Italian Cream Cake is a rich and elegant dessert, renowned for its delightful blend of flavors and textures. This cake typically features three layers of moist, light, and fluffy cake, which are generously infused with a subtle hint of vanilla and a distinctive coconut-nut flavor. The nuts, usually pecans or walnuts, are finely chopped and blended into the batter, adding a delightful crunchiness to each bite.
The cake layers themselves are marvelously tender, achieved by using both butter and shortening in the batter, along with buttermilk, which imparts a slight tanginess and contributes to the cake’s moist texture. Eggs are separated, and the whites are beaten to stiff peaks before being folded into the batter, ensuring the cake’s airy lightness.
What truly sets the Italian Cream Cake apart is its frosting. It’s typically a rich cream cheese frosting, luxuriously smooth and slightly tangy, which perfectly complements the sweetness of the cake. The frosting is often enhanced with vanilla extract and sometimes a touch of butter, adding to its decadent flavor.
The assembly of the cake involves spreading a generous layer of frosting between each cake layer, creating a delightful contrast of textures between the soft cake and the creamy frosting. The exterior of the cake is also frosted with a smooth layer, enveloping the entire cake in a velvety blanket.
The final touch includes a garnish of more chopped nuts and sometimes toasted coconut flakes, which not only add to the visual appeal but also bring a pleasant textural contrast and reinforce the nutty flavor profile.
Serving this cake is a delightful experience. Each slice reveals the layered structure, with the cream cheese frosting creating a striking visual contrast against the light color of the cake. The Italian Cream Cake, with its balance of flavors and textures – the nuttiness, the creamy tang of the frosting, the moist crumb of the cake – makes it a beloved choice for special occasions and a testament to the richness of Italian-inspired baking.
What you will need
°5 large eggs (separated)
°1 teaspoon baking soda
°2 cups / 9 ounces
°All purpose flour)
°1 stick (4 ounces) butter (softened)
°1/2 cup shortening
°2 cups sugar (granulated)
°1 cup buttermilk
°1 1/2 t vanilla extract
°1 cup coconut (sweetened, flaked)
°1 cup pecans or walnuts (chopped, divided)
+Icing:
°1 package of 8 ounces
°cream cheese (soft)
°1 stick (4 oz) butter (soft)
°1 box (1 pound) icing sugar (about 3 3/4 cups unsifted)
°1 teaspoon vanilla
°1 to 2 tsp milk or cream (as need)
°Topping: 1/4 cup pecans or walnuts (chopped)
How to do
Heat oven to 350 F. Butter also flour three 8-inch cake pans.
Separate the five eggs, place the egg whites in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Beating egg whites to stiff peaks form; put apart.
Combine flour and baking soda in bowl; Mix well and set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat 1 stick butter and shorten until fluffy; stir in granulated sugar and cream with butter mixture until light and fluffy. Adding egg yolks & beat well.
Add the flour and soda mixture to the cream mixture alternately with the buttermilk. *
Stirring in 1 1/2 tsp vanilla.
Add 1 cup coconut and 1 cup chopped walnuts.
Incorporate the egg whites.
Pour into 3 prepared cake pans; bake in preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
icing
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Beat cream cheese with 1 stick of butter until smooth; beat in icing sugar. Adding vanilla & beat to smooth. If the frosting is very firm, beat in small amounts of cream or milk to obtain a good consistency.
Spread on cake canapes, then top with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup coconut, if desired. See below for toasting instructions.
*To alternate between dry ingredients and buttermilk, stir in one third of the flour, then half the buttermilk. Stir in another third of the flour and the rest of the buttermilk. Add the rest of the flour and mix well.
Enjoy !