My Italian cream cake, with its moist crumb and fluffy texture, is loaded with pecans and coconut, then finished with a decadent cream cheese frosting to create a layer cake your whole family will love!
You don’t have to wait for a special occasion to make my Italian Cream Cake. If you’re looking for a delicious homemade cake to treat your friends and family, look no further.
This is a dessert that’s guaranteed to bring smiles to your table.
Although this Italian cream cake isn’t a dessert you’ll find in Italy, it does have the decadent rich flavor you come to expect from Italian desserts. Made with tangy buttermilk, flaked coconut, pecans, and cream cheese frosting, it’s the perfect dessert for a casual gathering or a fancy dinner party.
If you love luscious Southern layer cakes, make sure to check out my classic hummingbird cake and coconut cake recipes.
Ingredients to make Italian Cream Cake
Letโs start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my homemade Italian Cream Cake recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
*For the best results, the butter, eggs, buttermilk, and cream cheese should be at room temperature.
How to make an Italian Cream Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour three 9โ round cake pans. Place a parchment paper circle in the bottom of the pan and grease and flour it. Set aside until needed.
- Add the all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or electric mixer and large mixing bowl) and mix the dry ingredients to combine.
- Add the unsalted butter, two pieces at a time to the flour mixture, mixing until completely combined.
- Repeat the process until all butter has been added. The mixture will have a sandy consistency.
*Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl between each addition. - Add the buttermilk, large eggs, and vanilla extract to a large bowl.
*Some recipes use almond extract instead of vanilla extract. - Whisk to combine.
- Set your mixer to low speed and slowly drizzle the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until completely incorporated.
- Mix to combine
*Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula a few times during the process. - Add the coconut and chopped pecans to the cake batter.
- Mix gently by hand until completely combined.
- Divide the cake batter between the prepared pans.
- Place the cake pans on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
*Place all three cake pans on the same oven rack. If your oven does not heat evenly, rotate the pans halfway through the baking process. - Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack in their pans for 10-15 minutes.
*After they have cooled run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Then invert each layer onto the wire rack to finish cooling. The cakes must be completely cooled before icing.
- Add the softened butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl and electric mixer).
- Whip the mixture on low speed until creamy and well combined.
- Add vanilla extract and salt to the bowl.
- Whip to combine.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar.
- Mix on medium speed until fully combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. The cream cheese icing should be smooth and creamy.
- Mix the finely chopped pecans and toasted coconut in a small bowl and set aside until needed.
- Place one cake layer on a cake plate and spread a thick, even layer of frosting over the top of the cake.
*Repeat the process with the next two cake layers. - Smooth a thin layer of frosting (crumb coat) evenly around the entire cake, then place the cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
*The crumb coat catches the crumbs, holding them in place so the final layer of frosting is clean and smooth. - Remove the cake from the refrigerator and spread a smooth, even layer of frosting over the entire cake.
- Add the remaining frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a decorating tip and pipe a decorative edge on top of the cake.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with the pecan coconut mixture and press the mixture a third of the way up the sides of the cake.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving to help the cake fully set.
*Serve the cake at room temperature.
Enjoy a slice of my Italian cream cake after dinner with a cup of coffee or as an afternoon snack with a cold glass of milk. It’s going to be love at first bite!
Store the cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container or well-covered with plastic wrap for 4-5 days.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can. Add an additional 2 tablespoons per cup of all purpose flour used to make the recipe. For this recipe that would mean adding an additional 5 tablespoons and one teaspoon of cake flour.
No, it isn’t, although the origin of the Italian cream cake is attributed to an Italian baker. This luscious layer cake is actually (and not surprisingly) a Southern creation. It’s basically a simple yellow cake, loaded with coconut and pecans, topped with a cream cheese frosting.
Yes, it does. Because of the cream cheese frosting, it must be refrigerated when not being served. It can sit at room temperature for about 2 hours, so you can let it warm up a little before serving.
Peggy
Does this cake really all that sugar would like to make it,but the sugar is to much tks
Chef Dennis Littley
The amount of sugar is correct for this type of cake.
Tina
My whole family loved this Italian cake! Will make it again soon!
Katie
This Italian Cream Cake was so delicious! My family loved it and I’m Looking forward to making it again!
Elizabeth
This dessert is amazing! My family loved it. ๐
Tiffany
This cake was as beautiful as it was delicious! Thank you
Bernice
What a dream cake! It has such a lovely flavour, not too sweet, and incredible light texture. Everyone had a slice at our baby shower last weekend!
Nicole
This cake was delicious and decadent! I especially loved the pecans and coconut!
Virgie Vines
I made this cake for a family party and everyone loved it!
Richard
Is there a metric version of this recipe ?
I really prefer metric for baking.
Thank you
Chef Dennis Littley
Their is a toggle in the recipe card that will change the ingredients to metric. It is just a guide and occasionally can be off.
Richard Mann Jr
Hi chef, I think the toggle is missing.
I am familiar with content layout. It’s very popular.
I just don’t see, sorry.
I do understand your caution, it’s probably just a calculator programmed with someone else’s equivalents.
Thank you, Richard
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for letting me the toggle is no longer there, I had no idea. It’s been awhile since I looked and it must have been removed during an update.