With its rich, buttery crumb and a gentle tang from cream cheese, this Irish Butter Cake recipe is an old-school gem. It tastes even better the next day. No fancy layers or frosting needed—just a simple, elegant slice. Perfect for sharing at a Bridal Shower, St. Patrick’s Day, Mother's Day, or special occasion. Or simply enjoy it quietly with your afternoon coffee.
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- Irish butter cake stays moist for days. It often tastes even better the next morning. That makes it a perfect make-ahead dessert.
- There are no fussy layers, no frosting, and no complicated steps - just pure, old-fashioned baking at its finest!
- A light dusting of powdered sugar works beautifully. Or add a handful of fresh fruit, like sugar-frosted Prosecco grapes. That’s all you need to let this buttery, tender cake shine.
Whether you want a simple Irish cake with afternoon tea and cookies, this one works. It’s also lovely to serve guests on St. Patrick’s Day.
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Granulated sugar – White sugar is best for a vanilla cake, but you could use light brown sugar in a pinch.
- Butter – Unsalted and softened for easy mixing.
- Eggs – Brought to room temperature for a better emulsion.
- Cream cheese – Also softened for easy mixing and to prevent lumps in the cake batter. The cream cheese adds richness to the batter, offering a touch of tangy flavor that balances the sweetness in this Irish butter cake.
- Vanilla extract – For depth of flavor. Almond extract is another option.
- All-purpose flour – This is my go-to sturdy flour for baked treats. Feel free to use a 1:1 gluten-free flour substitute instead. I like to sift the flour to prevent lumps in the batter.
- Confectioners' sugar – Lightly sprinkled over the baked and cooled Irish tea cake for subtle sweetness and pretty presentation.
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube cake pan (such as a Bundt pan).
- Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in cream cheese and vanilla.
- Mix in flour, about ½ cup at a time, until batter is smooth and velvety.
- Once the batter is ready, pour it into the prepared pan.
- Bake the Irish butter cake for about 1 ½ hours, until the top is golden.
- Flip the baked Irish tea cake out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, add a light dusting of sifted powdered sugar over the top of the Irish butter cake. Serve as is or decorate the cake with these gorgeous Sugar Frosted Prosecco Grapes!
🥫 Storage
Store leftover Irish butter cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. To lock in moisture, it's best wrapped in plastic and served the following day.
This Irish bundt cake can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature before serving.
📚 Variations
- Add delicious texture to this cream cheese butter cake by mixing in some of your favorite chopped nuts into the cake batter. Pistachios are particularly apt for any St Patrick's Day celebrations.
- Inject citrus notes by incorporating fresh citrus juice and zest into the batter (lemon, lime, or orange).
- Make your Irish butter cake with gluten-free flour for those with sensitivities.
- Drizzle a plain vanilla sugar glaze over the baked and cooled Irish tea cake instead of a dusting of powdered sugar.
- For boozy Irish cream flavor while maintaining the batter consistency, replace 2 of the eggs with ¼ cup of Baileys. Beat the remaining 4 eggs as usual, then add the Baileys with the vanilla.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Rotating the Bundt pan halfway through the baking time ensures even browning.
- You’ll know when the cake is done by inserting a cake tester into the center, which should come out clean. The cake should also begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Don’t overmix the cake batter, or it will become dense and crumble easily.
- Place the Bundt cake pan on a baking tray for easy transfer to and from the oven.
- Follow my recipe for these sparkling Prosecco-frosted grapes. They add a chic, festive touch to this simple Irish cake. Perfect for holiday gatherings, such as St. Patrick's Day, birthdays, and other special occasions.
- Let the cake cool fully before you add powdered sugar, drizzle on glaze, or top it with Sugar-Frosted Prosecco Grapes.
🤔 FAQs
Irish Butter Cake is a rich, old-fashioned cake made with plenty of butter and often cream cheese. It’s dense, moist, and traditionally served plain or with a light garnish.
Not exactly. While it’s similar in texture, Irish Butter Cake is slightly softer and richer due to the cream cheese.
Yes! This cake keeps beautifully for several days when stored properly and often tastes even better the next day.
No frosting is needed. A dusting of powdered sugar or fresh fruit is all it takes.
A 10-inch Bundt or fluted tube pan works perfectly for even baking.
📗 Related Recipes
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with more irresistible Irish-inspired recipes:
- Irish Cream Chocolate Poke Cake - This decadent chocolate poke cake features is infused with Irish cream and espresso. Topped with whipped cream, it's then finished with a drizzle of chocolate, chocolate chips, and chocolate-covered espresso beans!
- Bailey's Iced Coffee - This refreshing drink combines rich coffee flavor with Irish cream for a treat that's both a beverage and dessert. Top it with whipped cream for a festive and decadent indulgence.
- Nana's Irish Soda Bread - This traditional Irish soda bread requires no yeast, relying on baking soda and buttermilk for its rise. The result is a dense yet soft texture with a perfectly crusty exterior.
- Sugared Prosecco Grapes – This is a lovely addition to the butter cake recipe and makes a beautiful and tasty garnish.
🍽 What to serve with Irish butter cake
This dense moist butter cake can be served as is or enjoyed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
If you're serving this Irish butter cake as the main dessert for a Mother's Day dessert, shower centerpiece, or your St Patrick's Day dinner, consider decorating it with these eye-catching and festive Sugar Frosted Prosecco Grapes. And don't forget to follow up with a glass of Homemade Irish Cream! And for the coffee lover, serve Iced Coffee with Pistachio Ice Cream.
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Mixing bowls – For combining the cake batter ingredients.
- Electric mixer – To effortlessly cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then incorporate the eggs and remaining ingredients.
- Dry measuring cups and spoons – For precisely measuring the flour and sugar.
- Flour sifter – To aerate the flour and ensure a light, lump-free texture in the baked Irish Bundt cake.
- 10-inch Bundt or tube – To give the dense Irish butter cake its classic shape and promote even baking throughout.
- Cake stand (optional) – For an elegant presentation when displaying and serving the finished cake, especially for special holidays like St Patrick's Day!
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
This Irish Butter Cake is one of those recipes that reminds me why simple baking is often the best kind. No fancy layers, no frosting, just a rich, buttery cake that fills the kitchen with the most comforting aroma while it bakes.
It's the kind of cake you slice for afternoon coffee. You can bring it out for company or enjoy it quietly the next day when it somehow tastes even better. Dress it up with fresh fruit or sugared grapes when you’re feeling fancy—or keep it simple and let the cake speak for itself.
This butter cake recipe is old-fashioned, reliable, and absolutely delicious. It's perfect for sharing, slicing, and savoring—one buttery bite at a time. 💚🍰
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
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📖 Recipe
Irish Butter Cake
Equipment Needed
- Electric Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Cake stand optional
Ingredients
- 3 cups white sugar
- 1 ½ cups butter softened
- 6 eggs at room temperature
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan (such as a Bundt).
- Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in cream cheese and vanilla. Mix in flour, about ½ cup at a time, until batter is smooth and velvety. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown, about 1 ½ hours.
Nutrition
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Marisa Franca
This is such an easy cake to make and so delicious. What makes it even better is the Prosecco-soaked grapes that we serve with it. You don't have to. It tastes delicious plain but the grapes just take it over the top!!