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My aunt’s Italian cream cake was the only dish at our family reunion that people lined up for before the meal. She made it the night before and would not let anybody near her kitchen while she did, and the next day she carried it in on a glass cake stand like it was something breakable. Three tall layers, white as a tablecloth, and a slice so heavy it bent the paper plate. My uncle always took his slice first and claimed the middle piece, because the middle piece has the most frosting.
The cake is a rich buttermilk batter with two things folded through it that make it what it is: shredded coconut and pecans toasted in a dry skillet until the whole house smells of them. The question people ask about this cake is why the egg whites are beaten separately and go in last. The answer is weight. Coconut and nuts make a heavy batter, and a heavy batter bakes into a dense, tight cake. Whipped egg whites folded in at the very end carry air into the batter, so the layers rise tall and stay light and tender even with all that coconut and pecan in them. Fold them in last, gently, and stop as soon as the white streaks disappear.
Why this Italian cream cake works
- Egg whites folded in last. Beaten separately to soft peaks and folded in at the end, they lift a heavy coconut and pecan batter into light, tall layers.
- Butter and oil together. Butter gives the flavor, a little oil keeps the crumb moist for days.
- Buttermilk. It makes the crumb tender and balances the sweetness of the coconut and frosting.
- Toasted pecans. Toasting brings out the flavor and keeps the nuts crisp inside the soft cake and the frosting.
- A cream cheese frosting with nuts in it. It is thick enough to spread between three layers and down the sides without sliding.
Ingredients
Makes one three-layer 9 inch cake, about 16 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (120ml)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk (240ml), at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups sweetened shredded coconut (100g)
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped (110g)
For the cream cheese frosting
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened (340g)
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (170g)
- 6 cups powdered sugar (720g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine salt
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (110g), plus a handful of halves for the top
Toast all the pecans at once in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan, until they smell nutty and darken a shade. Spread them on a plate and let them cool completely before chopping. Warm nuts will melt the butter in the frosting.
How to make Italian cream cake
Make the layers
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease three 9 inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment and grease the parchment.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, oil and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the 5 egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, starting and ending with flour. Mix on low just until combined.
- Stir in the coconut and the finely chopped toasted pecans.
- In a clean, dry bowl, whip the 5 egg whites to soft peaks that just hold their shape. Stir a third of them into the batter to loosen it, then fold in the rest gently with a spatula until no white streaks remain.
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks, peel off the paper and cool completely.
Frost the cake
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, then the vanilla and salt, and beat until fluffy. Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Set one layer on a cake stand and spread with a thick layer of frosting. Repeat with the second layer, top with the third, and frost the top and sides. Press pecan halves on top. Chill 1 hour before slicing.
Tips that make the difference
- Have the eggs and buttermilk at room temperature. Cold buttermilk makes the butter seize and the batter curdle.
- Separate the eggs while they are cold, it is easier, then let them come to room temperature. The whites whip higher warm.
- Do not overwhip the whites. Stiff, dry whites break into lumps when you fold. Soft peaks fold in smoothly.
- Weigh the batter into the pans if you can, so the three layers bake evenly and stack straight.
Variations
- Without coconut. Leave out the coconut and use 1 1/2 cups (165g) of pecans in the batter for a pure pecan cake.
- Sheet cake. Bake the batter in a greased 9x13 inch pan for 40 to 45 minutes and frost the top with half the frosting.
- Two layers. Bake in two 9 inch pans for 30 to 35 minutes for a slightly shorter cake.
- Walnut. Toasted walnuts work in place of pecans and give a slightly sharper flavor.
Storage and make-ahead
Because of the cream cheese frosting, keep the cake in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days. Let slices sit out 20 minutes before serving so the frosting softens and the cake tastes buttery again.
The unfrosted layers can be baked a day ahead, cooled, wrapped tightly in plastic and kept at room temperature. Frost the next day.
Freeze unfrosted layers wrapped in plastic and foil for up to 2 months, or freeze frosted slices on a tray and then wrap them. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the egg whites beaten separately?
Coconut and pecans make a heavy batter. Whipped whites folded in last add air, so the layers rise tall and stay light. Without them the cake bakes dense.
Is there anything Italian in it?
Not really. It is a Southern American layer cake, and nobody quite agrees where the name came from. It is simply the name everybody knows it by.
Can I use unsweetened coconut?
Yes. The cake will be a little less sweet and slightly drier, so add 2 tablespoons more buttermilk.
My frosting is too soft to spread. What do I do?
Chill it for 20 to 30 minutes and beat it again briefly. Soft frosting usually means the butter or cream cheese was too warm.
Bake the layers the night before, frost it in the morning, and carry it in on a cake stand. Somebody will claim the middle slice before you set it down.
Italian Cream Cake with Coconut, Toasted Pecans and Cream Cheese Frosting
The Southern reunion Italian cream cake: three tall buttermilk layers with shredded coconut and toasted pecans, light from beaten egg whites folded in last, and a thick cream cheese pecan frosting. US cups with grams.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk (240ml), at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine salt
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (110g), plus a handful of halves for the top
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease three 9 inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment and grease the parchment.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, oil and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the 5 egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, starting and ending with flour. Mix on low just until combined.
- Stir in the coconut and the finely chopped toasted pecans.
- In a clean, dry bowl, whip the 5 egg whites to soft peaks that just hold their shape. Stir a third of them into the batter to loosen it, then fold in the rest gently with a spatula until no white streaks remain.
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks, peel off the paper and cool completely.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, then the vanilla and salt, and beat until fluffy. Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Set one layer on a cake stand and spread with a thick layer of frosting. Repeat with the second layer, top with the third, and frost the top and sides. Press pecan halves on top. Chill 1 hour before slicing.
