Italian Cream Cake
This southern-style Italian Cream Cake is one of the greatest cakes you’ll ever eat! It features a rich thick toasted pecan and coconut filled cake batter topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting. It’s a show stopping dessert ideal for birthdays, the holidays or any special gathering.
Easy Italian Cream Cake Recipe
What’s Italian About Italian Cream Cake? Nothing, actually. This vintage cake dubbed “Italian Cream Cake” is more Southern than Italian, and no one really knows definitively why it was given this name. That said, traditional Italian cream cake recipes are very similar and this easy Italian cake is my take on it, after extensive testing through the years in my kitchen. While it does take several steps to create, it’s a labor of love that’s well worth the effort. It’s such an amazing cake, it’s guaranteed to turn any occasion into something special.
Ingredients to Make Italian Cream Cake Recipe
Checkout this quick list of ingredients you’ll need to make the southern-style Italian Cream Cake Recipe: (Scroll down for the full printable recipe card.)
- Flour – All purpose flour works perfectly, there’s no need to use cake flour.
- Leavening Agents – Baking soda and baking powder give lift to the cake batter.
- Butter – I use softened salted butter for this cake. You can use unsalted butter adding 1/4 teaspoon salt to the leavening agents.
- Sugar – This cake uses both granulated sugar and light brown sugar. The brown sugar is what gives a richness to the flavor, don’t skip it.
- Flavorings – You’ll need vanilla extract and almond extract. If you don’t care for almond flavoring, use additional vanilla extract.
- Eggs – Five large eggs or 4 x-large eggs.
- Liquid – I use whole buttermilk for this recipe. You can make your own buttermilk using whole milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir together and let stand for 5-10 minutes, then proceed with the recipe.
- Coconut – Sweetened flaked coconut found on the baking aisle, not fresh or frozen coconut.
- Nuts – Traditionally this Italian cream cake is made with chopped pecans. You could also use walnuts.
- Cream Cheese Frosting – Two blocks of plain cream cheese, unsalted butter, powdered sugar (confectioners sugar), vanilla extract, almond extract.
- Garnish – The outside of the cake is garnished with toasted coconut and pecans. You can pipe the frosting or simply frost with an icing spatula any way you choose.
How to Make the BEST Italian Cream Cake Recipe
Coconut and pecans pair beautifully in this spectacular cake with cream cheese frosting. Baking can be therapeutic, and sweets tend to bring happiness to those around you. This Italian Cream Cake is one of those showpiece cakes that make a statement on the dessert table. It’s okay to feel proud once you serve it, I know I do!
- Heat Oven and Prepare Pans – Preheat the oven. Butter and flour three round cake pans or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Dry Ingredients – Use a whisk to sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder together.
- Creamed Ingredients – Cream together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract on medium-high speed until light beige in color.
- Eggs – Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Combine – Add the sifted flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
- Pecans and Coconut – Fold in flaked coconut and one cup of toasted pecans into the cake batter.
- Transfer to Prepared Pans – Pour batter into the prepared pans.
- Oven – Bake per the cook time in the recipe until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean.
- Cool – Cool the cake completely in the pans on a wire rack.
- Make the Cream Cheese Frosting – Cream together the cream cheese and butter until light, fluffy then add the vanilla and almond extracts and powdered sugar. Beat until creamy and smooth.
- Frost the Cake – Center one cake layer on a cake stand. Frost each layer sprinkling with reserved toasted pecans. Add the final layer and frost the top and sides.
- Decorate – Press toasted coconut on sides. Decorate the top as desired with the remaining chopped pecans. Store chilled until serving.
Kitchen Equipment to Make Italian Cream Cake
- An electric mixer, either a stand mixer or a hand mixer whatever you have on hand.
- Three 9-inch cake pans.
- Large mixing bowls plus a large silicone spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing.
- Measuring cups and spoons.
- A whisk to sift together the dry ingredients.
- A sheet pan and nut chopper or a sharp knife and chopping board prep the nuts for roasting.
Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions
- Butter – If you only have unsalted butter on hand, add 1/4 tsp salt to the dry ingredients and proceed with the recipe as written.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar alone doesn’t give the depth of flavor you gain by adding brown sugar to the batter along with a touch of almond extract. Don’t skip it, it’s what sets this recipe apart from the rest.
- Butter vs Vegetable Shortening – Traditional Italian cream cake recipes often call for solid vegetable shortening in the batter. That said, after years of making this cake, I prefer using all butter in my cream cake batter.
- Toasting Coconut – It’s well worth the small amount of effort it takes to toast the coconut to use as a garnish for the sides of the cake. Not only does toasted coconut make it pretty, but it adds a spectacular flavor as well. See how to toast coconut here.
- Nuts – This cake could be made using chopped walnuts, almonds or macadamia nuts in place of pecans.
- Cream Cheese – You could adapt the frosting using mascarpone cheese or neufchatel cheese. Both have a softer texture than classic cream cheese and would likely need more powdered sugar or dry egg whites added to stabilize the icing.
- Alternative Frosting Technique – Mix the reserved toasted pecans into the frosting by hand and spread onto the top and sides of the cake.
Storage and Freezing Cake
- Storage and Leftovers – Store Italian Cream Cake in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap chilled in the fridge for up to one week, if it lasts that long.
- Freezer Storage – You can make and bake the cake layers up to one month in advance for a timesaver. Let the cake rounds cool completely then wrap in freezer wrap and heavy duty foil.
- Thawing the Cake – Thaw frozen cake layers in the refrigerator and frost before serving. Thaw a fully assembled cake in the fridge overnight then slice and serve.
More Southern Style Cake Recipes to Make
- German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Icing is a classic that never goes out of style.
- Million Dollar Pound Cake Recipe is a must-make for any occasion.
- Island inspired Hawaiian Pineapple Coconut Poke Cake is a cake mix hack that everyone can make.
- Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Coconut Pecan Icing is a retro cake that’s rich and delicious.
- Coconut Cream Pound Cake is drizzled with a vanilla cream glaze.
- Double Chocolate Coconut Zucchini Cake will have the kiddos eating their vegetables and loving it!
- My Buttered Rum Cake is a holiday favorite!
- Red Velvet Layer Cake is an iconic Southern dessert.
- You may also like this recipe for Coconut Custard Layer Cake from Beyond Frosting.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Italian Cream Cake
Servings: 12 pieces
Calories: 1216kcal
Ingredients
- Cake:
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
- 14 oz package sweetened flaked coconut divided
- 1 1/2 cup pecan pieces toasted divided
- Frosting:
- 2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese softened at room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 lb powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- reserved coconut toasted
- 1/2 cup reserved toasted pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans or spray with baking spray. Set aside.
- Cake: In a medium bowl use a whisk to sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, two teaspoon vanilla extract and almond extract. Beat until creamy and light beige in color, around 3-4 minutes
- Add the eggs 1 at a time beating well after each addition.
- To the bowl add the sifted flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk beginning and ending with flour. After all has been added increase the mixer speed and beat until fully combined.
- By hand fold in 1/2 of the 14 ounce package of flaked coconut and 1 cup of toasted pecans. Stir until evenly distributed in the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean. Cool completely in the pans on a wire rack.
- Frosting: In a large bowl use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to cream together the cream cheese and butter until light, fluffy and pale yellow in color. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Beat to combine. Lower the speed of the mixer and gradually add the powdered sugar beating until creamy and smooth.
- Assemble: Line the edge of the cake plate or platter with wax paper strips or parchment paper. Center one cake layer on the pedastal.
- Frost each layer sprinkling each with reserved toasted pecan pieces. Add the final layer and frost the top and sides.
- Press toasted coconut on sides. Decorate the top as desired with the remaining chopped pecans. (See in the Cook's note for how to toast coconut)
- Store chilled until serving.
- Toasting Pecans: Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast in a 350°F oven for 6-8 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Cool completely before adding to the batter.
Notes
- Butter – If you only have unsalted butter on hand, add 1/4 tsp salt to the dry ingredients and proceed with the recipe as written.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar alone doesn’t give the depth of flavor you gain by adding brown sugar to the batter along with a touch of almond extract. Don’t skip it, it’s what sets this recipe apart from the rest.
- Butter vs Vegetable Shortening – Traditional Italian cream cake recipes often call for solid vegetable shortening in the batter. That said, after years of making this cake, I prefer using all butter in my cream cake batter.
- Toasting Coconut – It’s well worth the small amount of effort it takes to toast the coconut to use as a garnish for the sides of the cake. Not only does toasted coconut make it pretty, but it adds a spectacular flavor as well. See how to toast coconut here.
- Nuts – This cake could be made using chopped walnuts, almonds or macadamia nuts in place of pecans.
- Cream Cheese – You could adapt the frosting using mascarpone cheese or neufchatel cheese. Both have a softer texture than classic cream cheese and would likely need more powdered sugar or dry egg whites added to stabilize the icing.
- Alternative Frosting Technique – Mix the reserved 1/2 cup toasted pecans into the frosting by hand and spread onto the top and sides of the cake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece | Calories: 1216kcal | Carbohydrates: 149g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 68g | Saturated Fat: 38g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 201mg | Sodium: 505mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 123g | Vitamin A: 1101IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!
Absolutely delicious 😋 Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
I’m making this cake tomorrow and just realized I only have dark brown sugar. Do you think that will make a difference?
It will make a difference in the color and flavor. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I recommend sticking with the recipe as it is written.
I have a pecan allergy. How can I adapt this recipe?
You can swap out the pecans with any nut you can tolerate. I wouldn’t recommend peanuts but walnuts, macadamia nuts or almonds would be good.
Absolutely the most delicious thing you have ever eaten..
I’m so happy you loved it, thank you!
Making this tonight.
Am I toasting all of the pecans and all of the coconut? Or just 1/2?
I toast all of the pecans and only half of the coconut for the exterior of the cake.
A delicious moist 3 layer yellow cake with toasted pecans and sweetened coconut. Now the frosting is perfect buttercream and cream cheese and alot of powdered sugar. However because this combination has a high fat content I think it needs at least 7 cups of powdered sugar as I tasted it along the way where it became just sweet and since I used unsalted butter just a 1/2 teaspoon of salt blended in well helped cut the extreme sweetness. Also I chose to follow the alternate frosting tip to mix in the roasted pecans and then frosting in-between the layers and all over top and sides of cake. Then I toasted the remaining sweet coconut until it was perfectly toasted. This cake was the bomb super hit at work for my coworkers August birthdays!! Thanks Melissa for sharing!!!
I’ve made this cake numerous times- always a hit.
I’ve a question Melissa, have you any recommendations on how to freeze the layers? I’m going to make this again this week but want to use only only one layer for the 3 of us.
There are numerous suggestions on the internet with options of wrapping this type of soft cake when it is still warm. Others state to cool completely.
Curious if you have tried to freeze a single layer and offer a suggestion if one method worked for you.
Love your website, it’s been a great resource for me since I cook 7 days a week and bake once or twice a week.
Hi Judy, I’m so happy you’re loving this cake! I like to cool my cake layers (slightly warm is OK) and then wrap in freezer wrap ending with a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil for extra protection. You can stack them once frozen solid. Thaw in the refrigerator then frost when you’re ready to serve.
Many thanks Melissa
It’s my pleasure.
Can I turn this into a sheet cake? I have a work potluck coming up and I really want to bring this cake as it is so delicious and moist. However I need it for about 40 people so was wondering if I can layer a sheet cake instead of making multiple rounds. Thank you 😊.
Generally speaking, you can make cake batter into any shape. That said, it will change the baking time so you’ll need to make those adjustments in real time.
My birthday cake! I’m not a baker but thought this looked delicious. The flavours are delicious, especially the combination of almond and vanilla. Living in Australia the only coconut options I have are dedicated (very small) and ‘toasted coconut’ which is the flakes you often see in muesli. That said, I went with the latter to find the coconut very chewy in the finished cake. It also formed little pockets around each flake in the cakes, so when the cake is sliced it looks crumbly. Any ideas on coconut options for future? Thank you for all your beautiful recipes x
Hi Dana, since I’m not familiar with what’s available in your market it’s hard to say. Perhaps you could buy fresh coconut and use it instead. Our sweetened flaked coconut is sweeter and drier than fresh coconut but perhaps the toasted coconut wasn’t the best of the two available options. Maybe try a half batch using the dedicated (desiccated?)coconut, it will likely perform better than toasted.
Hi Melissa, Really appreciate your reply. I’ll definitely try again and report back. I’m not a confident baker, but willing to try!( Eating a slice as we speak – that frosting is delicious 😋)
-Dana
What about getting it off of Amazon? Or something like that? Since it doesn’t need refrigerated until after opening, that’s what I do, it won’t matter how long it takes to get to you. That way you can buy more than you need and have it ready for future baking. Just trying to help. Good luck to you! 😊
I love this cake so much!
One question-do you cool this cake in the cake pan or remove it?
Thank you!
You can cool them completely in the pan. If you want them to cool more quickly, remove after 20 minutes and cool on a cooling rack.
Hello.. if I put this cake in fridge will it dry or stay moist? Cake is for a birthday party tomorrow.
It will be fine to store this chilled overnight in an airtight container.
Recipe sounds delicious and can’t wait to try it, but I was wondering if cake flour can be substituted for all-purpose flour?
There’s no need to use cake flour for a tender crumb, this cake is dense by nature. All purpose flour is best.
I love making this recipe. I have made over and over. I always make it one cake pan. I use a 9 x 4 round daddio cake pan. Then cut in the layers I want. Then frost the layers and build my cake. Love it!
Hello, I am going to be trying your recipe this week. Most Italian Cream cake recipes call for the eggs to be separated and the egg whites beaten and folded in. I am excited that this recipe does not call for this extra step, but want to make sure I am reading it correctly. Can you confirm, no need to separate the eggs?
Please follow the recipe as written. There’s no need to separate the eggs.
I made this exactly as written and it was a smash hit at the party! I received so many compliments and family asking me to please make it again next time. Mexican vanilla extract works beautifully in this cake with the almond. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
Thank you!
I would like to add crushed, drained pineapple. How would I adjust the amount of buttermilk?
I haven’t tested that adaptation so it would only be a guess. If you try it, let us know how it goes.
I am glad I came across this recipe as I have made it for a birthday and it was delicious. The combination of the almond extract and the toasted pecans and coconut are a delicious flavour, everyone after taking a single bite said WOW!!! Who made this cake!!
Thanks for the recipe
I don’t have 3 9″ cake pans. I would like to make a 9X13 pan. How long would I bake this?
Check it at 30 minutes and adjust from that point.
I was enough crazy to try to make it without eggs, but with yogurt. It came good. I was very surprised.
I’m not sure why but my cake sank in the middle. I didn’t open the oven til 25 mins. Baked at 350. I did use a fine coconut could that have caused the cake to sink? And I weighed it on a scale 7 ounces? May have been too much? Anyhow it wasn’t a complete loss I made it into cake balls and they taste great! Any advice?
There are many reasons a cake can sink in the center from not baking it long enough to improper measuring of ingredients. No oven is exactly the same so you should always check it with a toothpick or cake tester before removing any cake from the oven. A fine coconut…was it fresh as opposed to sweetened flaked coconut? If so, that would add additional liquid to the batter and change the outcome.
Made this cake last year and though the recipe is extensive, it was DELICIOUS.! I was quite proud of this, only to find out later that a few family members are not fond of coconut🙁
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
This week, I made this cake for my daughter’s birthday. I decided to try the recipe as written as a baseline. It was the first time making an Irish Cream cake. It turned out amazing!! Not only was it stunning to look at, but the cake itself was delicious. I wouldn’t change a thing! The whole family loved it. I will definitely be making this one again. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is a new favorite! It was very easy to make, elegant in appearance, and so delicious! I will definitely make this one again. Thank you!
I would like to make this cake. I only have 2 9″ pans, but they are deep. Can I use 2 instead of 3?
They should work, sure.