Italian Cream Cake

Want a cake that is perfect for any occasion? This Italian Cream Cake is absolutely delicious consisting of coconut, pecans and a delicious cream cheese frosting.

There is a thing about me and cakes, we are pretty much best friends. I will NEVER turn down cake if it is offered to me. Because I’ve never met a cake I didn’t like.

Back many years ago I hated baking, can you believe that. My blog is pretty much stuffed full of all kinds of desserts these days. 

But cake still holds top rank in my favorite spot, some of my favorite cakes you need to check out are Lemon Ricotta Cake, Triple Chocolate Cake and this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake!

Let’s talk about this Italian Cream Cake for a minute. 3 layers of cake are frosted in stuffed with coconut, cream cheese frosting and pecans.

If you don’t love that combination then click away because you’re getting all of that in one bite. Super delicious, moist and flavorful.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

• Perfect for any gathering, this cake has flavors that everyone will love.
• The combination of the flavors of the pecans, coconut and cream cheese really mesh well together.
• This cake is large and in charge and feeds a crowd.

I originally published this cake recipe back in October of 2015. It was one of the first cakes on my site and it really needed an update, like desperately. 

And who wouldn’t want to make one of their favorite cakes again? I mean any excuse to make a cake doesn’t really phase me.

HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN CREAM CAKE, STEP BY STEP:

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in the egg yolks, vanilla, and coconut until combined. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder and in another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff, set aside.
3. Add in half of your butter milk and beat until combined.
4. Add in half of your flour mixture and beat until combined and alternate with remaining milk and flour mixture until blended.
5. Gently fold in your egg whites until batter appears light and fluffy.
6. Pour into prepared baking pans and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F until tops are golden or until toothpick comes out clean. Let rest 10 minutes and then remove to cool completely.
7. To make your frosting in bowl add your cream cheese, butter and vanilla and beat until combined.
8. Add in your powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
9. Place one layer of cake on cake stand or turnstile and top with about 2/3 cup frosting then sprinkle with chopped pecans, repeat with next layer. Then frost outsides of cake and decorate to your liking.

HOW TO STORE THIS CAKE:

Since this Italian Cream Cake is made with cream cheese it is always recommended to be stored in the refrigerator.

All desserts that use cream cheese should essentially be refrigerated. You can place this in a cake storer or place some toothpicks on top and wrap in plastic wrap.

HOW LONG WILL THIS LAST?

When properly stored I the refrigerator any dessert like this cake will last up to 3 days. Any. longer than that I would toss it. 

This cake is so good though that usually it doesn’t even last that long when you make it anyways!

WHERE DOES ITALAN CREAM CAKE COME FROM?

You’d think that this cake would hail from the great country of Italy, but sadly it doesn’t. 

It is rumored to have derived from Texas, not sure whereabouts our when, all I know is that this recipe has been in our family for ages.

There are so many different ways to make Italian Cream Cake, some people place nuts on the outside, or toasted coconut, etc.

We like to decorate it with regular coconut, and top it with swirls and chopped pecans. It’s just how we have always made it.

I would really like to know what the first traditional Italian Cream Cake looked like, either way I’m sure I would eat it!

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• Use springform pans if you can, it is easier to get the cakes out as they are delicate and fluffy.
• To switch up your decorating toast your coconut and press it around the sides of the cake.
• Make sure to gently fold in you egg whites, you want your batter to look light and fluffy.
• If you want to make sure you have even cake layers, use a kitchen scale to measure out each pan.
• Let these cakes sit in the pans about 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on wire racks.
• You can also mix your chopped nuts into your frosting and frost your cake that way.

If you want a delicious, fluffy, flavorful and stunning cake, you will want to whip up this Italian Cream Cake as soon as possible, you won’t regret it!

If you like this recipe you might also like:

• Pecan Pralines
• Italian Ricotta Cake
• Coconut Cream Cheesecake

If you’ve tried this ITALIAN CREAM CAKE or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!

Italian Cream Cake

Want a cake that is perfect for any occasion? This Italian Cream Cake is absolutely delicious consisting of coconut, pecans and a delicious cream cheese frosting.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Resting Time:: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 14 slices

Calories: 564kcal

Author: Tornadough Alli

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup butter room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 5 eggs separated
• ▢ 1 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup flaked coconut
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• ▢ 2 8 oz blocks cream cheese, softened
• ▢ 4 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1/2 stick butter
• ▢ 1-2 tsp vanilla extract depending on taste
• ▢ 1 cup chopped pecans plus more for decorating (whole as well)
• ▢ Additional coconut for decorating

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans (spring-form is best).
• In a large bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Mix in the egg yolks, vanilla, and coconut until combined.
• In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder, set aside.
• In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff, set aside.
• Alternate adding in your buttermilk and flour mixture until combined.
• Gently fold in your egg whites.
• Pour into prepared baking pans and bake for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden or until toothpick comes out clean.
• Let rest for about 10 minutes until you remove from pans, then place on wire racks to cool completely.

Frosting:

• In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy.
• Add in powdered sugar and beat until combined and smooth.
• To assemble, layer your first cake round and top with about 2/3 cup frosting then sprinkle with nuts.
• Repeat with remaining layers. Once all layers are assembled cover cake with remaining frosting around sides.
• To decorate press extra coconut up sides of cake, pipe swirls of frosting around top of cake and top with whole pecans and sprinkle extra chopped pecans in center of cake.

Notes

1. Use springform pans if you can, it is easier to get the cakes out as they are delicate and fluffy.
2. To switch up your decorating toast your coconut and press it around the sides of the cake.
3. Make sure to gently fold in you egg whites, you want your batter to look light and fluffy.
4. If you want to make sure you have even cake layers, use a kitchen scale to measure out each pan.
5. Let these cakes sit in the pans about 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on wire racks.
6. You can also mix your chopped nuts into your frosting and frost your cake that way.

Nutrition

Calories: 564kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1.6mg

Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.

Tried this recipe?Mention @TornadoughAlli or tag #TornadoughAlli!

Nutrition Disclaimer