Bailey’s buttercream frosting is perfect for adding a touch of boozy Irish cream goodness to your cakes and bakes! This creamy frosting is an American-style buttercream. It's super easy to whip up and ready in less than 15mins.

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✏️ Recipe creation
I first made this Bailey's frosting for my easy Bailey’s cupcakes. It was so tasty, I wanted to be able to add it to other goodies.
It's great for topping treats for St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Personally, I love it on Guinness chocolate cupcakes or Guinness brownies! Irish cream frosting also goes great on bakes such as coffee cupcakes or Bailey's chocolate cupcakes.
This recipe is based on my classic vanilla American buttercream frosting. The heavy cream and/or milk is replaced with tasty Irish cream instead.
🥘 Ingredients
This Bailey's frosting recipe calls for the following ingredients:
- Unsalted butter: using unsalted butter lets you control the amount of salt in your buttercream.
- Powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar): sieve the powdered sugar to get a smoother frosting.
- Vanilla extract: choose extract or paste over essence for best results.
- Bailey’s Irish cream liqueur (Original)
- Salt (optional)
See the recipe card for quantities.
Top tip: For accuracy, it’s best to weigh your ingredients rather than using cups.
♻️ Substitutions/Variations
Ingredient substitutions
If you don’t have the actual brand of Bailey’s Irish cream, you can use another brand of Irish cream liqueur instead.
I love using Baileys Irish cream original liqueur, but they have a whole bunch of other tasty flavours to choose from, such as the strawberries & cream or birthday cake variety.
Flavour options
I like the vanilla and Baileys flavour combo in this frosting, but you can also give them a chocolate twist. Try adding 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to your frosting.
Vegan option
To make vegan Bailey’s frosting, you can swap the butter for a firm dairy-free butter (baking block). You must use the solid kind rather than a liquid or soft variety.
Original Bailey’s Irish cream is not vegan. However, they have dairy-free (vegan) varieties, such as a delicious Bailey’s almande flavour that you can use instead.
📖 Method
Step 1: Beat the butter for several minutes until pale and fluffy.
Steps 2 - 3: Next, sieve in half of your powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
Step 4: Repeat with the other half of your powdered sugar and beat in the Bailey’s, vanilla and salt (if using).
Spread your frosting onto cupcakes, cakes, brownies, cheesecakes and more!
💭 Top tips
- Use room temperature butter for ease of beating.
- For creamy Bailey's frosting, beat your butter until it’s pale, light and fluffy before adding your other ingredients. This could take several minutes with an electric mixer and longer by hand.
- If you’re using an electric mixer, you can sometimes get a cloud of powdered sugar kicked up into the air. To stop this, stir your sieved powdered sugar into the butter with a wooden spoon or spatula briefly before using the electric mixer again.
- If your frosting is too thick to pipe, then you can add more Bailey’s to thin the consistency of the frosting.
- If your frosting is too thin, you can try chilling it in the fridge for 10-20mins before use. Alternatively, you can beat in a few more tablespoons of butter to thicken it.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Bailey’s is a well-known brand of Irish cream liqueur, claiming to be the world’s first. It’s made using a mix of dairy cream and Irish whiskey, along with other flavours such as vanilla and chocolate.
The alcoholic beverage also comes in a variety of different Irish cream flavours. For example, they currently have chocolate, salted caramel, strawberries & cream and red velvet cupcake.
Using leftover Baileys in your next dessert is a great way to use up a bottle of Baileys. I love making these Bailey’s cupcakes with Bailey’s buttercream or Bailey’s chocolate cheesecake. You can also put a few tablespoons of Baileys into your hot chocolates.
Your Bailey's buttercream should last for up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You may need to bring it to room temperature and re-beat it before use.
Yes! You can freeze your Bailey's buttercream stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost and re-beat before use.
Yes, you can make your Bailey's frosting ahead of time and then store it in the fridge or freeze it before use.
To get rid of air bubbles in your frosting, beat it on a low speed using a paddle attachment. The whisk attachment can sometimes add too much air.
Alternatively, you can stir it with a spatula or wooden spoon by hand for a few minutes.
🧁 Frosting uses
Amounts
This recipe makes enough to frost roughly 10 cupcakes (regular size). Make sure you’re using cool cupcakes not ones fresh from the oven.
To frost a cake fully (outside coating and between layers), you’ll need to double this recipe (scale up by x2) for a 3-layer round 6-inch cake. For a 3-layer round 8-inch cake, triple this recipe (i.e. scale up by x3).
Depending on how sweet you like your traybakes, you’ll only need half the amount of this frosting recipe for an 8-inch square sized traybake. Spread a thick layer across your cooled traybake before cutting it into slices.
Great goodies to frost
Bailey’s frosting would go great on the following:
- Bailey’s Oreo brownies
- Triple chocolate brownies
- Gluten-free moist chocolate cupcakes
- Victoria sponge cake
🍪 Other goodies
Looking for some other goodies to make?
Love Baileys Irish cream? Check out some of my favourite Bailey’s dessert recipes - Bailey’s chocolate cheesecake, Bailey’s Oreo brownies, Bailey's red velvet swirl brownies or Bailey’s cupcakes.
If you’re a fan of boozy bakes, then check out my recipes for spiced orange rum brownie cookies, Tequila Rose GF white chocolate cake or salted rum dulce de leche sauce.
For other great frosting ideas, take a look at my best baileys ganache, matcha buttercream or white chocolate lemon no-cream ganache recipes.
Other related recipes:
Looking forward to some new recipes? Check out my Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest pages for a few sneak peeks and some sweet inspiration!
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📖 Recipe
Bailey's Buttercream Frosting
Rate this recipe here:
Equipment
Ingredients
- 125 g (½ cups) unsalted butter room temp.
- 280 g (2 ⅓ cups) powdered icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon Bailey’s Irish cream liqueur
- ⅛ teaspoon salt optional
Instructions
- Beat the butter (either by hand, using an electric mixer or stand mixer) until pale, light and fluffy. This could take several minutes.
- Sieve half of the powdered sugar into the butter and beat until combined, then repeat this with the remaining half of the powdered sugar.
- Add in the Bailey’s, vanilla extract and salt (if using), mixing until only just smooth. Use to frost your cupcakes, cakes, brownies, etc. and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe makes enough frosting for roughly 10-12 cupcakes.
- Double the recipe to fully frost a 3-layer 6-inch cake (between layers and coating).
- Triple the recipe to fully frost a 3-layer 8-inch cake (between layers and coating).
- You can swap the Baileys for any of your favourite cream liqueurs.
- For creamy frosting, use room-temperature butter and beat until pale, light and fluffy.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online nutritional calculator, actual values may vary.
Ashley says
This frosting is SO delicious! I’m saving it to make again. I doubled the recipe and it made just enough for me to frost 17 cupcakes. Everyone I shared them with absolutely loved it!
Sweet Mouth Joy says
Thanks Ashley, glad you enjoyed the frosting!
Daniela says
Can't wait to try this!
Natalie says
I love Baileys. I never tried this buttercream before but now I definitely will. Can't wait!
Sweet Mouth Joy says
Thanks! Happy baking
Joshua says
Making a Bailey's buttercream was a brilliant idea! Such a great addition to any cupcake.
Sweet Mouth Joy says
Thanks Joshua, glad you liked it! I do think it goes great on cupcakes too!
Anaiah says
This was the most delicious buttercream frosting! I absolutely loved the flavors that using Bailey's gives. Definitely going to make this frosting for my cakes more often!
Sweet Mouth Joy says
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the flavour!
Lucy says
This is such a delicious treat. I love Bailey's and I would never have thought of adding it to make a frosting.
Sweet Mouth Joy says
Thanks Lucy, I'm glad you liked it!