Recipe: Perfect Italian Cream Cake

Italian Cream Cake. Italian cream cake is NOT supposed to be this dense. This was like a dry, greasy brownie. The origin of Italian cream cake doesn't really seem to be known.

Regardless, 'Italian Cream Cake' (or sometimes also called Italian Cream Cheese Cake) is only a name and at the end of the day, you won't care because of how delicious it is. Buttermilk makes every bite of this awesome Italian cream cheese cake recipe moist and flavorful. I rely on this recipe year-round.—Joyce Lutz, Centerview, Missouri. You can cook Italian Cream Cake using 16 ingredients and 9 steps. Here is how you achieve that.

Ingredients of Italian Cream Cake

1. It's 1/2 cup of butter flavored shortening.
2. It's 1 stick (1/2 cup) of salted butter.
3. You need 2 cups (400 g) of granulated sugar.
4. You need 5 of eggs, separated and at room temperature.
5. You need 2 cups (240 g) of all purpose flour.
6. It's 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
7. Prepare 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.
8. You need 1 cup of buttermilk, at room temperature.
9. You need 2 cups of sweetened, shredded coconut.
10. It's 1 cup of finely chopped pecans.
11. You need 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
12. It's 16 oz of cream cheese, at room temperature.
13. Prepare 1 stick (1/2 cup) of salted butter.
14. It's 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
15. Prepare 32 oz of powdered sugar.
16. You need 1 1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans (for frosting).

Italian cream cake is slightly more dense than the average cake (much like a carrot cake), and contains a heavenly combination of finely chopped pecans, coconut, and cream cheese frosting. Billie's Italian Cream CakeDear Sweet Billie from my church kindly shared her Italian Cream Cake recipe with me. And now, because you're equally dear and sweet, I'm sharing it with you. You can ALWAYS find an Italian cream cake at my family holiday shindigs.

Italian Cream Cake instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease, flour and line the bottom of 3 (9-inch) pans with parchment paper..
2. In a bowl of an electric mixer cream the shortening, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition..
3. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together onto a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. With the mixer on low speed, add the sifted ingredients in batches alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients..
4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, and gently fold into the prepared batter. Add the coconut, pecans and vanilla and fold into the batter..
5. Divide the batter among 3 prepared cake pans and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of each cake..
6. While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and mix until throughly combined. Add the nuts and fold together. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to frost the cake, then bring back to room temperature..
7. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling..
8. When the cakes are completely cool, stack the layers with the frosting and frost sides and top. Decorate with whole pecans around top edge of cake..
9. For a smaller version of the cake, use two (8-inch) pans and the following ingredient amounts: 1/3 cup butter flavored shortening, 1/3 cup salted butter, 240g granulated sugar, 3 eggs, 144g all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2/3 cup buttermilk, 1 1/4 cup shredded coconut, 2/3 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 8oz cream cheese, 1/4 cup salted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 16 oz powdered sugar, 3/4 cup chopped pecans. Baking time may vary..

I think everyone in my family has my grandma Barb's highly requested Italian Cream cake recipe (and now so do you. This Italian cream cake recipe is one of those authentic Italian cakes popular on so many menus. Italian Cream Cake has three layers of moist cake covered in cream cheese frosting with plenty of coconut and pecans. It's not hard at all to make and is perfect for a holiday celebration. Italian Cream Cake is tender, light, moist, and filled with a flavor you can only get from a special With this recipe for Italian Cream Cake, though, if at all possible, I strongly encourage you to stick as close.