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!
Just a note to say… I have made this cake every year since 2020 for the sweetest man… starting for his 96th birthday at our law office, and I will make it again this weekend for his 101st on August 11…! It’s become a great tradition that we all truly enjoy. Thank you so much.
What a wonderful tradition! Send him my best wishes for his 101st Birthday!
I made this for a coworker. He has since requested it MULTIPLE times!!! His wife says it is the BEST Italian cream cake EVER!! They literally have me making one as they are finishing the last one I made!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
That’s so great to hear, thank you so much!
This looks delicious. We used to have a nearby bakery that made a “Chocolate” Italian Cream Cake. Have you tried this? Do you have any ideas or tips for how to adjust your recipe to accomplish this? I am assuming adding cocoa would mean I would need to adjust flour, etc.
I haven’t tested a chocolate version. If you try it, we’d love to hear how it goes!
Can I use butter flavored shortening instead of butter? Also, why do you not stiffen the egg whites and fold them into the batter?
It will change the texture, but can use buttered flavored shortening, sure. It’s not necessary to go that extra step.
Hello, I’m curious if I can use two 9″ pans instead of 3 and cut them in 2 pieces to make a 4 layer cake. Will I need to cut the recipe down and if so what do you recommend?
You can. Watch the baking time as they will be thicker and may need to bake a bit longer.
Melissa,
I made this cake a couple of years ago (in cake pop form) for my daughter’s bridal shower. Everybody loved them !
My son is getting married in early May of this year and he asked if I would make them a “wedding cake” for he and his bride to share. This cake came immediately to mind.
Although I am truly honored at his request, I have some logistics that I am facing (travel of about 2.5 hours by car, needing to bake on Wednesday for a Saturday wedding and needing to finish and decorate the cake once we are there).
I would appreciate any help you could offer in the way of using a simple syrup to keep it moist? Freezing after cooled and let thaw to decorate on Saturday morning? Best way to transport and any other suggestions you might be able to help me with.
I obviously want to be as fresh as possible and have it be as beautiful as I can make it.
Thank you so very much,
Lori
Hi Lori, I’m delighted you are making this for such a momentous occasion. You absolutely can make the cake layers in advance, wrap in plastic wrap and then in heavy duty foil and pop them into the coldest part of your refrigerator. You could also freeze the cake layers and then let them thaw while you travel. The cake can be assembled once you’re there. As far as the frosting, you could also make it one day in advance and store it in an airtight container, but it will set once chilled. You would need to bring it to room temperature, whip it and possibly add a bit of cream if needed, for it to be smooth and spreading consistency. (Don’t add too much!) Then assemble the cake on site. The coconut and pecans could also be toasted one day in advance and placed into Ziploc baggies or airtight containers for garnishing.
Regarding a simple syrup, if you freeze the layers, you won’t need it. I’m guessing you wouldn’t need it even when refrigerating it but I understand wanting a bit of “insurance” since you’re making it in advance. Simple syrup, equal parts water and granulated sugar, simmer until dissolved then cool. You could also use equal parts pineapple juice and sugar or add a splash of liquor if they don’t have an aversion to alcohol. A pineapple liquor, amaretto or a coconut liquor would be good!
Send my very best wishes to the happy couple!
Do you have any recommendations to make these as cupcakes?
You can adapt this cake batter to cupcakes, sure. Cupcakes will bake quicker, so check them at the halfway point and adjust from that point.
Hi Melissa! I had wrote to you May 2023 talking about how much I love this cake and have made it so many times, always a hit. I have a new question for you, you may not have had any requests like this along the way, but I thought I’d throw it out. I have guests coming after Christmas(weekend)and one of them, although they like the taste of coconut The texture of shredded coconut kind of freaks them out. I’m wondering if I did a quick blend in the food processor of the coconut then put in the mix, do you think that that would dull the flavor or even worse change or add more the texture or bulk to the cake itself? I hate to think about ruining it. Thanks for having such a great website, merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and your family.
Hi Judy, I’m so happy you’re still enjoying this cake. You can omit the coconut altogether, if you need to. While it will change the texture of the cake, the cake will still be delicious. You can also do as you say, and pulse it a few times in a food processor to cut the shreds even more finely. It shouldn’t make the cake more dense, and may be more to their liking. Thirdly, you could chop the coconut more finely and only use half. I hope this helps, Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thank you so much for the thoughtful response, each one makes good sense. All the best in the new year!
It’s my pleasure, same to you!
This Italian Cream Cake looks absolutely divine! I love the layers and the cream cheese frosting sounds perfect. Can’t wait to try making it for my family this weekend. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
This cake looks beautiful and I love all the ingredients except coconut. I am not a fan at all of coconut, and therefore wonder if I could replace the coconut with something else or if this cake would be good made with just the pecans and no coconut?
You can omit the coconut. It will change the texture and flavor.
Maybe make the Butter Pecan Cake instead of the Italian Cream Cake..
I have made this without the coconut (by accident- I didn’t discover it until I had the cake in the oven) and it was a wonderful rich tasting cake. I ended up turning it into a coconut cake. I just added coconut to the top of the frosting (without nuts) when I finished. I always chop my coconut fine before adding it to the batter. Some may not like the long strands. I have a friend who doesn’t like coconut but she likes this cake.
Would this recipe work for cupcakes?
You can make this cake batter into any shape you like, sure!
Do you think this would work in a 12 by 16 pan, and would half of the icing would be ok
I haven’t tested that pan specifically but you can adapt this recipe to a sheet cake. Half of the icing would likely be enough for a single layer cake.
everyone loved this cake. It’s going into rotation.
I’m so happy to hear it, thanks!
This recipe sounds amazing, and I plan to make it for my sister’s 60 birthday celebration next week. This is her favorite cake! My question is will this recipe work in a 9 x 13 pan? I would need to make 2 layers because there will be probably 20 people there! So, while I love a round layered cake, I think maybe the 2 layers of 9 x 13 might be more practical? I do have a couple of larger round pans and could try that…what would you suggest?
Firstly, you could adapt this cake into any shape you like. That said, I haven’t tested a two layer 13×9 inch cake. You likely could do it, but since I haven’t tested it I would say just watch the baking time. It may need adjusting depending on how thick the batter is in those pans. (Thinner cakes bake more quickly, thicker cakes bake longer.) Let us know how it goes!
I chickened out and just made the 3 8-inch layers. Not everyone in the family likes coconut and pecans, so I made a plain white cake also. My cake looks delicious and I think my sister will love it! If I can figure out how to post the photo, I will. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Wonderful, thanks!
Should the icing be cool or room temp when spreading?
You can frost the cooled cake as soon as you make the frosting.
Curios about no salt in batter? Was it left off?
This recipe calls for salted butter making it not necessary to add more.
My cakes didn’t rise as much as your pictures, and I’m trying to figure out the reason. My baking agents are brand new & all ingredients were at room temp. I also use a scale for measuring. I’m wondering if it was part of my mixing method. I beat each egg in for 15-20 seconds at medium speed (scraping bowl between). It looked a little curdled by the time all eggs were added-is that ok or does that mean I needed to beat longer? I divided flour into thirds alternating with buttermilk, mixing on low until just combined. I made sure everything was mixed in at end, but only increased speed for maybe 5-10 seconds. Is it necessary to beat longer once everything combined? The only other thing I can think of is that I rotated my pans about the 18 min mark because the back of my oven is hotter & that cake was getting brown early…any tips would be appreciated! The cake was still delicious!
Hi Allyson, let’s see if we can figure out what went wrong. Firstly, did you sift the dry ingredients together? Beating the eggs for that amount of time isn’t necessary but likely wasn’t a problem. I am puzzled though, as to why it looked curdled to you? Was the butter fresh? Alternating the flour and buttermilk is what you should do however under-beating the batter can be an issue just as much as over-beating. Under beating typically affects rise and over-beating makes the cake dry. I don’t recommend opening the oven when baking a cake, this could have been an issue, too. Next time don’t repeat those things and you should have a better result.
Thanks for your quick reply! Yes I sifted the dry ingredients and butter was fresh. Maybe I’ll try beating just a bit more after I get everything in. I don’t know how to avoid opening the oven since my back cake will get dark more quickly – I assume one pan shouldn’t sit out of the oven while other two are baking, right? As far as the curdled part, I’ve read when a lot of liquid is added at once (the 5eggs), it can cause the curdling – kind of like separation of ingredients? I know some people suggest adding a Tbsp or two of dry ingredients if that happens.
I actually made this delicious cake a few years ago without any issues! It was a different oven though :/ I checked my oven temp though to make sure I was at 350 in center.
Cakes can be finicky when opening the oven so if you must yes, wait to bake separately. I haven’t had the issue you describe with ingredients separating, I suppose you could try that but I’ve never found it necessary to do so. All butter isn’t created equal so use a good quality butter. If you’ve made this cake previously with great success (per your comment) you should be able to figure out what was different this time.
Do you beat the dry ingredients & buttermilk in at low or medium/high speed? I feel like that might be the culprit, as well as opening oven. Sorry for all the questions, I’m just baking this for an event and I want to get it right!
You can beat on medium the key is making sure it’s fully combined.
My cake is in the oven right now. Just a little bit of levity, as I was cracking one of the eggs into my mixer as it was running I managed to drop the whole egg in and before I could turn off the mixer it was nicely incorporated into the batter!! Spent half an hour digging out egg shells with my spaghetti spoon.🫢
Oh dear, I like to always crack eggs into a separate bowl and then add to the batter to avoid this scenario.
This is a fantastic cake! A hit with everyone! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much!
I couldn’t tell by what I read, sorry if I missed it. Is it only one block of cream cheese for the cake portion? I assume the other for the frosting? Thank you in advance. I’ve tried other recipes and they have been amazing. Can’t wait to see how this turns out.
There’s no cream cheese in the cake only the frosting.
Can this cake be made in a 9×13 oblong pan?
You can make this any shape you like. The baking time will need to be adjusted, it may take longer to bake.
Can this cake be made ahead and frozen?
You can make the layers in advance and freeze, sure!
Could you make this cake in a Bundt pan ?
I haven’t tested this in a Bundt pan. If you try it, let us know how it goes.