Italian Cream Cake
This Italian Cream Cake is a showstopping Southern classic layered with toasted coconut, crunchy pecans, and a dreamy cream cheese frosting that melts in your mouth.
The Southern Showstopper You Have Been Waiting to Bake
If there is one cake that earns genuine gasps when it arrives at the table, it is Italian Cream Cake. Despite its name, this is a deeply beloved Southern American classic with roots planted firmly in church potlucks, family reunions, and holiday dessert spreads across the South. Three featherlight layers packed with toasted coconut and buttery pecans, all wrapped in a thick, tangy cream cheese frosting. It is the kind of cake that people remember.
This version stays true to the traditional recipe while giving you clear, reliable steps to nail it on the first try. Whether you are baking it for a birthday, a holiday gathering, or just because a Tuesday deserves something extraordinary, this is the cake for the occasion.
Why This Recipe Works
The secret to Italian Cream Cake's impossibly tender crumb comes down to a few key techniques. First, the combination of butter and shortening gives you the rich flavor of butter alongside the soft, stable texture that shortening provides. Second, beating the egg whites separately and folding them into the batter at the end introduces air that keeps the layers light rather than heavy and dense.
Toasting the coconut and pecans before they go into the batter is a step that is easy to skip and always worth doing. Toasting deepens the nuttiness and adds a warmth to every bite that raw coconut and pecans simply cannot replicate.
Chef's Tip: Make sure your cream cheese, butter, buttermilk, and eggs are all at room temperature before you start. Cold dairy ingredients can cause the batter to curdle and the frosting to turn lumpy. Set everything out at least an hour ahead.
The Tools and Ingredients That Make a Difference
For a layered cake like this one, having the right equipment really does matter. A reliable stand mixer takes the hard work out of beating egg whites to stiff peaks and getting that frosting perfectly smooth. Good quality full-fat cream cheese and real vanilla extract will elevate the flavor in ways that shortcuts simply cannot match.
Tools & Ingredients We Recommend
Building the Perfect Layers
One of the things that sets a great Italian Cream Cake apart from an average one is even layers. Divide your batter as evenly as possible between the three pans, and if you want to be precise, weigh them on a kitchen scale. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, but check a few minutes early since ovens vary.
Let the layers cool completely before frosting. Even slightly warm cake will melt your cream cheese frosting and turn the whole project into a sliding mess. Patience here pays off in a beautiful finished cake.
Assembling Like a Pro
Spread a generous, even layer of frosting between each cake round. Do not rush this part. A small offset spatula gives you much more control than a dinner knife. For the outside of the cake, press the toasted coconut gently into the frosting all the way around, and arrange whole pecan halves on top for a finish that looks like it came from a bakery.
Chef's Tip: Refrigerate the finished cake for at least an hour before slicing. This firms everything up and makes for cleaner, more beautiful cuts.
Ready to bake this incredible cake? Here is everything you need:
Italian Cream Cake
This Italian Cream Cake is a showstopping Southern classic layered with toasted coconut, crunchy pecans, and a dreamy cream cheese frosting that melts in your mouth.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cups vegetable shortening
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, separated, room temperature
- 1 cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted lightly for extra flavor
- 1 cups pecans, finely chopped and toasted
- 16 oz cream cheese, full-fat, softened
- 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened, for frosting
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, for frosting
- 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, for garnish, toasted
- 1/2 cups pecan halves, for garnish
Instruction
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and shortening together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating for another 3 minutes until pale and creamy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Reduce the mixer to low and alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined, do not overmix.
Fold in the toasted coconut and chopped pecans gently with a spatula.
In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter in two additions until just incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until the frosting is thick and spreadable.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread a generous layer of cream cheese frosting over the top. Repeat with the second and third layers.
Frost the sides and top of the assembled cake. Press toasted coconut onto the outside of the cake and decorate the top with pecan halves. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Equipment
- Three 9-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Large mixing bowls
- Medium mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Wire cooling rack
- Offset spatula or bench scraper
- Cake stand or serving plate
Notes
Serving and Storing Your Italian Cream Cake
Serve this cake at a slight chill straight from the refrigerator, or let slices rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes for the frosting to soften to that perfect creamy texture. It pairs wonderfully with a cup of strong coffee or a glass of sweet tea.
Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, though in most households this cake rarely lasts that long. If you want to freeze it, wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
This is the kind of recipe you will make once and then write down to pass along. Enjoy every single slice.
