, add to the creamed mixture and beat well.
Add the dry ingredients alternately to the creamed mixture with the yogurt. Beat to combine, add the milk and combine well. Using a spatula divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans, spread evenly and bake, test with a toothpick for doneness. Let cool in pan then move to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
How to make Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting
In a medium bowl beat together butter and cream cheese until creamy then and add the powdered sugar, beat well after each addition. Add vanilla, cream and or Baileys and beat until fluffy.
To frost the cake, place the first layer on a large plate or cake turntable top side down, spread with a layer of frosting, place the second cake top side up and frost the whole cake with remaining frosting. If you wish you can decorate the sides and top of the cake with green sprinkles if desired.
FAQs
The cake can keep covered unfrosted at room temperature for up to two days. If it is frosted it should be refrigerated. It will last up to four days in the fridge. Just bring it to room temperature (for about an hour or so) before serving.
Freeze the frosted cakes in a tightly covered airtight freezer safe container. Or place the cake on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until the frosting is frozen, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then place in a freezer safe container or bag. The cake will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw the frosted cake loosely covered at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
I like a higher cake so I sometimes use two 7 inch pans but two 8 inch pans work just as well. You can grease and flour them, spray them or even line them with parchment paper before adding the cake batter.
Maybe the Italians didn’t know about St Patrick’s Day but they sure do know a super yummy cake when they taste one. Enjoy!
Frosted Green Velvet Cake
Ingredients
GREEN VELVET CAKE
- 1¼ cups all purpose or cake/pastry flour
- 1 pinch salt*
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup butter (softened)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
- green food colouring (I used Gel colouring, I will leave this up to you on how green you would like it)
- ½ cup greek yogurt (room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons milk (room temperature)
*if you use unsalted butter then use ¼ teaspoon salt.
BAILEYS CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- 5 ounces cream cheese (whole fat)
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2-3 tablespoons cream (whole/ whipping or heavy)
- 1-2 tablespoons Baileys
If you add 2 tablespoons of Baileys then add 2 tablespoons of cream.
Instructions
GREEN VELVET CAKE
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease and flour or spray two 7 or 8 inch (18 or 20cm) round cake pans.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda, set aside.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer using the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until well combined, add the vanilla and combine well.
- In a small bowl mix together the cocoa and green food coloring, add to the creamed mixture and beat well.
- Add the dry ingredients alternately to the creamed mixture with the yogurt. Beat to combine, add the milk and combine well. Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, test for doneness with a toothpick, if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached it is done. Let the cakes cool in pan for about 20 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
FOR THE FROSTING
- In a medium bowl beat together the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy approximately 1 minute. Lower the speed to medium and add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beat well after each addition. Add vanilla, cream and or Baileys and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- To frost the cake, place the first layer on a large plate or cake turntable top side down, spread with a layer of frosting, place the second cake top side up and frost the whole cake with remaining frosting. If you wish you can decorate the sides and top of the cake with green sprinkles. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from March 1, 2015.
Thank you for sharing your great recipes! How much food coloring do you use for this cake?
Hi JoAnn, I don’t remember, I use gel, I start out using a tip of a knife dipped in the gel and just go from there until I reach the colour I like. Although I would probably go darker next time. Hope that helps. Take care!
I’m hoping to make this recipe as cupcakes, but I’m not sure how to adjust the baking time. Any ideas?
Hi Kathleen, cupcakes usually take about 15-20 minutes. I hope you enjoy them. Take care!
I love anything Bailey’s. I always wonder tho, why say 2% milk in something that only uses 2 tablespoons. Does it really matter? We drink whole.
Hi Susie, that’s usually what I have, but whole is just fine. I hope you enjoy it. Take care!
Can I use any Greek yogurt? I have the light + fit vanilla Greek yogurt in my fridge right now or does it need to be plain? The cake looks so beautiful, I hope I can make it! Will using unleashed flour work as well or do I need to go out buy cake flour?
Hi Alison, sure I think that would work. You can make your own pastry flour (instructions are in the notes), although you could use the unbleached if you want. I hope you like it. Let me know. Take care!
I’m about to make this and I noticed it requires 7-inch cake pans. I’ve never heard of 7″ cake pans, much less own them. Can I double the recipe and use my standard cake pans?
Hi Kim yes you can double it and make it in regular pans (8-9 inch). Let me know how it went.
Is your Green Velvet Cake with Baileys Cream Cheese is perfect with Saint Patrick Day. Delicius!!!
I definitely want to try this, but 2 oz. of cream cheese for the frosting? Is that correct? That doesn’t seem right. Thanks!
Hi Christine, it would have been ok for a single cake, so I doubled it for a 2 layer cake. Thanks
Will be trying this for St. Paddy’s Day!
Thanks Traci, let me know how it goes.
Hello Rosemary, your recipes are amazing. I tried the cinnamon cake and it was very delicious! Thank you for your effort and time to post. Really helpful.
Could you please explain what Bailey’s is? You mentioned that we could use two spoons of bailey’s instead.
Hi Shruthi thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Baileys is an Irish Cream Liqueur. You can check it out here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baileys_Irish_Cream . I hope that helps. 🙂
Yum! And I happen to have a bottle of Baileys! Looks so cute…going to try it with cupcakes.
Mmm! This cake sounds delicious, and it’s so pretty!
Hi Jenna, thanks a lot. Have a great day.
You can never go wrong with Baileys. The cake sounds delicious. Although when I was in college on St. Patrick’s day those of Italian descent stubbornly wore red — for St. Joseph. And then for St. Joseph’s day we at wore our red and of course those of Irish descent wore their green. 🙂
Buon giorno Marisa, haha I actually have some Irish and Italian blood in me so I guess I could do both.