Recipe: Baileys-infused chocolate cake is the perfect Christmas sweet treat

For the Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC (160oC Fan) and lightly grease 3x20cm round cake tins, lining the bases with parchment paper.
2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl and set aside to cool. In another bowl, whisk the coffee and cocoa powder, then add the buttermilk and whisk to combine. Set both aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy (approx 5 minutes). Beat in the eggs one by one. Once combined, pour in the cooled chocolate and mix until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add this in three additions to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk mixture so you start and finish with the flour mixture.
5. Divide the cake batter evenly between the tins and spread into an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes in their tins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Baileys Eggnog Buttercream:

1. Combine the egg whites and sugars in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until the sugar has dissolved (you should no longer be able to feel the sugar grains when rubbing some mixture between your fingers).
2. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk with an electric mixer on high speed for 7-10 minutes, or until the meringue is stiff and glossy and at room temperature.
3. With the mixer still running, add the butter a little at a time until combined and the buttercream is smooth.
4. Add the ground nutmeg and Baileys Original Irish Cream, then mix gently until combined.

To assemble:

1. Place one cake layer onto a serving plate and spread with a thin layer of buttercream. Repeat with the rest of the layers, smoothing most of the remaining buttercream over the top and side of the cake once the final layer is stacked.
2. Place the iced cake in the fridge for 20 minutes until the buttercream is cold and firm.
3. To make the white chocolate Baileys drips, heat the white chocolate and Baileys Original Irish Cream together until the chocolate has melted. Stir the resulting ganache until smooth and silky.
4. Once the iced cake is firm, pour the ganache on top, spreading evenly out to the edges and teasing it over the sides to encourage it to drip. Return the cake to the fridge to set the ganache.
5. Mix two teaspoons of gold powder with two teaspoons of a clear vodka to make a paint-like consistency. Carefully paint the white chocolate with the gold mixture.
6. Melt the dark chocolate and pour into a piping bag. Line a baking tray with parchment and use the piping bag to draw simple tree shapes. Put these into the fridge to set fully.
7. Chop the antlers off two Baileys Reindeers. Fill with 50ml of Baileys and top with the remaining buttercream. Arrange on top of the cake.
8. Using the rest of the buttercream, pipe a few peaks around the reindeer. Remove the set chocolate trees from the fridge and carefully remove from the parchment, nestling them around the reindeer into the buttercream peaks.
9. Slice and enjoy. Oh, and don’t forget to serve with 50ml Baileys Original Irish Cream on ice for the ultimate Christmas experience

And finally, a top tip – if you don’t have a piping bag to pipe the dark chocolate trees, simply create your own at home by using baking paper and rolling the sheet to create the perfect nozzle. It’s an easy but effective way to create the delicious decorations.