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–+ servings
An italian cream cake on a white cake plate covered in toasted coconut

Old Fashioned Italian Cream Cake

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 1 bite, I guarantee you’ll agree.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
cooling time & frosting time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 12 slices
Calories 915 kcal

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

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  2. Adjust the oven racks so the cakes will bake in the middle to lower part of the oven.
  3. 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

  1. 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.
  2. Separate the eggs, setting the whites aside for later use.
  3. Beat the egg yolks and vanilla extract into the butter mixture.

Dry Ingredients

  1. In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking soda.
  2. Mixing the Batter
  3. 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.
  4. Gently fold in 1 cup of shredded coconut and 1 cup of chopped pecans.

Whipping Egg Whites

  1. 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.
  2. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.

Bake

  1. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops.
  2. 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

  1. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.
  2. Carefully invert the cakes onto wire cooling racks to cool completely.

How to Make Frosting

  1. 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.
  2. 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

  1. Spread the frosting evenly between the cooled cake layers.Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the entire cake.
  2. Garnish the top and sides of the cake with toasted coconut and chopped pecans.

Notes

How to toast shredded coconut 
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  2. Spread shredded coconut in a thin layer on a baking sheet.
  3. Bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the coconut is lightly browned and fragrant.
  4. Remove from the oven and let it cool before using it to garnish the cake.
HOW TO STORE ITALIAN CREAM 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

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 915kcalCarbohydrates: 116gProtein: 9gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 27gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 150mgSodium: 386mgPotassium: 256mgFiber: 4gSugar: 96gVitamin A: 1.186IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 1mg
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