Home » Southern Comfort Food » Italian Cream Cake

Italian Cream Cake

This glorious Italian Cream Cake is one of the greatest cakes ever invented! It’s a spectacular cake, any way you slice it. Pardon the pun. The rich thick pecan and coconut filled batter is only trumped by the decadent cream cheese frosting. It’s ideal for showcasing as the feature dessert for birthdays, holidays or any special gathering.

Italian Cream Cake


Easy Italian Cream Cake Recipe

What’s Italian About This 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, Italian cream recipes are basically the same, and true to form as it is with all recipes, my take on it has evolved through the years in my kitchen. While it does take several steps to create this cake it’s a labor of love well worth the effort when you see the delight on the faces of your family and friends. It’s a very special cake for a special occasion. Ingredients to make Italian Cream Cake:

  • Flour – All purpose flour sifted with baking soda and baking powder.
  • Butter – Salted butter, softened.
  • Sugar – Granulated sugar and light brown sugar.
  • Flavorings – Vanilla extract and almond extract.
  • Eggs – Five large eggs.
  • Milk – Whole buttermilk (not fat free).
  • Mix-ins – Sweetened flaked coconut and chopped pecans.
  • Frosting – Plain cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract.
  • Garnishes – Reserved coconut and toasted pecans.
Italian Cream Cake

How to Make the Best Italian Cream Cake Recipe

My family members are die hard sweet or savory coconut fans. Coconut and pecans pair beautifully in this spectacular cake frosted with a dreamy cream cheese frosting. It’s such an amazing cake, it’s guaranteed to turn any occasion into something special. I always like to include a few tips to ensure your cake making success:

  • Kitchen tools you’ll need to make Italian Cream Cake: An electric mixer, either a stand mixer or a hand mixer whatever you have on hand. Large mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons and a whisk to sift together the dry ingredients, plus a large silicone spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing. A sheet pan and chopping tool to prep the nuts for roasting.
  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Italian Cream Cake: All purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, salted butter, baking powder, baking soda, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, sweetened flaked coconuts and pecans. Softened cream cheese and powdered sugar along with vanilla and almond for the frosting.
  • If you only have unsalted butter on hand, add 1/2 tsp salt to the dry ingredients and proceed with the recipe.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 for this cake recipe.
  • Store  this cake in an airtight container chilled for up to one week, if it lasts that long.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Thaw frozen cake layers in the refrigerator and frost before serving.
Italian Cream Cake

More Southern Style Cake Recipes to Add to Make

Cakes just spell celebration no matter when they’re served. In my opinion, life is much too short to skip dessert or only have cake once a year on your birthday. Baking can be therapeutic, and sweets tend to bring happiness to those around you. Other cakes you may like to try:

coconut-cake-recipe

Thanks for visiting come back soon!

Disclosure ~ If  a purchase is made using one of the affiliate links on this website we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Helpful Kitchen Items:

Italian Cream Cake

Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Cooling Time (Layers)2 hours
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Italian-cream-cake
Servings: 12 pieces
Calories: 1216kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

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 pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp pure 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
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 lb powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
  • reserved coconut toasted
  • 1/2 cup reserved toasted pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 3 [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, pure vanilla and almond extracts. 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 dry ingredients 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 mix in 1/2 of the 14 ounce package of flaked coconut and 1 cup of toasted pecans until evenly distributed in the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean. Cool completely in the pans on a cooling 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. 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.

Notes

a) To toast the pecans: Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F oven for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely before adding to the batter.
b) “How to” for toasting the coconut here
c) Alternative frosting technique: Mix the 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!

 

550 Comments

  1. I can’t bake 3 layers at a time…any suggestion? If I use half of the recipe then can you please tell me what should be the pan size and baking time according to that?

    1. In that case make two layers and monitor for doneness as the batter will take a bit longer to bake.

  2. Hi Melissa, I made this cake yesterday for my best friends birthday and she loved it, she said it was the best cake she has ever had. So I just want to thank you very very for this recipe.

  3. Hi tred this making this cake, the flavor was good but it sank it the middle I checked on the cake and it was still not quite set in the middle so I left it in for another 5 minutes and then when I checked it the middle had sunk quite a bit and I’m not sure why since five minutes earlier the cake was rising fine. I live in denver and wasn’t sure if my altitude could cause this. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

    1. Hi Kati, it’s quite possible the altitude was the factor. Sorry that happened. You may have to adjust to accommodate.

  4. I made this cake for my sister’s birthday. It turned out great and we all loved it! I made it in 3 9 inch pans as suggested in the recipe and it was really nice but I may try it in 3 8 inch pans just because I like the layers a little thicker. I would definitely line the pans with wax or parchment paper. The frosting is perfect! Try this cake, you will be happy you did.

  5. This cake is absolutely delicious! I do have to ask, are we to use 8 inch or 9 inch pans? I used 9 inch per directions but there was only enough batter for 2 pans. I’ll try 8 inch next time. Thank you for the recipe!

    1. Hi Laura, so happy you enjoyed this cake it’s a family favorite! You can make the layers any size you like it’s completely up to you. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!

  6. I made this cake last Friday for my mother-in-law’s 78th birthday. This was the first cake I ever made so I followed your instructions very closely and got my wife to help with the frosting and decorating part. I had to double the recipe and made a rectangular one as it was a fairly big party. I was a bit worried about how it would taste until they cut the cake and the compliments started pouring it. Boy did that cake finish fast. Thanks for your recipe!!

    1. How wonderful, thank you for using this recipe for such a special occasion I’m delighted your guests loved it.

  7. Hi Melissa!!
    I made this gorgeous cake for a birthday celebration at work tomorrow! Can’t wait to try it! As I read the frosting directions, I noticed you listed almond extract – but did not say to add it to the mix? I’m guessing that it should be , just checking! Thanks!

    1. Hi Bette, it sure wasn’t clear when to add it was it? Yes, add it to the creamed mixture with the vanilla. I really love this cake hope your co-workers do too. Thanks!

  8. First, this cake is absolutely delicious! However I ran into a big issue of the cake sticking to the pans. I tried both methods of prepping the pans that were suggested in the instructions and unfortunately both didn’t work. The only thing that did work was spraying the pan with cooking spray, laying cut out circles of parchment on the bottom and flouring those. I believe my cakes stuck so bad because this is such an oily cake. I couldn’t trim the layers to make them even because the butter content made the cake so gummy, Still, great texture for eating, just makes it hard to deal with before eating.

    1. Ah sorry you had an issue with the cake sticking. This cake is dense and rich however that said, I haven’t had the same problem nor would I ever describe the texture as “gummy.” Preparing the pans is essential as well as starting with quality products and baking it properly.

      1. I made this cake for my bridge group. It was the best ever. My husband loved it too
        and was sorry that most of it was gone before he had a second piece.
        I have looked for a good recipe for an Italian cream cake for a very long
        time. This is the best.
        Thanks!
        Josie

      2. Josie that makes me happy, I love this cake as well. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!

  9. Thanks Melissa for sharing this beauty with us. My plans are to share the cake at a Christmas gathering in Portland,Oregon tomorrow–it’s sure to be a hit!

    1. Hi Patti, I haven’t made this in a 9 x 13-inch pan but most all cakes will adapt and I’m sure this one is no exception. Just keep a watch on the baking time which will, of course be longer in one single pan. If you try it come back and let me know how it went. I hope you enjoy this spectacular cake!

  10. Hi!!!! I al from Costa Rica!
    I made the cake for a birthday celebration!
    But what a surprise, I took the cakes to the oven and when They were ready They fell down a little bit from the center, in the middle!
    What happened? Thank you for the answer!!!
    Blessings!

    1. Thank you so much for visiting from Costa Rica! Did you check the center for doneness before removing it from the oven? This cake is very dense and it’s important to make sure it’s cooked through before removing from the oven. Otherwise, if the ingredients aren’t evenly distributed it can also cause it to fall in the center. I’m guessing it may have needed a few more minutes to bake.

  11. Hi Melissa! I just wanted to let you know that I baked this cake for Decoration at our church on Sunday–since you’re from the South, I’ll assume you know what “Decoration” is 🙂 The cake was FANTASTIC and completely worth the effort. I went back to church last night and the women were still raving about it. Definitely a keeper!

    1. Hi Sarah, I sure do! I’m delighted you all enjoyed this cake, I worked on it for quite some time before publishing it. I concur it’s well worth the effort for a special occasion. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!

      1. What I meant was, what did Sarah mean on her post, when she said she baked this cake for Decoration? A southern saying of some sort?

  12. This cake was SOOOOO good. I got nothing but raves from the family and in-laws. I took a piece to work for a couple friends and I was embarrassed by to unending praise for this cake. This cake is definitely on my favorites list . . . for those nut and coconut lovers.

    1. I’m happy you enjoyed this cake, I worked on it for quite a while before perfecting it. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.

  13. I just made this cake by your recipe. It is fabulous. The cakes came out of the pans easily and baked up pretty. The icing is very good and of course the smell of the toasted coconut and pecans filled the air with a “come hither invitation.” Family enjoyed this cake.

  14. Hi Charla, I’m sorry you missed this it is in fact in the directions.

    “Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. After all has been added, increase the mixer speed and beat until fully combined.”

  15. Might want to add in the directions where to add the buttermilk.

    In oven now. …. Hope it turns out as beautiful as yours!

    Charla Fisher

  16. I made this cake for my mom’s birthday. I used walnuts since that’s what I had. I have to say: AMAZING…everybody loved it! The almond extract makes the biggest difference. Great recipe, thank you for sharing!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating