A luxurious and impressive cake you can make at home!
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Italian Cream Cake is actually a Southern classic cake made with moist cake layers, frosted with velvety cream cheese icing, and decorated with toasted pecans and sweet coconut. It’s a beautiful cake to take to a party that’s not only to die for but also easy to put together.
If you like carrot cake, you’re going to love this. It’s tender and buttery and has quite a bit of texture from the pecans and coconut. The coconut gets a little crispy when you roast it, adding another texture and flavor to the cake. Plus, the cream cheese icing is the best on the planet. Yum!! Your guests and family are going to love this!
What makes this the best homemade Italian Cream Cake?
Moist, tender
Nutty, vanilla cake
Toasted, crunchy pecans
Toasted, chewy & crispy coconut
Rich, creamy cream cheese frosting!
What are the ingredients for an Italian Cream Cake?
All-purpose flour -the base of all the ingredients. I haven’t tried a gluten-free version, but if you do, let me know how it comes out.
Baking powder + baking soda -adding both to the mix adds maximum rising power for a soft, tender cake.
Salt -seasons all the ingredients as they come together.
Sweet, shredded coconut -get a good quality coconut here because its flavor and texture really make a difference in this cake. S
Toasted chopped pecans –spread the pecans on a baking sheet and roast in a 350 °F, 180 °C oven for 8-7 minutes or until toasted. Chop in the food processor or with a knife.
Butter –softened so it can get smooth and incorporate well.
Light olive oil -I add olive oil to help keep the cake moist, and if you use a light oil, the buttery flavor will shine through.
Granulated sugar – it is cake! So, adding a little sweetness is what you’re supposed to do. Ha!
Eggs at room temperature -using everything at room temperature helps everything combine more easily and create a smoother, well-mixed batter.
Plain yogurt & Milk -traditionally, this cake is made with buttermilk; if you have that, use one cup. However, I don’t buy that as a part of my groceries, so I substitute it with the yogurt and milk mixture. Either will help keep the cake moist and provide just a touch of tang.
Pure vanilla extract -vanilla makes sugar, egg, and flour taste good, so use a good quality.
Pure almond extract -adds the perfect amount of nutty flavor.
What do I need for the cream cheese frosting?
Cream cheese -pull this out of the fridge several hours before you use it to ensure it’s nice and soft. The frosting won’t mix smoothly if it’s not room temperature.
Softened butter -same for the butter… take it out with the cream cheese so they blend perfectly together. The two make a delicious creamy frosting.
Confectioner’s sugar – melts right into and sweetens the frosting.
Pure vanilla extract -adds the perfect caramelized warm vanilla flavor.
Pure almond extract -adds a touch of nuttiness to the vanilla flavor.
What do I use to decorate Italian cream cake?
To complement the cake layers and to let everyone know what’s in the cake, the Italian cream cake is decorated with chopped toasted pecans and shredded coconut. Like the pecans, the coconut has an extra layer of flavor when you toast it. So, I sprinkle the coconut in an even layer on a cookie sheet and roast it for about 7-10 minutes in a 350 °F, 180 °C oven. The combination is exquisite.
How do you make the cake layers for this cake?
Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C. Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans and line with parchment paper. Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a bowl except for the coconut and pecans, and set aside.
Place the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, and almond extracts in the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk beginning on low speed and then to high until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Whisk together the yogurt and the milk in a bowl and then add it to the mixer.
Add the dry ingredients in a few batches. Reserve a cup of the dry ingredients and toss the coconut and pecans in it. Add to the mixer and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a spatula and fold the mixture to combine.
Divide the batter equally between the 3 prepared pans. Bake on the center rack for 27-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with moist crumbs attached.
Cool the cakes completely, remove the parchment, and set aside.
What’s the easiest way to make cream cheese frosting?
Combine all the frosting ingredients in the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until fluffy and transfer some of the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.
Here’s an easy way bakers assemble a cake at home…
Place one cake layer on a cake pedestal or serving platter. Spread a layer of frosting on top and smooth it with an offset spatula. Place the next cake layer on top, spread some more frosting on top, and then top with the final cake layer.
Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the top and sides of the cake. This is known as the crumb coat. Chill the cake in the refrigerator or freezer until the frosting sets. This step will keep the outer frosting free from crumbs.
Frost the cake with the remaining cream cheese icing and pipe some rosettes on top to decorate the cake. See video.
Combine the toasted coconut and pecans together and press them onto the sides of the cake. Chill the cake for at least an hour and then serve. Kali Orexi!
Is there a quick and easy way to assemble layer cake?
You can make these cake layers ahead of time and freeze until the day you’re ready to decorate. Once you bake the cake layers, let them cool completely. Wrap in 2 layers of plastic wrap and store in the freezer. The cake layers will keep fresh in the freezer for 1 month.
Can I freeze the cake after frosting?
Yes! You can freeze the entire cake frosted. Chill the frosted cake in the freezer until the icing has set, then wrap it in plastic. It will keep fresh in the freezer for 2 weeks. Decorate it with rosettes on top and add more frosting to the sides to garnish with the coconut and pecan mixture before serving.
How do I freeze cake slices for later?
Leftover cake slices can also be frozen. Just place the slices on a baking tray lined with parchment. Chill in the freezer until frozen solid. Then, transfer the slices to freezer-safe bags or containers and freeze for up to 3 weeks. Thaw and enjoy!
More Fancy Cake Recipes:
- Lemon Layer Cake
- Moist Chocolate Layer Cake
- Chocolate Strawberry Roulade
- Princess Cake
- Cherry Almond Cheesecake
Italian Cream Cake
Italian Cream Cake is actually a Southern classic cake made with moist pecan and sweet coconut cake layers and frosted with a velvety cream cheese icing. Absolutely delicious and impressive too!
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
The Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups (285g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (3g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (120g) sweet shredded coconut
- 1 cup (115g) toasted chopped pecans
The Wet Ingredients:
- 6 oz (170g) butter, softened
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups (450g) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
For the Frosting:
- 1 pound (450g) cream cheese
- 8 oz (230g) softened butter
- 2 lb (8 cups) confectioner's sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
Garnish:
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
- 1/2 cup toasted shredded coconut
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
Make the Cakes:
Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl except for the coconut and pecans and whisk them together. Set aside.
Place the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, and almond extracts in the bowl of a tabletop mixer that has been fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk beginning on low speed and then to high until fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time until incorporated.
Combine the yogurt and the milk in a bowl and whisk together until smooth then add it to the mixer.
Add the dry ingredients in a few batches. Reserve a cup of the dry ingredients and toss the coconut and pecans in it. Add to the mixer and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a spatula and fold the mixture to incorporate.
Divide the batter equally between the 3 prepared pans.
Bake on the center rack for 27-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with moist crumbs attached.
Cool the cakes completely. Remove the parchment and set aside.
Make the Frosting:
Combine all of the frosting ingredients on the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until fluffy.
Transfer some of the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.
Assemble the Cake:
Place one cake layer on a cake pedestal or serving platter. Spread a layer of frosting on top and smooth it with an offset spatula. Place the next cake layer on top, spread some more frosting on top and then top with the final layer of cake.
Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the top and sides of the cake. Thsi is known as the crumb coat. Chill the cake in the refrigerator or freezer until the frosting sets. This step will keep the outer frosting free from crumbs.
Frost the cake sith the remaining cream cheese icing and pipe some rosettes on top to decorate the top of the cake. See video.
Combine the toasted coconut and pecans together and press them onto the sides of the cake.
Chill the cake for at least an hour and then serve.
Kali Orexi!
Notes
Freezer Instructions:
The cake layers can be baked, cooled, wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and will keep fresh in the freezer for 1 month.
The entire cake can be assembled and frosted. Chill in the freezer until the icing has set and then wrap in plastic. It will keep fresh for 2 weeks. Decorate it with rosettes and add some more frosting to the sides to garnish with the coconut and pecan mixture before serving.
Leftover cake slices can also be frozen. Place the slices on a baking tray lined with parchment. Chill in the freezer until frozen solid. Transfer the slices to freezer-safe bags or containers and freeze up to 3 weeks. Thaw and serve!
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