Best Italian Cream Cake

This show stopper cake has 3-layers of the moistest, delicious cake that is made with toasted coconut, pecans, and a fluffy cream cheese frosting. 

Italian Cream Cake is made completely from scratch cake is incredibly delectable! It disappeared so quickly when I made it for a friend’s birthday cake. 

If you are a fan of coconuts and pecans, you will love it! The 3-Layers make this a wow cake filled with crunchy pecans and tasty coconut. It may be your next favorite cake.

What is an Italian Cream Cake?

This cake is not originating in Italy but may have originated in Texas. But wherever this cake recipe is from, I know that it is wonderful. This moist cake is baked with pecans and coconut and then topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting. 

More Popular Cakes on Moore or Less Cooking

Do you love cakes? You may like my wonderful Carrot Cake, festive Red Velvet Cake, freshly made Blueberry Cake, delectable Pineapple Cake, divine Chocolate Cake, tempting  Apple Cake, tantalizing Lemon Cake, and simple to make Pecan Cobbler Cake.

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How to store an Italian Cream Cake?

You can refrigerate the Italian Cream Cake. Any cake that has cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated. Take it out of the refrigerator about a half-hour before you’d like to serve it so the frosting has time to come to room temperature and the cake layers lose their chill.

Can this cake be made ahead of time?

Yes, wrap the unfrosted cake layers tightly in plastic wrap making sure and secure the top, sides, and the bottom of the layers. Place the wrapped layers in a plastic zip-top bag and store in the refrigerator for up to five days. If you need to keep unfrosted layers longer than that, make sure to freeze them.

What you will need to make this cake:

Ingredients For the cake:

• flour
• cornstarch
• baking soda
• baking powder
• salted butter
•  granulated sugar
• brown sugar
• vanilla extract
• almond extract
• eggs
• cream 
• vinegar
• shredded coconut
• pecans
• vegetable shortening and flour for the cakepans

Here’s how to make this Best Italian Cream Cake:

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease 3-9 inch diameter cake pans with vegetable shortening and dust them with flour. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk or sift until the dry ingredients are uniformly mixed.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together.

Add the eggs one at a time to the butter-sugar mixture beating them into the mixture before adding another. Add the extracts and mix these in well.

Add the vinegar to the heavy cream and stir this together well.

Add a portion of the flour mixture to the creamed sugar-egg mixture and beat this in until well mixed.

Add a portion of the cream vinegar mixture to help this process.

Add another portion of the dry ingredients, mix it in, and add some more vinegar-cream to help.

Repeat these steps until all the wet and dry components are mixed to form the cake batter.

Finally, add 1/2 of the coconut and 1/2 of the pecan pieces to the batter and mix them until all is uniform.

Pour equal amounts of batter into the 3 cake pans and bake at 350 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Place the pans on a wire rack to cool while you toast your coconut and make the frosting.

Toasting the Shredded Coconut:

HOW TO COOK COCONUT:

Place the 1/2 of the shredded coconut reserved for the frosting on a baking sheet and spread it out evenly.

Place the sheet in the oven at 350 F for 8 to 12 minutes. Stir the coconut every 2 or 3 minutes to promote even browning. Remove the coconut from the oven when it has achieved an even cinnamon-colored brown.

INGREDIENTS For the Frosting:

• cream cheese
• butter
• powdered sugar
• vanilla extract
• almond extract
• pecans 
• shredded coconut 

How to make the frosting:

Cream the cream cheese, and butter together until smooth.

Add the extracts and beat these in until uniform.

Add the sugar in small portions while beating until the frosting is smooth.

Repeat this step until all the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is creamy and smooth.

You can add a tablespoon of cream or milk if the frosting becomes too thick, but beware of adding too much liquid.

HOW TO FROST THE CAKE:

1. Frost the top of the bottom layer and sprinkle with 1 or 2 tsp of toasted coconut, and a tsp of pecan pieces.
2. Place the next layer on top and repeat this process.
3. Place the third layer and frost the top and sides of all layers.
4. Finally, press toasted coconut on to the sides and top of the cake and sprinkle the remaining pecan pieces over the top.
5. Store the cake in the refrigerator until serving time, this will tighten up the frosting.

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Nettie is a wife and mother who is passionate about cooking and baking… especially when easy meals are involved! With 5 children, Nettie insists that all meals, snacks, and desserts come together quickly! You will find a wide variety of easy yet scrumptious recipes on her very popular website Moore or Less Cooking
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Yield: 1 cake

Best Italian Cream Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Italian Cream Cake~ This show stopper cake has 3-layers of the moistest, delicious cake that is made with toasted coconut, pecans, and a fluffy cream cheese frosting. 

Print

Ingredients

• For the cake:
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tbs cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup of salted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream plus 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
• 1-14 ounce package of shredded coconut, divided into 2 portions
• 1 1/2 cups of pecans, coarsely chopped, divided into 2 portions
• vegetable shortening and flour for the cakepans
• For the Frosting:
• 2-8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup of butter, softened
• 2 pounds of powdered sugar
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• pecans reserved above
• shredded coconut reserved above, and toasted

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease 3-9 inch diameter cake pans with vegetable shortening and dust them with flour.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk or sift until the dry ingredients are uniformly mixed.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter-sugar mixture beating them into the mixture before adding another. Add the extracts and mix these in well.
4. Add the vinegar to the heavy cream and stir this together well. Add a portion of the flour mixture to the creamed sugar-egg mixture and beat this in until well mixed. Add a portion of the cream vinegar mixture to help this process.
5. Add another portion of the dry ingredients, mix it in, and add some more vinegar-cream to help. Repeat these steps until all the wet and dry components are mixed to form the cake batter. Finally, add 1/2 of the coconut and 1/2 of the pecan pieces to the batter and mix them until all is uniform.
6. Pour equal amounts of batter into the 3 cake pans and bake at 350 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Place the pans on a wire rack to cool while you toast your coconut and make the frosting.
   
   Toasting Shredded Coconut:
   
8. Place the 1/2 of the shredded coconut reserved for the frosting on a baking sheet and spread it out evenly.
9. Place the sheet in the oven at 350 F for 8 to 12 minutes. Stir the coconut every 2 or 3 minutes to promote even browning. Remove the coconut from the oven when it has achieved an even cinnamon-colored brown.
   
   Making the frosting:
   
10. Cream the cream cheese, and butter together until smooth. Add the extracts and beat these in until uniform.
11. Add the sugar in small portions while beating until the frosting is smooth. Repeat this step until all the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is creamy and smooth. You can add a tablespoon of cream or milk if the frosting becomes too thick, but beware of adding too much liquid.
12. Frost the top of the bottom layer and sprinkle with 1 or 2 teaspoons of toasted coconut, and a teaspoon of pecan pieces.
13. Place the next layer on top and repeat this process. Place the third layer and frost the top and sides of all layers.
14. Finally, press toasted coconut on to the sides and top of the cake and sprinkle the remaining pecan pieces over the top.
15. Store the cake in the refrigerator until serving time, this will tighten up the frosting.

Notes

Store the cake in the refrigerator until serving time, this will tighten up the frosting.

Recommended Products

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  Stainless Steel Whisk
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  Spatula
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  Hand Mixer
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  Ifuerte 10-Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set
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  Mixing Bowls

Nutrition Information

Yield

15

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 1063Total Fat 60gSaturated Fat 35gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 176mgSodium 529mgCarbohydrates 127gFiber 5gSugar 99gProtein 9g

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