Watch me make this Italian Cream Cake from start to finish!!
You can ALWAYS find an Italian cream cake at my family holiday shindigs. I think everyone in my family has my grandma Barb’s highly requested Italian Cream cake recipe (and now so do you, welcome to the family!) so it really doesn’t matter who brings it. This recipe is fail-proof and always comes out tasting fabulous!
The cake itself is soft and moist with a super yummy vanilla-coconut-butter flavor. The frosting is a regular cream cheese frosting with coconut and pecans added to compliment the Italian cream cake. It’s delish and even if you don’t like coconut, I bet you’ll still love this cake!
My husband is such a coconut hater. He likes the taste of coconut but not the texture so I make sure to use finely shredded coconut and then process it to break up the flak, even more, when I’m making it for him.
Italian cream cake is such a lovely, elegant and delicious cake. FYI: It’s also sometimes called Italian wedding cake or hummingbird cake in case someone gives you the side-eye when you talk about how amazing you are at making Italian cream cakes : ) It’s so easy to make that there is really no reason to wait until a special occasion to. Make it today, just because.
Italian Cream Cake
Ingredients
- CAKE
- 1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 5 eggs separated (room temperature)
- 3 teaspoons real vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup real buttermilk (room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cup finely shredded sweetened coconut flakes
- FROSTING
- 16 oz cream cheese room tempt.
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 1/2 cups pecans pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325.
- Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl cream together shortening, butter and sugar.
- Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl combine flour and baking soda.
- Alternate adding the buttermilk and flour into the sugar mixture. Starting and ending with the buttermilk. Be sure to mix well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Fold egg whites into batter.
- Stir in coconuts and pecans.
- Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25-27 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cakes sit in pans for 5 minutes before removing from pans and placing on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Make the frosting by creaming together cream cheese, butter, vanilla and confectioners sugar.
- Stir in coconut and pecans.
- Frost & decorate cooled cake layers as desired (see video to see how I frost and decorated)
Video
Notes
Store in the fridge. Remove and let come to room temperature before serving.
I made this today for my husbands birthday. It came out beautiful. Will let you know how it tastes. This is his favorite cake. But this time he didn’t want the pecans in the frosting. I didn’t put it in the batter either.
In the instructions, it tells me to stir in coconut and pecans, but there isn’t pecans listed for the cake, only the frosting. What should I do? tonsipowell@suddenlink.net
Afternoon Ms. Diva. I have made this cake twice and everytime I wow my friends and co-workers. This cake is absolutely delicious. That frosting is on a level 10 my friend. I’m making apple butter today. I’ll let you know how I did with that.
Hey Diva. I baked this Italian cream cake yesterday and girlfriend I outdid myself. Everything came out perfect. That frosting is the bomb girl. I pasteurized my coconut also. I enjoyed them better. Could this cake be baked with all purpose flour instead of cake flour? Never used cake flour untill I baked this cake. Luv this recipe. Still wanna know the release date of your cookbook. Gotta have that cookbook NOW!!
Loved the cake and video
Do you happen to know the adjustments for making this in high altitude? I live in Denver (mile high) and while my first attempt did come out alright, I would like to try the recipe taking the high altitude into account. Thank you so much!
Question I don’t have cream cheese can I make just regular buttercream icing for it and I don’t have butter flavored shortening it’s just regular will that be ok
Love love this cake!!! I make it every year for my dads birthday and he loves it
Very good recipe, So delicious ???? I am happy I found this post.