The Baileys Irish Cream Pyramid Cake is an extravagantly rich holiday treat created by James Wagner, pastry chef at The Mansion on Turtle Creek.
Baileys Irish Cream Pyramid Cake
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 ounces shortening
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
8 1/2 ounces cake flour
6 eggs
11 ounces buttermilk
Bailey’s syrup (recipe below)
Butter cream (recipe below)
Chocolate Glaze (recipe below)
6 sheets Gold Leaf
Preheat oven to 350F.
Using a 5 quart mixer, on low speed place the shortening, then the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Mix until just combined. Add the eggs and mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl and slowly add the buttermilk. Pour the batter into a 12” x 16” x 1” half sheet pan that has been sprayed and lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 30 minutes. The cake will feel very soft when done. Cool and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Remove the cake from the pan and remove the parchment paper. Lay the cake right-side up on a large cutting board and trim the top crust off the cake. Slice the cake lengthwise into 4 – 3 inch strips. Carefully slice each one of the strips in half horizontally. You should end up with 8 strips.
In a 12” x 16” x 1” pan, lined with parchment paper, place two of the strips evenly spaced in pan. Brush layers with Bailey’s Syrup. Spread a layer of Butter cream on both pieces of cake about 1/8” thick. Top each with another strip of cake and brush with more syrup and another layer of Butter cream. Continue until you have 4 layers of cake and 3 layers of Butter cream. Brush the top layer with syrup. Smooth the sides of each cake with a small spatula. Place in the freezer overnight.
Remove the logs one at a time from the freezer. Trim the ends and the sides until even. Standing the log on it’s end, cut the cake diagonally, corner to corner all the way through.
Prepare an 18” x 5” cardboard base for the cake. Place half of the cake on cardboard with the top of the cake in the center. Spread with a thin layer of Butter cream in the center and place the other half of cake next to it and press them together to make a pyramid shape. Spread a thin layer of Butter cream on the outside of the cake and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove cake from refrigerator and place on wire rack. Pour Chocolate Glaze right down the center of the cake until the entire cake is covered with glaze. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove cake from refrigerator and place gold leaf down the center.
Slice the cake into 3/4 inch pieces so that they can stand up on the plate.
Bailey’s syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Bailey’s Irish Cream to taste, about 1/4 cup
In a small sauce pot over high heat bring water and sugar to a boil. Cool and add Amaretto to taste.
Butter cream icing
1 1/2 pounds butter
4 ounces shortening
9 ounces egg white
21 ounces sugar
Bailey’s Irish Cream to taste, about 1 cup
In the top of a double boiler, over simmering water mix the egg white and sugar together and cook, stirring with a whip. Cook the mixture until hot and you can no longer feel the sugar granules. Place the mixture in a 5 quart mixer with whip attachment. On high speed whip until fluffy and cool. Slowly add the Bailey’s Irish Cream to taste.
Chocolate glaze
1 pound semi sweet chocolate
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
10 ounces butter
3 tablespoons Karo
Place all ingredients in the top of a double boiler. Melt it and stir together. Strain though a fine sieve into a bowl. Use immediately or reheat on double boiler each time you use.
