This Italian cream cake with cream cheese frosting is a southern favorite. It's a personal favorite of mine too since it is so light and airy and generously filled with coconut and pecans. The cream cheese frosting takes it over the top!
About this Italian Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This cake is truly a perfect cake for a celebration, like a birthday, Easter, or Christmas. In terms of preparation, it is fairly easy to make, but this Italian cream cake with cream cheese frosting does require a few special preparation steps that are not typical for most cakes.
It has a total of 5 eggs, which is quite a bit for a cake this size. The instructions are clear, but add the egg yolks only to the creamed butter mixture. Later on, beat the egg whites to the stiff peak stage. This extra air from the beaten egg whites will make the cake lighter in texture while also increasing the volume.
I can assure you that the extra work is worth it in the end. This Italian cream cake is light and moist, but still full of decadence. The pecans and coconut take this already extraordinary cake over the top! The frosting is a classic cream cheese frosting that perfectly covers the cake. This cake has been a crowd favorite for many years, and I am truly excited to be sharing it! I have included additional photos below.
Recipe FAQs and tips to make a perfect cake
First, use room temperature eggs to get the best volume and use a large stainless steel or glass bowl. If you need to get eggs to room temperature quickly, place them in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes before cracking. Do not use the egg whites if there is any yolk present, even if it is just a small amount.
Yes! Instead of baking in 8 or 9-inch round cake pans, you may also bake the batter in a standard jelly roll pan or half sheet cake pan (13x18 inches). Note that the cake will bake much faster than the times listed in the recipe.
The plain cake layers may be baked in advance and frozen. I do not recommend freezing once frosted with the cream cheese frosting.
I do! here are a few of my other favorites.
Apple Nut Cake with Caramel Frosting
Sour Cream Coffee Cake with a Cinnamon Swirl
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Italian Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter softened
- ½ cup vegetable shortening at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 eggs separated
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar (about 1 pound) sifted
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and prepare pans. You may bake the cake layers in either two 9-inch cake pans or three 8-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with a circle of parchment paper for easy removal once baked. Secure in place by greasing the outer edges with some shortening. Also grease the sides of the pans generously.
- With an electric mixer, cream butter and shortening with a mixer until creamy. Add sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg yolks, one at a time, and mix after each addition. Sift flour with baking soda and salt; then add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Gently stir in the coconut and pecans.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with clean beaters until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites into batter. Do not overmix, as you do not want to deflate the whipped egg whites.
- Pour batter into the prepared pans. For three 8-inch pans, bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown. For two 9-inch pans, bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Peel off the parchment paper. Let cakes cool completely before frosting. You may speed up this process by placing the cakes in the freezer. This makes them easier to frost.
Frosting and Assembly Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter. Using a mixer, beat for about 3 minutes until smooth, light, and fluffy. Add the vanilla and gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined for at least a minute. Frosting should be smooth but thick.
- To assemble the cakes, the cakes must be completely cooled and preferably chilled. Level the tops of the cakes if necessary so they are completely flat and even. Add cream cheese frosting between layers and apply a thin crumb coat to the top and sides of the cake. Once set, apply the remainder of the frosting and use an offset spatula to swirl the frosting. Garnish cake with additional whole or chopped pecans for garnish.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped. Leftover unfrosted cake also freezes well.
Notes
Here is the finished Italian Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Save time by cutting parchment paper circles out of folded parchment paper or purchase precut round parchment paper circles:
Creamed butter, shortening, & sugar
Sift flour, baking soda, & salt
Egg whites before
Egg whites after beating
This is what you want to see
Cake batter on the left and egg whites on the right
The cake batter after folding in the egg whites
Here is the cream cheese frosting - YUM
Look at that cream cheese icing!
Whole pecans make a lovely and simple garnish:
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Absolutely love the detailed instructions and photographs!
By far one of the best homemade cakes I’ve ever had. It’s really light and flavorful!