Salted Caramel and Baileys Frosting Christmas Cake

When everyone has finished dinner and can’t wait for dessert, I guarantee that they won’t be disappointed when they dig into this cake. 3 layers of smooth butter-cream frosting flavoured with Baileys, then finished with salted caramel poured over the top. 

Ok, so this is probably one of the naughtiest treats you’ll see on this blog. Lot’s and lot’s of sugar and fat combined to make the most epic dessert. Caramel, baileys frosting and cake all in one.

I have already posted this recipe back in 2016. However, I couldn’t help but notice how many improvements could be made. Over the years I have learnt to take extra care and attention when making cakes. And if you’re thinking of making a big epic cake for Christmas, this post can definitely help you!!

Beating the Cake Mixture and the Frosting

Now, I have written about this in a post I made for someone else’s blog. It was recipe post and I made Orange, almond and polenta cake and it was amazing!! I wrote the post for Amanda who runs a blog call recipes worth repeating. And if you’d like to check out the post on her blog, click here.

So, I realised that when a recipe instructs you to cream the butter, I believe that it’s more than simply beating the butter and sugar together until they’re combined. Creaming the butter is a process of beating it until it goes lighter in texture and colour, and until it expands in volume. This is something I recommend you start implementing for both your cake batters and your butter-creams.

This is why I like to beat the butter by itself first, just to soften and lighten it up a bit. And then it’s so much easier to beat your sugar through. I also believe it’s a good idea to leave your butter out of the fridge overnight, weigh it the day before If you must. I am sure many of us know the frustration of trying to beat cold, rock hard butter.

Another trick I have implemented in my cake making is whisking the eggs together, then slowly adding it to the cake batter as you beat it through. Rather than cracking in one whole egg at a time. Cake batters can actually split when you add too much egg at once. So adding it a little slower can be a great way of keeping your batter nice and smooth.

Layering the cake

So, I actually tried putting all of the cake batter in one tin, cooking it as one whole cake, then cutting the cake into 3 layers. This is not a good idea!! And when I say that, I only mean for this specific cake recipe, there is simply too much cake batter and the middle of the cake takes too long to cook. Meaning you’ll find your self needing to overcook the outside in order to fully cook the inside. So please don’t do this!

Luckily for me, the cake didn’t end up being too bad since I constantly kept checking it and putting it back in the oven about 5 times playing around with the temperature. However, this is clearly not something that I recommend you do. Divide the cake batter into 3 tins (that are the same size) and cook each layer individually.

The Salted Caramel

The part that I’m sure everyone is waiting for. You know, it really is amazing just how much of a difference a pinch of salt can make. Although keep in mind that if a very small amount goes a long way, then you certainly don’t want to add too much.

Now, when you make caramel, it’s extremely hot. No like, I mean seriously hot. Boiling sugar is much hotter than boiling water and has the ability to burn through the skin, so I’ll start by saying, do not touch it, and be careful if children are around too.

Now, the first caramel sauce I made was great. It tasted good, it had a beautiful texture. (if you want the recipe for this caramel sauce you can click the link here but DON’T use it for this recipe).

It looks perfect to pour on a cake right? Well, actually I ran into an issue. The texture was too thin. So when I poured it over the cake, 80% of it went everywhere except the cake. So I needed to make the caramel again, a caramel that was thicker, and one that would stick to the cake.

So, on the second attempt, I used the dry method when making the caramel. The wet version is when you boil the sugar with water. The dry method is when you melt the sugar in the pot by itself. This helped a lot. I also added a lot less butter and only half the amount of cream. On top of that, I used double cream instead of single cream. I ended up with a much thicker and darker salted caramel that stuck to the cake and set quickly so it didn’t make a mess.

It’s important to keep in mind that we are pouring this salted caramel over butter-cream. And we know how fast butter can melt right? And before you say “why not pour the caramel when it’s cooled down?”. You can let it cool down a little bit but when it goes too cold, the texture will no longer be pourable.

Also, before you pour your caramel on top. Make sure that your cake is on your desired cake stand, board, platter etc. you want to serve it on. And also make sure that you have enough space in your fridge for the cake to be stored. The reason you should do this is because the moment you pour your caramel on top, the butter-cream will start melting. So you want to be able to easily place the cake in your fridge straight after.

Thank you so much for reading this post, if you decide to make this cake, I really hope you enjoy it. And if you’d like a weekly recipe sent to your E-mail, feel free to subscribe. Other than that, have an awesome day and an amazing Christmas.

5 from 1 vote

Print

Salted Caramel and Baileys Frosting Christmas Cake

This 3 layer baileys frosting and salted caramel cake is super fun to make and ridiculously satisfying for your taste buds. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine Unsure

Keyword baileys cake, baileys frosting, three layer cake

Prep Time 50 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Cooling the cake 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 875 kcal

Author Nicolas

Ingredients

Cake Batter:

• 300 g butter at room temp
• 300 g caster sugar
• 6 eggs whisked together in a bowl
• 300 g self-raising flour

Baileys Buttercream (frosting):

• 225 g butter at room temp
• 4 tbsp. Baileys
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 450 g icing sugar

Salted Caramel:

• 1 cup of caster sugar
• 35 g of cold butter cut into cubes leave in the fridge until ready to use
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ cup of double cream

Instructions

Cake Batter:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Grease and line 3 cake tins of the same perimeter

3. Beat the butter for 2-3 minutes until it's nice and light in colour, then add your sugar in 3-4 batches beating through well each time. Continue to beat the butter and the sugar together for a few more minutes.

4. As you keep beating the mixture, add your beaten egg a little bit at a time beating through well on each addition.
5. Sift in the self-raising flour and the fold through with a wooden spoon or a spatula.
6. Add the mixture evenly to your lined cake tins and bake them for 25-30 minutes until golden on top with a spongy texture.
7. Set the cakes aside and allow them to cool

Baileys Buttercream:

1. Beat the butter in a large bowl until light a pale in colour. 

2. Next, add your baileys, vanilla, and cornflour and beat through until well incorporated. 

3. Add the icing sugar about 3-4 tablespoons at a time beating through well on each occasion, making sure there are no lumps.

Layering:

1. If your cakes are a bit rounded at the top, you can trim them with a serrated knife.

2. Have a clean surface or chopping board, then put your first layer of cake on whatever plate, platter or surface you wish to serve your cake on.

3. Put a couple of dollops of butter-cream on your first layer, then use a spatula or a butter knife to evenly spread it out (it helps to have a cup of water to dip your spatula in and your spread your butter-cream).
4. Carefully put your second layer on top, then add a couple more good dollops of butter-cream and spread it out.
5. Place your third layer of cake on top, then add the rest of your butter-cream. Smooth the buttercream out until the whole cake is covered. Then put the cake in the fridge.

Salted Caramel:

1. Put the sugar in a pot, then place over high heat on the stove. As the sugar melts and the colour starts to darken, you can turn the heat down a bit just to make sure the sugar doesn't burn.
2. Once the sugar has dissolved and the colour of the sugar has a nice darkish brown colour, turn the heat off.
3. Add your salt and butter, then stir through.
4. Finally, add your double cream and whisk through (be careful because the caramel bubbles a fair bit here.

Pouring:

1. Take your cake out of the fridge, then pour your hot salted caramel over the top. Put the cake back in the fridge as soon as possible without burning yourself.
2. Once the caramel has set on the cake, you're ready to serve.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• When making the cake, beat the butter by itself first before incorporating the sugar.
• Beat the eggs together, then add slowly to your cake batter as you beat it through. Rather than cracking one egg in at a time. 
• When you beat the buttercream, add the icing sugar bit by bit instead of adding it as one whole dust cloud. 
• When you spread the buttercream on the cake, a glass of water to dip your spatula in. It makes your job a little bit easier.
• Make sure you have plenty of space in the fridge so that when you pour the hot caramel on top, you can put the cake in the fridge as soon as possible. 

Nutrition Facts

Salted Caramel and Baileys Frosting Christmas Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 875 Calories from Fat 435

% Daily Value*

Fat 48.3g74%

Saturated Fat 28.5g178%

Cholesterol 307mg102%

Sodium 474mg21%

Potassium 113mg3%

Carbohydrates 103.7g35%

Fiber 0.7g3%

Sugar 83.3g93%

Protein 9.6g19%

Calcium 30mg3%

Iron 2.3mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Want more Christmas Recipes? Check out these amazing Christmas Roasted Potatoes: