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One bite of this Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Cake with Bailey's Buttercream (shh... no one else needs to know it's a one-bowl, now-mixer, 10-minute hands-on recipe) will have you smitten, it's moist, tender, and SO delicious!
Just a little warning... well, perhaps it would sound better to call it a promise. If you're a chocolate lover, this Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Cake with Bailey's Buttercream, in addition to being insanely easy, might very well be the most ridiculously delicious cake you've ever encountered!
 When I was thinking about creating a new chocolate cake recipe, I looked at lots of different options, but when I remembered our recipe for The BEST, Easiest Chocolate Cupcakes... EVER, I knew I didn't have to look any further. The name says it all, they really are the BEST and easiest chocolate cupcakes. I surmised that the recipe would also work well for a cake, so all that was left was to crank up the oven, mixing bowls, and ingredients.
Everyday ingredients
Speaking of ingredients, I love that this easy chocolate cake recipe doesn't call for anything fancy. If you've got flour, sugar and basic baking ingredients, you're good to go! The recipe does call for buttermilk but there's an easy sub for that made with regular milk and a splash of vinegar.
So versatile!
In an ode to St. Patrick's Day, which we're celebrating this month, I've included a splash of Irish Cream liqueur in both the cake and the icing but that could be subbed with other liqueurs or simply a little extra buttermilk in the cake and half and half in the icing to make it a simple (but oh-so-delicious) chocolate cake.
Other options would be a splash of mint extract in the icing or a scatter of salted, toasted walnuts or pecans as crunchy addition. You could also slice this cake in half, horizontally and add a layer of strawberry or raspberry jam.
Don't want to bother with making an icing or perhaps you're just conserving calories... skip the buttercream and serve the moist, delicious cake with a shower of powdered sugar and a spoonful of sliced, fresh strawberries. Add a tiny splurge with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and a mint sprig for a simple but beautiful dessert!
Do delicious cakes have to include butter?
Okay, so I bet you're wondering if a cake can really be that good WITHOUT butter. I'm a huge fan of butter for baking but this cake honestly doesn't need it. It's fantastic; super moist, not too heavy and loaded with great chocolate flavor!
Of course, there IS butter in the icing which makes it smooth, creaming and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Ridiculously Easy
I don't want to bore our regular readers so I'll keep this part short. However, if you're new to The Café you probably aren't aware that we have an entire collection of ridiculously easy recipes which are beloved by our readers. You can read more about these easy recipes in this post and see the whole collection here but my ridiculously simple explanation of these recipes is "they make you feel like a kitchen rock star with MINIMAL effort on your part!".
EVERYONE needs a fabulous, super easy, one-bow, no-mixer chocolate cake recipe in their arsenal. This is the one you want. It will take you less than 10 minutes to put together and, not long after that, you will have the most intoxicating chocolate aromas wafting through the house.
Make this Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Cake with Bailey's Buttercream ASAP, invite some friends and celebrate. Whether it's St. Patrick's Day, another special occasion or simply and ordinary day that you want to make extraordinary, this cake will deliver deliciousness!
Café Tips for making this Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Cake
- Hershey's cocoa works fine in this recipe, but if you want to try a deliciously gourmet cocoa powder, this Callebaut cocoa powder is quite amazing!
- This batter rises nicely and produces a lovely tall cake but you will need an 8-inch cake pan with sides that are at least 2 inches tall. Most newer cake pans are that tall - if your pan is older and isn't 2 inches, use a 9-inch pan instead.
- I absolutely LOVE this muffin pan. The cups are slightly taller than the average muffin pan which helps yield beautiful high-domed muffins and cupcakes.
- I have made this recipe for a layer cake. I tripled it for a three-layer cake with 8-inch pans. If you use 8-inch pans, make sure your pans are at least 2 inches tall, otherwise, use three 9-inch pans.
- If you're in the market for new cake pans, I love these textured, easy-to-clean baking pans.
- I'm also a huge fan of these pre-cut parchment paper circles. You can purchase them in different sizes to fit your pan. They save lots of time when baking cakes and ensure that your cake slips out of the pan seamlessly. There's nothing worse than going to the trouble (not much with this cake) of baking a cake to have half of it stick in the pan.
- The instructions for this cake call for prepping the pan by spraying it with baking spray. Baking spray is not the same as nonstick cooking spray as it has flour incorporated into the spray in addition to oil. It's ideal for cakes, cupcakes and muffins ideal as it helps all of your baked goods to release from the pan without a hitch.
- I like to use a whisk for this Easy Chocolate Cake recipe. A good whisk is not expensive and is an essential kitchen tool. I really like these OXO whisks.
Thought for the  day:
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable His judgments,
    and His paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been His counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?"
For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things.
    To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:33-36
What we're listening to for inspiration:
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Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons cocoa, I use Hershey's most of the time
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Âľ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, I use Morton
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ÂĽ cup neutral flavored oil, (options are canola, grape seed, sunflower, safflower, avocado, corn, vegetable or a light, mild-flavored olive oil)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons Irish Cream liqueur, Bailey's or a generic brand - we love the Irish Cream from Costco
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot tap water
For the Irish buttercream:
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 4 tablespoons butter, (I use salted butter - if you use unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt)
- 2 ½ tablespoons Irish Cream liqueur
- 2 tablespoon half and half, maybe a bit more
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, maybe a bit more
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ËšF. Spray an 8 or 9-inch pan with baking spray and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Set aside. (Note - an 8-inch pan makes a tall, pretty cake. However, if your 8-inch pan does not have sides that are, at least, 2 inches tall, use a 9-inch pan.)
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-large bowl.
- Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk, oil, egg, Bailey’s, vanilla and hot water. Whisk well until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted in the center of the cake, comes out clean OR until an instant thermometer, inserted in the center of the cake, reads 200-210ËšF.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before icing.
For the Irish buttercream:
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and chocolate. Cook on high power for 45 seconds. Stir and continue to microwave for 10-second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted.
- Add the Irish Cream, half and half and vanilla extract and stir until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and stir until completely incorporated. The icing should be smooth and spreadable. If it seems too thick, add a bit more half and half. If too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
- Transfer the cake from the cooling rack to a serving platter the way it is on the rack - in other words, the flat bottom of the cake will be the top.
- Pile the buttercream onto the center of the cooled cake and spread with an offset knife or table knife to the edges, swirling the icing decoratively, if desired.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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I am so confused with the comments as it relates to the number of eggs needed for this recipe- Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream. Could you please clarify this?
Hi Susan, so sorry for the confusion, it should be "1 large egg". I have corrected that!
I made two of these cakes. For one, the icing remained shiny. The other looked dull as it set up. What did I miss?
Hi Nancy, I'm honestly not sure why your icings would turn out differently. It almost sounds like one icing (the dull one) dried out quickler than the other.
Dear Chris
The cake looks so wonderful and the comments from others prove it as well. I am one of many who love and appreciate your recipes so much. I don’t have Bailey’s; but i do have rum, tequila and brandy (i don’t drink them - just have them in the cabinet!). Which can I use to sub for Bailey’s ?
Hi Li, Thanks for your kind comments! You could try subbing one of those for the Bailey's, though it will change the flavor profile of the cake, so be sure to choose a flavor you would enjoy. Another option is to substitute buttermilk for the Bailey's in the cake and a little half and half for the Bailey's in the frosting. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as the others you like from the Café!
Now I am confused! I have refreshed the recipe on 3 devices and it says 1 eggs. In the directions, it states egg in the singular. There is a huge difference between 1 and 3 eggs in a single layer cake. Help??!!
I'm so sorry, Joyce. I thought you were talking about the new chocolate cake that I just posted. That one was missing the number of eggs when it was first published. For the Irish Chocolate cake, it is one egg!! Hope you enjoy it!
Phew! I am literally making the cake right now so I very much appreciate your immediate response!!!
I am making the Irish Chocolate Cake for the first time. It calls for '1 eggs" and I am wondering if you mean "1 egg" OR "2 eggs". We have enjoyed quite a few of your recipes! Thanks in advance for your response.
Hi Joyce, it's actually 3 eggs. If you refresh the page, that should be there. Sorry if that was confusing!
This cake is terrific. Easy to make and so is the icing. I should have taken a picture but mine did look almost as good as Chris’s.
Thanks for the excellent review, Margaret! It's great to hear how well this recipe turned out for you - we appreciate you taking the time to let us know!
I want to make just the cake today (I have leftover frosting from previous cake), can I omit the Baileys cream and if so, do I need to add anything in it's place? I will be making the whole thing including the frosting at another time though because it looks delicious. Thanks in advance.
Hi Brenda, yes, you can just skip the Bailey's - no subs needed! ENJOY!
This was an easy recipe and turned out great! What is the best way to store the leftovers? Looking forward to making it again, as well as trying out some of the suggested variations. Thank you for sharing this 🙂
Thanks, Grace! We store it on the counter under a cake dome for a couple days. After that you can freeze it to keep it fresh.
Great icing! I love the slight taste of Bailey's Irish Creme. Used the 100% unsweetened Baker's chocolate and it's the perfect amount of sweetness for us. Thank you again for sharing your amazing recipes.
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Carol!
Help! I am using the yellow cake recipe but my husband wants chocolate icing. Can I use this recipe and just leave out the Bailey's, or would this be just a good choice for a yellow cake? Thanks in advance. Or tell me which recipe I missed that would have been the perfect choice
Hi Sheila, this will make a delicious icing for a yellow cake. And yes, you could omit the Baileys if you prefer!
Howdy!
Chris I baked the chocolate cake again for Father's Day. It was soooo good! Thank you for always sharing your great recipes. Aiming to bake a banana cake next. 🙂
Hugs,
Maria
Wonderful! Thank you for the review, Maria!
Sounds delic- if I don't use Baileys would I add 2 Tblsps more of water or buttermilk?? Thank you
Hi Peggy, you can just add an extra teaspoon of vanilla. No need to add more buttermilk.
Dumb question Chris. Is unsweetened chocolate a chocolate bark?
Hi Paula, it's baking chocolate normally sold in a bar like this- https://www.amazon.com/Bakers-Unsweetened-Chocolate-4-oz/dp/B000QJUDM0/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3347O35BQ4QKQ&keywords=unsweetened+chocolate&qid=1706559543&rdc=1&sprefix=unsweeted+chocolate%2Caps%2C248&sr=8-5
Hola, Chris! My husband has been wanting a chocolate cake from HEB. Because there isn't a local HEB in our town, and the weather is cool, I decided to look up a chocolate cake recipe from your website. I chose the Chocolate Cake with Baileys Buttercream. The cake surpassed my expectations. It was absolutely Chocolaty Delicious!!!! No need to worry about buying one at the grocery store anytime soon!
Thank you,
Maria
Awesome! Thank you for you review, Maria!
Hi Chris, this is the 4th recipe I'm trying from your blog- everything I've tried has been a huge success! Thank you for sharing these recipes- they are such a blessing. I want to bake this chocolate cake as a layer cake for an event 2 weeks from now. Do the layers freeze well?
That's great, Susan! And yes, these layers freeze perfectly. Enjoy!
I made this cake yesterday and it got immediate rave reviews after everyone's first bite! We had to celebrate Father's Day a day early but no one minded (grandson forgot to ask for the day off at work so has to work Father's Day). The cake was so easy to make just as you said. It's a real keeper! My daughter already asked for the recipe! Tell Scott Happy Father's Day!
So happy to hear that, Diana! Thank you for your review!
I baked this cake today for my friends birthday and it was real yummy .Every one really liked it.It was my first attempt to bake a chocolate cake .And I was told that it is tasting much better than a store bought cake .Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe
.I wish the cake should have been little bigger.Any way next time I will make two .
Thanks for letting us know, Swati! So glad you enjoyed it.
I LOVE your recipes! I don’t have any Bailey’s. Do you think Gran Marnier would work?
That would work great, Donna! Orange and chocolate are a delicious combination.
This is a great cake. Easy, quick and really tasty and moist. It is definitely a keeper to be made again and again. Might experiment with filled multi layers for a show stopper. Thanks again for dependable recipes.
Thanks, Diane! So glad you enjoyed this!
I made this cake today and my husband said “Wow!” This is a keeper recipe. So moist & great flavor with the Bailey’s.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Beth!