Irish Coffee Cake
This Irish Coffee Cake with Irish Cream Glaze is soft, buttery, and packed with cozy coffee flavor. Featuring a cinnamon streusel and a rich Irish cream drizzle, it’s an easy bakery-style cake perfect for brunch, holidays, or St. Patrick’s Day desserts.
Equipment
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan
- cooling rack
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Coffee Cake Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup strong brewed coffee (cooled)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Streusel
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoon cold butter, cubed
Irish Cream Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoon Irish cream liqueur I used Bailey's
- 1 tablespoon milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat the Oven
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan.
2. Make the Streusel
- In a small bowl combine: flour, brown sugar, cinnamon.
- Cut in the cold butter with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
3. Mix the Dry Ingredients
- In a bowl whisk together: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
4. Make the Batter
- In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time.
- Mix in: sour cream, brewed coffee, vanilla extract
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Assemble the Cake
- Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle half the streusel.
- Add the remaining batter and top with the remaining streusel.
6. Bake
- Bake for 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely before glazing.
7. Make the Irish Cream Glaze
- Whisk together powdered sugar, Irish cream, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Drizzle over cooled cake.
Notes
- Adding a tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the batter intensifies the coffee flavor without making the cake bitter.
- If your glaze is too thick, add ½ teaspoon milk at a time until drizzle consistency.
- Lining your pan with parchment paper makes removing the cake clean and easy.