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This Italian cream cake is made up of 3 layers of wonderfully moist cake loaded with toasted pecans and coconut. The layers are filled and frosted with a light whipped cream frosting and topped off with pecan bits and more coconut. So good!
After getting lots requests for a recipe for Italian Cream Cake and testing many, I finally arrived at my own version. I started with my Moist Vanilla Cake and went from there.
The backbone of this dessert is a light, fluffy, wonderfully moist cake infused with toasted pecans and coconut. The cake is complemented by a velvety whipped cream cheese frosting that’s super light and perfectly sweet. The whole thing comes together beautifully in an elegant dessert topped with swirls of frosting and covered in pecans and coconut
Why You’ll Love This Italian Cream Cake
- It’s beautiful. Layer cakes tend to be showstoppers. This one in particular really catches my eye every time. There is something about the subtle, light colors, the cloud-like puffs of frosting, and the beautiful outside of toasted pecans and coconut that screams elegance.
- Texture. I love the way the light, fluffy cake layers interact with the smooth whipped cream cheese frosting, the crunch of the pecans, and the chewy texture of the shredded coconut. This cake delivers a beautiful adventure in every bite.
- Light and balanced. Don’t get me wrong, rich decadent cakes have their place too. But sometimes they can be a bit much. This Italian cream cake is light, airy, and graced with a delicate sweetness that is perfect for spring.
What Is Italian Cream Cake?
The origin of Italian cream cake doesn’t really seem to be known. And despite its name, it’s not exactly Italian in origin. It’s really more of a southern cake defined by the addition of coconut and pecans and cream cheese frosting.
What You’ll Need
I love how baking can take a hoopla of simple ingredients, mix them together, and turn them into something truly spectacular. Here’s a list of what you will need to make this supremely tasty Italian cream cake. Scroll to the recipe below for measurements.
Cake Layers
- Eggs – 5 of them! Eggs and yolks separated. Both play an important role in this cake. The yolks give body and bind the cake ingredients while the egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks and folded in gently, adding volume, moisture and texture. It is important to allow the eggs to come to room temperature once separated.
- All-purpose flour – Feel free to use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour instead.
- Baking soda – For the ideal rise and texture.
- Salt – Necessary for a cake that isn’t bland.
- Unsalted butter – Start with room temperature butter. It will blend and hold volume better than cold or melted butter.
- Shortening – I like using shortening here because the flavor really compliments the coconut and pecans. Butter will do just fine, however.
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract – Optional, but I really love the extra hint of flavor.
- Buttermilk – I use powdered buttermilk to avoid buying a whole carton and letting the rest go to waste. The buttermilk adds a nice flavor and fluffiness to the cake and reacts well with the baking soda so I suggest against making substitutions.
- Sweetened shredded coconut
- Chopped pecans – Make sure to toast them. It really adds to the flavor of the cake. Here’s how to toast pecans.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese – Start with room-temperature cream cheese. It will incorporate more smoothly with the other ingredients, saving you from a clumpy frosting.
- Heavy whipping cream – The heavy whipping cream should be cold otherwise it will not whip up properly.
- Powdered sugar – For a touch of sweetness.
- Vanilla extract – For flavor.
Additional
- Sweetened shredded coconut – Toasted. I usually toast it in the oven.
- Finely Chopped Pecans
How to Make Italian Cream Cake
Pay close attention to detail here. Baking is a science and there really is a method to my madness. Here is an overview of how to do it. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe below for more details.
Make the Cake Layers
- Separate the eggs. Divide the egg yolks from the whites. You will need both.
- Prep. Line the bottom of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides thoroughly. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream the butter. Beat the butter, shortening, sugar, and extracts until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time. Mixing after each addition until combined.
- Add dry ingredients and buttermilk. Beginning with the dry ingredients, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/3 of the buttermilk, alternating until all the dry ingredients and all the buttermilk have been used.
- Whip the egg whites. Use high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Finish the cake batter. Fold the egg whites into the batter along with coconut and toasted pecans.
- Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Cool. Allow the cakes to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese. Make sure it is at room temperature, then beat until smooth.
- Make the whipped cream. Whip the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Finish the frosting. 1/3 at a time, gently fold the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese.
Assemble the Cake
- Flatten the cakes. Use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes.
- Layer. Place the first cake layer on a serving plate and spread frosting over the top. Place the second cake on top of the first and frost the top. Repeat this with the third cake.
- Chill. Place the cake in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- Frost the outside of the cake. Check out my post on how to frost a smooth cake.
- Decorate. Press the toasted coconut into the sides of the cake, pipe the remaining frosting in shells around the top edge of the cake, and sprinkle with pecan crumbles.
- Chill. Pop the cake in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve.
Tips for Success
- Cream thoroughly. When combining the butter, shortening, sugar, and extracts, beat them on high speed for a full 3-4 minutes. The high speed and extended period of time will incorporate as much air as possible into the mixture, ultimately producing a lighter, fluffier cake.
- Measure carefully. Especially when it comes to flour, it is important to get your measurements right. Too much flour will lead to an overly dense cake and too little will produce a loose, sloppy cake. I recommend spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling it or using a food scale.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, over mixing will cause the gluten in the flour to develop too much. This will result in a dense, dry cake. So only mix until your ingredients are incorporated. No more.
- Start with room-temperature cream cheese. Cold cream cheese won’t incorporate well with the other ingredients ending you with a lumpy frosting. So have a little patience and let your cream cheese come to room temperature before making the frosting.
- Use stand mixer, if possible. This is mainly the case for the frosting. I find that hand mixers don’t whip the whipped cream to quite as stiff of a peak, so your frosting may be a touch less thick if you use a hand mixer.
How to Store Italian Cream Cake
- Store in the fridge: This cake must be stored in the refrigerator. Close the cake in an airtight cake carrier and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you do not have a cake carrier, you can wrap the cake in a double layer of saran wrap using toothpicks to prop the plastic away from the cake decorations.
Note that this cake is best served at room temperature. So let it sit out for a couple of hours before digging in.
Can I Freeze It?
Yes and no. I do not recommend freezing the completed, decorated cake but you are more than welcome to freeze the cake layers and assemble the cake at a later date. Wrap the cooled cake layers in clear wrap and foil, or even place them in Ziplock bags or an airtight, freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to assemble, allow the layers to thaw in the refrigerator before carrying on with stacking, frosting, and decorating.
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Recipe
Italian Cream Cake
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 12-14 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This Italian Cream Cake has three layers of moist cake filled with shredded coconut and toasted pecans! It’s filled and frosted with a whipped cream cheese frosting for a lovely light and classic cake!
Ingredients
Cake Layers
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour (measured accurately)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (95g) shortening*
- 2 cups (414g) sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract, optional
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk*
- 1 1/4 cups (91g) sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup (106g) chopped pecans, toasted
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 20 oz (565g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 1/2 cups (173g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Additional
- 2 cups (148g) sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
- Pecan crumbs
Instructions
For the cake
- Divide the egg yolks and whites while the eggs are cold, then set them aside to come to room temperature. The egg whites need to be at room temperature when whipped later.
- Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Be sure to grease the corners and sides of the pan very well, as I find this cake tends to stick a bit. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Add the butter, shortening, sugar and extracts to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add a third of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined. The batter will be thick.
- Slowly add about half of the buttermilk and mix until well combined. The batter will look a little curdled, but that’s ok.
- Add another third of the dry ingredients and mix until mostly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Slowly add the other half of the buttermilk and mix until well combined.
- Add the remaining third of the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix. Set aside.
- Add the egg whites to a mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Do not over whip the egg whites.
- Add about a third of the egg whites to the cake batter, along with the coconut and toasted pecans, and gently fold into the cake batter until mostly combined, then add the remaining egg whites. Gently fold together until well incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 3-4 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
For the frosting
- To make the whipped cream cheese frosting, add the cream cheese to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth. Set aside.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to another large mixing bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Add about 1/3 of the whipped cream to the cream cheese and gently fold together to combine so that you don’t deflate the whipped cream. When mostly combined, add another third of the whipped cream and gently fold together, then add the final third and gently fold together until completely combined.
To assemble
- To put the cake together, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes so that they’re flat. These cakes don’t have a large dome, but I like to make sure they’re completely flat.
- Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or a cardboard cake circle.
- Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake.
- Add the second layer of cake and another cup of frosting.
- Top the cake with the remaining layer and smooth out any frosting that might be poking out on the sides of the cake. Pop it in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes.
- Frost the outside of the cake. Refer to my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake, if needed.
- Press the toasted coconut into the sides of the cake.
- Use the remaining frosting to pipe shells around the top edge of the cake, the sprinkle with some remaining pecan crumbs from when you chopped up the pecans for the cake.
- Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. I like to let cakes sit out for about an hour or two before serving.
- Cake is best when stored well covered and eaten within about 3-4 days.
Notes
NOTE: Shortening is traditionally used in an Italian Cream Cake and I find the flavor better compliments the coconut and pecans. That said, the cake will work perfectly fine with all butter, if you prefer.
I use powdered buttermilk.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 781
- Sugar: 43.9 g
- Sodium: 318.4 mg
- Fat: 56.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 62 g
- Protein: 9.8 g
- Cholesterol: 165.1 mg
Will the frosting hold up for a few days in the refrigerator? I plan on baking the cake a week ahead, freezing it then frosting it a couple days ahead of the event.
Yes, it should be fine.
Uhhhmazing!!! A co-worker shared a pic of an “Italian Cream Cake” and asked if I’d make it. I researched a few recipes and chose this one (thankfully). It’s stupendous! Made it for a Birthday celebration at the office and it garnered RAVE reviews. People took huge pieces and it was gone in a flash. They have already asked me to make it again. I had 8oz of mascarpone on hand so I used that with the cream cheese for the frosting. I will use this frosting on other cakes, it’s lighter and more subtle than a traditional cc frosting . Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
Awesome! I’m so glad it was hit!
I was using a hand mixer.. I have a stand but just didn’t really think to use it!
This is the 5th time I have made your cake. My family loves it and they all are picky eater. Great score thank you so much
So glad to hear that!
Just made this cake this week for our 10 year anniversary as it’s a cake my husband used to LOVE to order at a BBQ place back in Alabama. It was a hit! I did really enjoy the use of the whipped cream cheese frosting as I feel it allowed you to better enjoy the taste of the cake and not be so overpowered by sweet sweet sweet traditional cream cheese frosting. I did have some issues with my whipped icing being a little too soft; it still worked but it wasn’t thick enough for me to do any actual decorations on top as it wouldn’t hold. Not sure if I just didn’t whip it long enough; Although it looked good in the bowl and was holding pretty strong peaks! Anyways thank you for the recipe; I have loved everything that I’ve baked from your site! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Not sure why the frosting wasn’t thicker. Curious – were you using a hand mixer or stand mixer?
Good Morning I want to make this cake it looks Delicious so my questions is I have 8 ‘3 deep pans can I make this cake in 2 of these pans. Should I double the recipe; which makes my cake high something I love.
I have enjoyed all you recipes as I have tried several, and can you share a link so I could purchase your cookbook.
Thanks Princess
So it sounds like you’re trying to bake this cake in 8 inch pans that are 3 inches deep, correct? You can certainly do that and make however many layers you like, but keep in mind that if you make layers that are actually 3 inches tall they will turn out quite dense and have to bake for a good bit longer.
So all of my cake pans are 3 inches deep and yes I love tall cakes. I will bake this cake in my normal 8 inch pans to get a feel for the cake. Most times I had extra buttermilk or sour cream to my cake batter and they come out fine.
I will let you know how my cake turns out and tag you in my post on IG.
Thanks for the response.
Would this recipe work as a cupcake as well? Would there be any changes other than reducing the baking time?
I really haven’t tried it as cupcakes so I’m not sure. Yes, I would just reduce the baking time if you were going to try it.
I just made this cake and was trying to make the frosting but it turned into soup. I’ve been beating it on high for 10 minutes and it seems to get thinner, not thick and fluffy.
If it’s quite warm where you are, it could be that your cream cheese is a little warm and thin. Try popping it in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes and seeing if that helps. You could try re-whipping a little bit then.
I am having the same problem. I put the “frosting” in the frig for 40 minutes….still not stiff. Can I add something etc?
You could try adding some additional powdered sugar.
Where do I find powdered buttermilk?
Can i make this in 6″ pans?
I linked to the powdered buttermilk in the notes, but you might also be able to find it in the grocery store near the canned milk.
I imagine you could make it in 6 inch pans, but I haven’t tried it to be able to advise you.
Hey Lindsay I just bought your book. I am looking forward to baking some of the recipes Colleen
Thank you so much for supporting my cookbook! I hope you enjoy it!
I plan to make this cake soon. Can I use regular (liquid) buttermilk? Or is powdered buttermilk required for this recipe?
You can certainly use regular buttermilk.
Why do you add shortening to the cake batter instead of all butter. The same question is for most of your frosting. Martha, Cooks Illustrated, and other famous people on the food channel always use butter? Why do you split butter and shortening instead of all butter cake and frosting?
I don’t typically use shortening in cakes, but it is traditional in this particular cake and I felt like it helped the flavor in this one instance. As I wrote in the post itself though, you can certainly swap it out for all better. I can’t think of another cake on my site where I use shortening in the cake. Same for any frosting- its an even swap to use all better. You can read about why I tend to use shortening in my frostings here. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/vanilla-buttercream-icing/
Just printed this recipe. Cant wait to get right down to baking. Thanks!!!
This is also called Italian Wedding Cake, same ingredients, just a few differences in the way it’s made.
When you use powdered buttermilk do you reconstitute it? Mix it with water to make a cup? This looks fabulous!!! Thank you!
So I would definitely check on the label of the particular powdered buttermilk that you use. But for the one I use, you add the powder in with the dry ingredients and then add water when you would normally add the milk.
This cake sounds very good! This is the first time I’ve ever heard about Italian Cream Cake, and now I’m thinking I should’ve discovered it sooner 🙂 I especially love the whipped cream cheese frosting; I love whipped buttercream, and I think whipped cream cheese frosting must be even better! Also, I love coconut, so this cake is pretty appealing to my tastes!
Awesome! It was definitely new to me too and quite tasty! I hope you give it a try!
Thank you for this beautiful recipe with the weight of the ingredients in grams!! I cant wait to bake this! Also, I’m just going to pretend I didnt see those nutrition facts lol.
-kitchen nerd
This recipe looks amazing! You list buttermilk as one of your ingredients, 1 cup (240ml) and at the bottom of the recipe *you note that you use powdered buttermilk. Could you explain that process? Do you add water to the powder and then add that as a liquid to the recipe? Thank you:-)
So I would definitely check on the label of the particular powdered buttermilk that you use. But for the one I use, you add the powder in with the dry ingredients and then add water when you would normally add the milk.
This looks delicious cant wait to try it
This is a delicious, moist cake.
The only thing I would change is the directions for the cream cheese whip cream frosting.
To achieve a better consistency, especially for piping.
Beat the cream cheese, confectionary sugar and vanilla till smooth.
In a separate chilled bowl beat the 2 cups of heavy cream till stiff peaks.
Fold in the whip cream into the cream cheese mixture.
Now proceed to frost as desired
Yes, I actually just changed the instructions to this kind of method. I’ve certainly used this method plenty before but thought the other way might be a little simpler. Since people do seem to be having trouble with it, I have changed it. Glad to hear you enjoyed the cake!
so which is the correct way ? the recipe is different than the instructions on the How to make itaina cream cake… I followee the recipe and added the sugar to the whipped cream . but in reading your how to says add sugar to cream cheese. Which one is it. NOt sure my icing will stand up?
Honestly, there’s not really a wrong way. It’s just about the ideal order to make sure there aren’t lumps from the cream cheese in the whipped cream. Honestly, I’ve never had that issue happen and it shouldn’t happen if the cream cheese room temperature and not too firm. But, for those that have this issue, beating the whipped cream separately seems to help. My preference when doing it separately is to beat the cream cheese separately and then the whipped cream (which would have the powdered sugar in it) and then fold them together. But it’s not going to hurt anything to add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese and then whip the cream. As long as your whipped cream is whipped to stiff peaks before folding it into the cream cheese and you don’t deflate it when folding it into the cream cheese, it should be plenty stiff. I did update the post though so that it isn’t confusing. Thanks for pointing that out!