Italian Cream Cake Recipe

Yield: serves 12

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

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Sweet coconut and nutty cream cheese frosting combine to make this mouth watering Italian Cream Cake recipe!

Ingredients

For the cake:

5 large eggs, separated
1 cup salted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened coconut (flakes or shredded)
1 cup chopped pecans

For the frosting:

1 cup salted butter, softened
2 packages (8 ounce each) cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

For the cake, preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray and set aside.
Using a stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until a stiff peak, about 7 minutes. Set aside.
In a clean bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer), beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter and sugar mixture. Stir in the vanilla, coconut and pecans. Fold in the whipped egg whites. Divide the batter and pour into the two pans.
Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back to the touch. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan and then turn out cake onto a wire cooling rack until completely cooled.
For the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla and pecans.
Spread frosting of the top of one of the cooled cakes. Add second layer of cake and add frosting to top and sides. Keep refrigerated. ENJOY!

Notes

Homemade buttermilk works just great in this recipe.
If you don't have a stand mixer, electric beaters will also work for beating the egg whites. You can beat the egg whites by hand with a strong wire whisk, too, but be warned it will take much longer and requires serious elbow grease!
Keep Italian Cream Cake in the fridge until you're ready to serve. The cold temperature makes the cake taste even better! Because of the cream cheese in the frosting, refrigeration is necessary to present spoiling and keep the icing in place. When ready to serve you can cut and slice it right away, no need to wait for it to come to room temperature.
Make it in advance. I would freeze this Italian Cream cake in layers without the frosting. Let it thaw in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Then, when you're ready to serve, make the frosting and assemble the layers.
Freeze Leftover Cake. You can also freeze this cake AFTER adding the frosting. Wrap in plastic wrap then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
For more coconut flavor and texture, sprinkle some toasted coconut flakes on top of this cake along with the pecans.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Add a Pinch by Robyn Stone, Clarkson Potter/ Publishers, 2017.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 835Total Fat: 50gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 469mgCarbohydrates: 93gFiber: 3gSugar: 74gProtein: 9g

*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.