Irish Cream Chocolate Bread with Espresso Cream Cheese Glaze

I feel like I should put a warning label on this thing. It’s SO chocolatey and full of Irish cream liquer. And lots of sugar and butter. And regular flour. All the good things. I know it’s not my normal “healthy” recipe on this wonderful Monday, but it’s darn good.

I don’t always make my baked goods “lightened up”. My favorite way to bake is actually with the real stuff. You know, white flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter…basically all of the delicious things in life. There’s really no substitution for it.

This bread is one of those recipes that NEEDS the real stuff.

I mean, just look at the batter. It’s almost like a pound cake, but a tiny bit lighter. Haha. Lighter. There’s almost two sticks of butter and over a cup of sugar in this thing.

Totally necessary. “Quick breads” or whatever you wanna call them..they’re actually more like cake..are my weakness. Along with chips and fries.

But that’s another story.

And I can’t forget about the CREAM CHEESE glaze. It’s SO delish. And it has more Irish cream liquer in it. I tasted it so many times while testing this recipe I think I almost got a little buzzed. For real. I’m such a lightweight.

There’s also chocolate chips, which I think every baked good needs. I used a mixture of chocolate chips and chunks, because variety!

I think this is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patty’s and to hibernate with during this impending snow storm.

P.S. I’ll be posting St. Patrick’s themed recipes all week!

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Bailey's Chocolate Bread with Espresso Cream Cheese Glaze

This chocolate bread is filled with Irish cream and it's topped with an espresso cream cheese glaze! The perfect accompaniment to a big cup of coffee.

Course Bread, Breakfast, Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 1 9x5 loaf

Ingredients

For the bread

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Irish cream liquer (I used Bailey's)
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks

For the glaze

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons Irish cream liquer (I used Bailey's)
• 2-3 tablespoons whole milk or cream (start with 2)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment and spray liberally with nonstick cooking spray. I always do both to be safe!

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder until combined. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, and both sugars until smooth. Add the Greek yogurt, vanilla, Irish cream, and milk and whisk again until combined.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Add batter to the loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until center is set and not wobbly, and a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Let cool for 20 minutes, then invert onto a wire cooling rack and let cool the rest of the way.

7. To make the glaze, combine the cream cheese, espresso powder, and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined. Add the sugar gradually, beating until combined. Lastly, add the liquer and milk and beat for a couple minutes until no lumps remain. If the glaze seems like it needs an extra tablespoon of milk, add it and beat again.

8. Pour/drizzle the glaze over the bread, slice, and devour!

Recipe Notes

*Full fat Greek yogurt works best in this recipe!
*Makes extra glaze!