Josh's Irish Cream Cake

This boozy bundt cake gets a double hit of Irish cream: once in the batter, and again in the powdered sugar drizzle on top. A yellow cake mix and chocolate instant pudding mix form the base, with vodka and Irish cream liqueur replacing most of the water for a dense, moist crumb that tastes like a grown-up dessert.

The chocolate pudding mix is what gives this cake its rich color and fudgy undertone without needing cocoa powder or melted chocolate. Combined with the Irish cream’s vanilla and whiskey notes, every slice has layers of flavor that a plain cake mix could never deliver on its own.

Cool the cake completely before inverting. A warm bundt sticks to the pan and tears apart. Patience here saves the whole presentation.

Pro Tips

• Grease and flour the bundt pan thoroughly, especially in the grooves. Any missed spot and the cake will stick.
• Beat the batter until truly smooth. Lumps of dry cake mix won’t hydrate properly and create dense pockets.
• Test doneness with a toothpick at 40 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, and overbaking dries out the crumb.
• For the drizzle, start with a small amount of Irish cream and add more gradually. Too much liquid and it runs right off the cake.

Variations

• Use chocolate cake mix instead of yellow for an even more intensely chocolate version.
• Add a handful of chocolate chips folded into the batter for melty pockets throughout.
• Swap the Irish cream drizzle for a Kahlua glaze for a coffee-chocolate finish.