Bailey's Tipsy Cake

Baileys Tipsy Cake, other Irish whisky cream liqueurs are available!

For our most recent Clandestine Cake club outing the theme was secret Santa, so basically it’s a mystery until we all turn up to the meeting, hoping that everyone doesn’t turn up with the same cake. I decided to bake a tipsy cake, easy but slightly different and definitely Christmassy in spirit, well at least rich in spirit – hick!

Tipsy cakes are basically sponge cakes soaked in alcoholic syrup, then served in dainty slices to your guests, from my research on the internet this seems to be another idea from the USA. My recipe is based on one by Thane Prince published in the Saturday Telegraph at least a decade ago, which survives as a clipping in my recipe scrapbook. Yes, I know very anal and OCD ish but it does mean I can find some fabulous recipe inspiration when I need it. It’s a great recipe and terribly easy.

Ingredients for the cake

• 110g soft butter or quality margarine
• 110g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 110g self raising flour
• 1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp of hot water

Ingredients for the syrup

• 150ml water
• 55g caster sugar
• 120ml Irish cream liqueur – baileys or Aldi’s version is good too and much cheaper!
• To finish Whipping or double cream, chocolate shavings, shards, and whatever else takes your fancy.

Method

Mix your sponge by the usual method adding the coffee mixture for the last mix, bake in a 6-7” ish loose bottomed  round cake tin, oiled and base lined, the oven is at about 160c for fan, 180c without fan. Bake until golden, well risen and cooked through when tested with a skewer, this is about 30-40 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for approx 10 mins in the tin, then turn on to a deep serving plate.

Now make your syrup, dissolve the sugar in the water and boil for approx 2 minutes until slightly reduced, allow to cool slightly and add you liqueur. Now make loads of holes in your cake and spoon your syrup, now allow to cool fully. Top with whipped cream and your decoration.