Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone!  We can’t believe this is the official end of summer.  Our blog kicked off  the summer with our Seagram’s Sweet Tea Lemonade.  As we look back at the all of the summer posts we have made since then, we realize the summer flew.  Don’t worry, though.  We have lots of yummy fall and winter treats to tantalize your tastebuds.  We will continue to post.

Last week we experienced a milestone in our family.  Our middle son, Jonathan turned sixteen.  When the kids were younger Rhonda started a tradition where she always made homemade birthday cakes for the kids.  She made everything from a purse, to a monster truck to an aircraft carrier!  The kids laugh today about how their special cake was one of their favorite memories, and they made crazy requests because they thought their mom could make ANYTHING.  Oh… how we wish for the days that our kids thought we knew and could do it all.  Now that they are teenagers and beyond, that is not the case. 🙂

Jonathan loves chocolate and for the past few years has asked for a triple layer chocolate cake.  This year Rhonda decided to try out a recipe she had adapted with Kerrygold Irish Cream.  It did not disappoint.

Rhonda made this cake from scratch.  No cake mixes for this one.  It is adapted from a Southern Living recipe in The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook.  The addition of Kerrygold Irish Cream to this recipe gives the cake a milky chocolate taste and color.

For the icing, we adapted a Southern Living recipe as well.  The icing is a cream cheese icing recipe, so it had a different texture than the typical buttercream frosting.

As you can see, our boy was happy with his cake.  Gosh, we can’t believe 16 years have gone by.

Kerrygold Cake

• 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup Kerrygold Irish Cream
• 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 (1 ounce squares) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup Kerrygold Irish Cream

Spray three 9 inch round cake pans with cooking spray.

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugar beating at medium speed (5-7 minutes).  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add 1/4 cup Kerrygold Irish Cream beat until well blended.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients.  Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition until blended. Stir in chocolate and vanilla.

Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.

Kerrygold Irish Cream Frosting

• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese softened
• 1 (16 ounce package) powdered sugar, sifted and divided.
• 3 (1 ounce squares) unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup Kerrygold Irish Cream

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer.  Add 1 cup powdered sugar and chocolate.  Beat until smooth.  Gradually add remaining sugar and Irish Cream, beating at low speed until spreading consistency.

Spread frosting between layers of cake.  Spread frosting on top and sides of cake.  Store in refrigerator.

 

Both the batter and the frosting are a thick, creamy consistency.  You can tell from the photo that the batter is thick in the pan.  This is a great cake to serve for a birthday or any special occasion.  We would love to hear if you try it out.  Feel free to share comments and questions on our blog.  Don’t forget to look for our posts on Pinterest! Have a great week.