This B52 layer cake is inspired by the flavours of a B52 coffee. Kahlua, Baileys 'n chocolate: the trifecta of boozy dessert awesomeness.
It's a labour of love but worth every bite! Recipe and photos by Gotta Get Baked.
No... you are not on the wrong blog.
And no... I have not learned how to make a beautiful layer cake.
I happen to have a very special friend guest posting for me today. Her name is Nancy, and she blogs at gotta get baked. She made me this amazing B52 Layer Cake!
She's freaking hilarious and I adore her to bits. I am also insanely jealous of her cake making skills. Someone hand me a giant fork.
Introducing Nancy, the creator of the B52 Layer Cake:
Hey y’all, I’m Nancy from gotta get baked. I met the fabulous, feisty, all around fan-freaking-tastic Kim a while ago through our Sunday Supper group.
I’m in constant awe of Kim. Not only would her life make an incredibly entertaining reality show but she’s super talented in the kitchen and with a grill (you should check out her incredible new electric smoker. My eyes bugged out of my head in jealousy when I saw it!). This lady has me laughing all the time with her sharp wit and intelligent humour. And she’s a fellow Canuck, which is awesome.
When I heard that Kim was planning an entire week dedicated to boozy recipes on her blog, I immediately volunteered my services. Baking with (and drinking) booze is a pastime of mine.
I took inspiration for my recipe from a B52 coffee. So, I was out for dinner one night and, as I’m wont to do, I was browsing the dessert menu before I’d even ordered my main entrée.
The B52 coffee caught my eye and I immediately starting drooling over the thought of its deliciousness. If I didn’t have to drive my own ass home, I would’ve ordered one fo’ sho’ (I’m a very cheap drunk and would prefer not get an impaired driving charge).
I thought that it would be an amazing flavour combination for brownies or cake. Since Kim is a kick ass lady, I figured I’d bring her a kick ass dessert.
One that tastes like you’ve been punched in the mouth (in the absolute best way possible) and one that’s truly a labour of love. This is not your everyday, just-throw-it-together kinda cake.
It’s got alternating layers of chocolate Kahlua cake, orange olive oil cake, Bailey’s ganache and coffee buttercream. Yup. You’re welcome.
More from Nancy:
Like I said, this isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill cake. This is a fancy pants, put on your jewels and drink tea from expensive china with your pinky raised kinda cake. It tasted amazing (I could literally drink that Baileys ganache).
It’s also one helluva monster cake, perfect for serving to a crowd of 10-12 people (or, you can have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a few sublime days). I shoveled large forkfuls into my mouth so as to get a taste of all the layers together.
Store it in the fridge but take it out at least half an hour before serving to soften up.
I hope that Kim and all of you, her wonderful readers, enjoy it!
Oh I'm going to enjoy it alright. Over and over, and over again.
More Boozy Recipes:
- Bourbon Peaches and Cream Popsicles: Guest Post by My Imperfect Kitchen
- Boozy Strawberry Watermelon Slushies
- Bourbon Pecan Pie Milkshakes: Guest Post by Cooking in Stilettos
- Chocolate Guinness Float
- Boozy Caramel Apple Bread and Butter Pudding: Guest Post by My Catholic Kitchen
- Bourbon Bacon Jam
- Baileys Ice Cream with Baileys Caramel Sauce: Guest Post by Cookistry
- Bourbon Laced Vanilla Chai Tea Latte: Guest Post by Cooking in Stilettos
Thanks so much to Nancy for guest posting for me today. It's an absolute pleasure to kick off Boozy Desserts Week with you.
Both myself and Nancy attended the Food & Wine Conference in Orlando last weekend. It was so much fun getting to see Nancy in person.
She is a total riot, and she's absolutely gorgeous. I get to spend some more time with her this coming fall in Vancouver. I'm counting down the days.
Places to stalk Cravings of a Lunatic
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest
Instagram ~ YouTube ~ Kiss My Smoke
B52 Layer Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Kahlua Cake (adapted from Flour Arrangements)
- 5 ounces dark chocolate chopped
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder I used dark cocoa
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup Kahlua
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 8 tablespoons butter room temp
- 1 ¼ cups brown sugar
- 3 large eggs room temp
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup hot coffee or boiling water
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
Orange Olive Oil Cake (adapted from Italian Food Forever)
- 2 small seedless oranges
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 large eggs room temp
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
For the Baileys Ganache:
- 10 ounces dark chocolate chopped
- 1 cup whipping cream or heavy cream
- ½ cup Baileys Irish cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the Coffee Buttercream:
- 4 cups unsalted butter room temp
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 5 teaspoon whipping cream or heavy cream
Instructions
For the Chocolate Kahlua Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two nine inch cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Microwave the chocolate in 15-second intervals until melted (I do this to prevent it from burning). Set aside to cool.
- Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the Kahlua, sour cream and oil in a bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about five minutes.
- Add the eggs to the butter/sugar mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla and melted chocolate and mix well.
- Add the flour mixture, alternating with the sour cream-Kahlua mixture, to the egg-butter mixture. Mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Stir in the boiling water and mix until blended.
- Add the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the two prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool the cakes in their pans for 30 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto racks to cool completely.
For the Orange Olive Oil Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9 inch case pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Cut off the ends of the oranges and throw those pieces away. Cut the oranges into chunks, place in a food processor and puree until fairly smooth, but with some texture left. Add the olive oil to the pureed oranges and blend together.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornmeal and salt.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix together.
- Add half of the egg mixture and half of the orange mixture to the flour. Stir until just combined, there will be streaks of flour in the batter at this point. Add the second half of the egg mixture and the second half of the orange mixture. Stir until just combined – this time, there should be no streaks of flour left. Be careful not to over-mix the batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops of the cakes are golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Don’t over-bake the cake. It’s best to check it even before the 25 minutes are up.
- Remove from the oven and cool the cakes in their pans for 30 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto racks to cool completely.
For the Baileys Ganache:
- Place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium high heat. You want it to come to a slow boil only. Pour half of the heated cream over the chocolate and mix together. Pour the rest of the cream and the Baileys into the chocolate and mix until fully combined.
- Add the butter and mix until it has melted and is fully combined. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.
For the Coffee Buttercream:
- Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with an electric hand mixer. Mix the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until fully combined. Add the espresso powder and the whipping cream. Mix until fully combined and the buttercream is light, fluffy and silky.
For the Assembly
- I cut the chocolate Kahlua cakes in half so I ended up with four layers (you’ll have an extra layer left over. If you don’t want any leftovers, you can just use the two layers, but they’ll be fairly thick). I didn’t cut the orange olive oil cakes. You can assemble the cake in whatever order you like but here’s what I did.
- My layers from the bottom up: Chocolate Kahlua cake | frosting | orange olive oil cake | frosting | ganache | chocolate Kahlua cake | frosting | orange olive oil cake | frosting | ganache | chocolate Kahlua cake | frosting | ganache (top layer)
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks for visiting today!
If you’re looking for more dessert recipes be sure to check out my recipe index. You can also find a lot more cake recipes as well.
Be sure to follow me on Pinterest while you’re here. I love pinning great recipes! Also, make sure you follow me on Instagram. It’s a great way to stay up to date with the blog.
Toodles! xx
movita beaucoup
I love cake and I love Nancy.
Amen.
Kim Beaulieu
I concur.
Wholeheartedly.
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
Yayyyy Nancy!!! I'm always in awe of her cake skills too! And, as usual, no disappointment-decadent and gorgeouuus
Kim Beaulieu
She is a cake goddess. Plus she is funny as hell. Which I dig.
Ramona
Baking cakes is still my Achilles heel... but this B52 layer cake inspires me to really go for it and bake away. I love the cake photos.. but also love the photo of your friend, Nancy, drinking out of the picture. Hilarious!
Kim Beaulieu
Me too Ramona. I just do not have that layer gene happening.
That photo makes me laugh my head off. She is a riot.
Nichole
I love to cook, but baking just isn't my thang. This cake however looks AMAZING, and I would like to eat a big o' slice right this very minute!
Kim Beaulieu
I bake a ton but my kids always tell me I am a better cook than baker. I love cake so I may have to take a stab at layer cakes again. I highly doubt mine will look like Nancy`s. lol
Kelli's Kitchen
It looks like the Jolly Drunk Giant of cakes! I love that each bite is different and unique except the flavors all go together too. What I am so jealous of is Nancy's spectacular icing/frosting skills! Is there a tutorial somewhere? Seriously - it looks just like Betty Crocker's frosted cakes on TV in the 60's. I've always wanted to be able to frost just like that! Great job!
Kim Beaulieu
I spit out my drink when I read your comment. I wish I had the cake layering skills Nancy has. I am in complete awe of her. Plus the ganache on top, it is like heaven opened up and rained chocolate down. I need to learn how to do pretty cakes like this. I want to be good at it but I lack coordination, and patience.
Joy
Hate to have to telll you this, but those beautifullly iced cakes on TV in the sixties were frosted
with shaving cream Real frosting couldn't hold up to the heavy- duty camera lights. They may still do that!
Kim Beaulieu
It's so gross but necessary in many cases. I know they substitute weird things at times. The one trick I use for soups and stews now is to put an upside down bowl inside the serving bowl so I don't have to fill the bowl as much. Plus it keeps the solid food from sinking. I feel bad every time I do it.
Carol at Wild Goose Tea
Wow that is one spectacular cake! I am being VERY sincere about this. It deserves another Wow!
Where is a fork, when you need one. I pinned it of course. Duh.
Kim Beaulieu
I feel the same way. When Nancy sent it over I fell off my chair. It is so pretty.
Thanks for pinning. xx
DB-The Foodie Stuntman @ Crazy Foodie Stunts
WOW! Very impressive, Nancy. However, you don't prepare anything that isn't impressive. So happy we got to hang in person this past weekend!
Kim Beaulieu
She is a marvel right. I wish I could pull something like this off. It is SO pretty.
I still cannot get over we all got to meet and get to talk face to face. Conferences are so amazing for that. I hope you enjoyed yourself and the girls did too. I wish I had not gotten so sick so we could have had lunch. I still cannot believe I got food poisoning. Only me. I swear I have the worst luck in the world.
Choc Chip Uru
Nancy your cake is absolutely AMAZING 😀
I am so glad you are on Kim's blog!!!
And awesome booze guzzling photo haha
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Kim Beaulieu
I am so thrilled Nancy did this for me. She is a gem, and I adore her. And that photo is epic. Everyone should have a photo like that.
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry
Now this is what I call a cake.
Kim Beaulieu
It is so special. Every time I need a mood boost I just come stare at it.
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Thank you so much for having me, Kim! This was such a fun cake to make and a fun post to write. I hope you know that I absolutely adore you. I wish I could've spent more time with you at the Conference but like you say here, let's live it up in Vancouver! I hope you've recovered from the weekend.
Kim Beaulieu
I am so honoured and touched you did this for me. It is the most beautiful cake I have ever seen. Thank you so much.
I adore you too. I cannot wait till Vancouver. I really need to get my ticket purchased before they sell out. I want a solo room and I know they book up faster. I need to get off my duff and just invest in that ticket before it is too late.
I still am swollen from the edema, but it is totally normal for me to get like when I travel. The food poisoning recovery was pretty quick. I felt okay by Wednesday. Once I got a good nights sleep in my own bed I was much better. I still cannot get over how sick I got. Only me.
So is there somewhere close to the hotel to eat that rocks is what I am wondering.
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Sigh. I feel terrible every time I think about what a horrible ordeal you had at the Conference. I swear, if (and knock on wood that you don't) get sick in Vancouver, I will be your personal nurse. There are lots of fantastic restaurants downtown. Let me do some research and I'll give you a list. I NEVER want visitors eating bad food in Vancouver. It'd be a crime!
Jennie @themessybakerblog
Nancy, I love that picture of you. I'm so sorry I missed you two lovely ladies this year. I'll be attending the conference next year, so hopefully I'll see the two of you there. This cake looks fan-freaking-tastic.
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Noooooooooo! Jennie, I probably won't be there next year due to the expense and vacation time so I'm gonna miss you 🙁 You'll have a fantastic time though - the conference was the highlight of my year so far! I'll just have to come visit you in your home town one of these days so that we can meet, hang out and eat all the good things.
Kim Beaulieu
I think I am probably attending next year, as long as nothing with the kids conflicts. I really loved the conference. In all honesty it is the first time I have been to a conference where the atmosphere was so welcoming and everyone was equal. I was so moved by how positive the environment was. But I should have known it would be, the SS crew is so supportive and kind. I cannot wait to meet you Jennie. I wish you could come to Vancouver this fall. I am picking up a ticket next week for FBC. I get to hang with Nancy and have some BC fun.
Zainab
Seriously thank you for this cake!! So so amazing with the alternating layers. Nancy, you are a genius baker 🙂
The Ninja Baker
Okay, you can pick me up off the floor now...No, I'm not drunk. Just swooning from the beauty of this cake! Thank you for the generous share of the recipes for the fillings and cake!...Loved meeting you Kim B and Nancy in person..You two are peas in a pod...I'd have loved to hear your repartee!
Betsy Cohen
I am not sure which I love more; your writing style, the fact that you, also, look at the dessert menu first (unlike those crazy peeps who wait for the end of the meal), you chose ingredients that are ALWAYS in my home or that you made an amazing cake!!! It is easy to understand why we all get along so well!!
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes
That cake is so freaking awesome!! But Nancy's pic... made my day! Miss you both!
Emily @ Life on Food
Holy cow this looks amazing! That girl can bake for sure. How can we line her up for all birthdays to come?
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
Holy cakeballs, this. Cake. Is. EPIC! Love the flavour combo - Nancy, you cake genius too! Um, drinking Bailey's chocolate ganache seems like a good contest. GO!!! (also nice work on the beer jug chugging)... xoxo
Courtney Larocque
Hey , so excited i found your blog!!!!! This cake is gorgeous with drunk goggles on and all lol. This boozy masterpiece is just what i was looking for for my father's 50th birthday this weekend. Quick question can i do any prep 2 days in advance? Thanks Courtney
Kim Beaulieu
Hey Courtney, your comment had me in stitches. I think it would be totally okay to prep in advance but let me grab Nancy for you so she can verify that.
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Hi Courtney! The cakes can be made a day or two ahead. The frosting I would make right before using. If you make the ganache ahead, keep it in the fridge. Just microwave it a little bit so that it is still thick but can be poured. Let us know what you think if you try it!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
And if you make the cakes ahead, store them in the fridge. That'll keep them fresh as well as make them easier to frost since they'll be chilled. Allow the cake to sit out at room temp for approx 15 minutes before serving!
Courtney Larocque
OMG made this cake for my father's 50th birthday it was absolutely scrumptious!!!!!!!!!! Talk about cake Wasted. My nieces were stumbling, not sure if it was the alcohol ,sugar or espresso lol. Does it matter really the cake was a huge success and the kids were hilarious. I got rave reviews on this cake , i would recommend this cake to anyone anytime but just make sure you have plenty of time because this cake is a labour of love. It is definitely worth it. Thx to Kim and Nancy for such a beautiful recipe and quick response time. I kept my chocolate cakes whole as well with the orange cake, it was definitely thick layers of cake but still delicious ,more stable and no waste of delicious chocolate cake. If i knew how to post a picture of the cake i would , 5 star recipe all around!!!!!!
Leslie
I made this cake for my mom’s 80th birthday. It was absolutely perfect and got rave reviews for taste and presentation! The cake layers baked perfectly flat without a dome effect, making for very even layers, and stable structure. They held up well under the weight of multiple layers of cake, frosting, and ganache, and were moist and intensely flavored. The buttercream was creamy and just-sweet-enough, and the combination of various flavors was deliciously decadent, if not unexpected.
Prep for this cake is not a simple proposition. I joked that I dirtied up every pan and surface in 2 kitchens in 2 states over 3 days to accomplish the final product (I made the components at home then assembled the cake after traveling to my mom’s, but had to re-melt the ganache and re-whip the frosting at her house.). In spite of all this effort, I will definitely make this cake again as is, or the individual components on their own. Sooo good!
Kim Beaulieu
I can't stop laughing at your comment. I know some recipes like this are step heavy and make A LOT of dishes but I'm so glad it was worth it in the end.
Nancy knows her stuff when it comes to baking. I've never been great at making layer cakes myself.