This Old Fashioned Italian Cream Cake is three layers of pure perfection. Toasted coconut and pecan pieces add plenty of texture to the simply delicious cream cheese frosting. With its outstanding vanilla flavor, pillowy soft crumb, and creamy vanilla buttercream, this is truly the best Italian cake I’ve ever had. And after one bite, I guarantee you’ll agree.
Jump to:
- Why this Recipe Works
- What Makes It The Best Italian Cream Cake?
- Behind This Cake Recipe
- Ingredients for Italian Cream Cake
- Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
- Optional Garnishes
- How to make Italian Cream Cake
- How to Make Italian Cream Frosting
- Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipe
- Helpful Tools
- That's a Wrap!
- More Sweet Recipes
- Comments
Why this Recipe Works
This is a sweet and dense cake, perfect for a large gathering or party. My family liked it so much that we ended up making it twice within a month for birthdays!
The cream cheese frosting is fluffy and decadent without feeling overpowering. You will definitely want to save this Italian Cream Cake recipe for your next special occasion!
What Makes It The Best Italian Cream Cake?
Let’s count the ways!
- Soft, light crumb from cake flour
- Fluffy from whipped egg whites
- Buttery and cakey from creamed butter
- Stick-to-your-fork moist from eggs & lard
- Extra flavor from Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract
Not to mention its versatility: This cake batter is strong enough for shaped cakes, tiered cakes, and holds up beautifully under fondant. Use this batter for cupcakes, Bundt cake, or even a good ol' 9X13 no-fuss cake. It’s classy enough for Thanksgiving dinner, but unassuming enough for a casual get together.
Behind This Cake Recipe
After years of cake successes and flops, I’m confident in this homemade Italian cream cake. During my recipe testing, I combined what I knew from years of baking bundt cakes and layered peanut butter cakes. These are two reader favorites and I knew they’d be the best starting point!
The base of this recipe is the vanilla cake. Many bakers use a cake mix, and that's totally fine, but I wanted to try to adapt from my grandma's original version. Hers was a three layer cake with a fluffy texture and decadent cream cheese frosting.
Objective 1 -- make it even lighter. The easiest way I found to achieve this was to separate the eggs -- hence beating the egg whites. And I quickly learned sifting the flour mixture was NOT worth the effort, so I omitted that completely.
I also wasn't wild about my grandma's recipe for this cake, and so I swapped out the margarine for butter and lard so that it fit my baking style better. I first tried using just straight softened butter, but it wasn't until I added in the lard that I found the moist crumb I was shooting for.
Here's the end result: a perfect homemade Italian cream cake recipe!
Ingredients for Italian Cream Cake
- Unsalted butter
- Lard - or substitute shortening
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract - I love this DIY recipe!
- Cake flour - or substitute all-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Buttermilk
- Shredded coconut
- Finely chopped pecans
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
Optional Garnishes
- Shredded coconut
- Pecans pieces
How to make Italian Cream Cake
- Preheat and Prepare:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Adjust the oven racks so the cakes will bake in the middle to lower part of the oven.
- Grease and lightly flour three 9-inch round cake pans. For extra assurance, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of each pan and place it inside.
- Mixing the Batter:
- In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup of butter, ½ cup of shortening, and 2 cups of sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Separate 5 eggs, setting the whites aside for later use.
- Beat the egg yolks and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract into the butter mixture.
- Dry Ingredients:
- In a medium bowl, mix 2 ½ cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
- Mixing the Batter:
- Gradually add a small amount of the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture, alternating with 1 cup of buttermilk. Keep alternating and mixing until everything is combined.
- Gently fold in 1 cup of shredded coconut and 1 cup of chopped pecans.
- Whipping Egg Whites:
- In another clean bowl, beat the egg whites with clean beaters until stiff peaks form. This means the egg whites will stand up straight when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.
- Baking:
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops.
- Bake the cakes for 20-24 minutes on the middle to lower rack. To check if they're done, insert a toothpick into the center of each cake. If it comes out clean, the cakes are done.
- Cooling:
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.
- Carefully invert the cakes onto wire cooling racks to cool completely.
How to Make Italian Cream Frosting
Mixing the Frosting:
- Mixing the Frosting:
- In a stand mixer, beat 16 ounces of cream cheese and 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter on medium speed for about 5 minutes. The mixture should become smooth and fluffy.
- Gradually add 4 cups of powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Beat for another 5 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Frosting the Cake:
- Spread the frosting evenly between the cooled cake layers.
- Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the entire cake.
- Garnishing:
- Garnish the top and sides of the cake with toasted coconut and chopped pecans.
- Storing:
- Store the finished cake and any remaining frosting in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Tip: How to Toast Shredded Coconut
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Spread shredded coconut in a thin layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the coconut is lightly browned and fragrant.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool before using it to garnish the cake.
Storage
- Refrigerator - Place the cake in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out.
- Freezer -
- Whole Cake: If you want to store the cake for more than a week, you can freeze it. Wrap the entire cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, or place it in a freezer-safe airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Sliced Cake: For easier serving, slice the cake and wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap, then place the slices in a freezer-safe airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. This way, you can defrost individual slices as needed.
- To defrost a whole cake or individual slices, transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator. Allow the cake to thaw overnight. If you need to serve the cake sooner, let it sit at room temperature for about 1-2 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! To freeze the cake, bake the layers and let them cool completely. Wrap each layer in plastic wrap, then in foil. Store in the freezer for up to one month. When ready to assemble, defrost the layers and decorate with frosting and garnishes.
For leftover cake, wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap and foil. Store in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw slices for about four hours before serving.
Homemade cream cheese frosting, made with butter and cream cheese, should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It is safe to use for up to one month. For best results, use the frosting within 2-4 weeks. If the frosting develops an off-putting tangy flavor, it may be spoiled.
There are many ways to use leftover cream cheese frosting! Drizzle it over fresh sourdough crepes, or use it to ice sweet cream sugar cookies. It also pairs well with carrot cake cupcakes, birthday cakes with sprinkles, and can be made into chocolate cream cheese frosting with added cocoa powder. For a summery lemon cake, mix in a little lemon juice.
If the frosting thickens after refrigeration, stir in a little heavy cream and mix until it reaches the desired consistency.
Yes, but it's not ideal. To freeze, place 1-2 cups of frosting in a gallon freezer bag, flatten it, and remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to three months.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead
Recipe
Old Fashioned Italian Cream Cake
Equipment
- 3 cake pans 8-9 inches
- stand mixer
Ingredients
Ingredients for Italian Cream Cake
- ½ cup butter unsalted & room temperature
- ½ cup lard or substitute shortening
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 eggs room temperature, separated whites and yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour or substitute all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1-1 ½ cups coconut unsweetened & shredded
- 1 cup pecans finely chopped
Ingredients for Italian Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¾ cu butter unsalted & room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional Garnish
- 2 cups coconut shredded and toasted (see note)
- ½ cup pecans finely chopped
Instructions
Preheat and Prepare
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Adjust the oven racks so the cakes will bake in the middle to lower part of the oven.
- Grease and lightly flour three 9-inch round cake pans. For extra assurance, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of each pan and place it inside.
Wet Ingredients
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Separate the eggs, setting the whites aside for later use.
- Beat the egg yolks and vanilla extract into the butter mixture.
Dry Ingredients
- In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking soda.
- Mixing the Batter
- Gradually add a small amount of the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture, alternating with 1 cup of buttermilk. Keep alternating and mixing until everything is combined.
- Gently fold in 1 cup of shredded coconut and 1 cup of chopped pecans.
Whipping Egg Whites
- In another clean bowl, beat the egg whites with clean beaters until stiff peaks form. This means the egg whites will stand up straight when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.
Bake
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops.
- Bake the cakes for 20-24 minutes on the middle to lower rack. To check if they're done, insert a toothpick into the center of each cake. If it comes out clean, the cakes are done.
Cool
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.
- Carefully invert the cakes onto wire cooling racks to cool completely.
How to Make Frosting
- In a stand mixer, beat 16 ounces of room temperature cream cheese and 1 cup (2 sticks) of room temperature butter on medium speed for about 5 minutes. The mixture should become smooth and fluffy.
- Gradually add 4 cups of powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Beat for another 5 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Decorate the Cake
- Spread the frosting evenly between the cooled cake layers.Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the entire cake.
- Garnish the top and sides of the cake with toasted coconut and chopped pecans.
Notes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Spread shredded coconut in a thin layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the coconut is lightly browned and fragrant.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool before using it to garnish the cake.
- Refrigerator - Place the cake in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out.
- Freezer -
- Whole Cake: If you want to store the cake for more than a week, you can freeze it. Wrap the entire cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, or place it in a freezer-safe airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Sliced Cake: For easier serving, slice the cake and wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap, then place the slices in a freezer-safe airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. This way, you can defrost individual slices as needed.
- To defrost a whole cake or individual slices, transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator. Allow the cake to thaw overnight. If you need to serve the cake sooner, let it sit at room temperature for about 1-2 hours.
Nutrition
As an amazon associate, this post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Helpful Tools
That's a Wrap!
If you make this recipe, please leave a review and a star rating! And if you liked this Italian Cream Cake, you'll wanna try Banana Pudding Dessert next! It's been one of the top recipes on this site for nearly a year!
Jessica Robinson
I absolutely loved this cake! Most people may not know this, but adding shortening and butter to a cake gives it that amazing butter flavor, but the shortening makes it super light and fluffy!! That's so good!
Carrie
Oh---I am so excited to try this recipe for our Easter gathering!