Italian Cream Cake is a three-layer Southern cake packed with toasted pecans and sweetened coconut, held together with a thick cream cheese frosting. The crumb is tender and slightly dense — the kind of cake that holds up well when sliced and actually tastes better the next day. If you want a showstopper for a birthday or holiday table that you can bake ahead, this is a reliable choice.
Why this recipe works
Two things make this cake work. First, the batter uses both butter and shortening — butter for flavor, shortening for a softer, more stable crumb that doesn’t dry out quickly. Second, the egg whites are beaten separately to stiff peaks and folded in at the end. That step is what keeps the cake light despite all the add-ins. Skip it or rush it and you get a heavy, dense result. Fold slowly, in two or three additions, and the batter stays airy enough to bake up with a real lift. A hand mixer or even a whisk and some elbow grease handles both jobs fine.
Mistakes to avoid
- Adding warm layers to the frosting: Even slightly warm cake layers will melt cream cheese frosting on contact. Give the layers a full hour on the wire rack — touch the bottom of each layer before you start frosting.
- Under-softening the cream cheese: Cold cream cheese leaves lumps in the frosting that don’t beat out. Pull it from the fridge at least an hour before you start, alongside the butter.
- Uneven batter distribution: Eyeballing the batter between three pans usually means one layer bakes thicker and takes longer. Use a kitchen scale — divide the total batter weight by three and weigh each pan.
- Skipping the pan prep: Grease and flour all three pans thoroughly, including the sides. Coconut and pecans in the batter make these layers stickier than a plain cake and they will tear if the pans aren’t properly prepared.
- Overmixing after adding the dry ingredients: Once you start alternating flour and buttermilk, mix only until the streaks disappear. Overworking the batter at this stage tightens the gluten and makes the crumb tough.
Smart swaps
- Shortening: This is the one ingredient people hesitate over. Don’t swap it for more butter — the ratio is deliberate. Standard vegetable shortening (Crisco works) is what you want.
- Buttermilk: No buttermilk on hand? Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, then fill to the 1-cup line with whole milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Pecans: Walnuts work as a straight swap if that’s what you have. Skip the garnish of extra pecans pressed into the sides — not worth the extra effort for a result most people won’t notice.
- Sweetened vs. unsweetened coconut: The recipe calls for sweetened shredded coconut. Unsweetened will work but the cake will be noticeably less sweet and slightly drier, so stick with sweetened if you can.
Storage and freezing
Once frosted, cover the cake and refrigerate it — cream cheese frosting can’t sit out for more than two hours. It keeps well in the fridge for up to five days, and the flavor genuinely improves after the first 24 hours as the frosting softens into the layers. To freeze, wrap individual unfrosted layers tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil, and freeze for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting. You can also freeze fully assembled slices on a baking sheet until solid, then wrap individually — they thaw in about 30 minutes at room temperature.
Italian Cream Cake
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Oven
- 9-inch round cake pans
- Rubber spatula
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 0.5 cup shortening
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large egg yolks room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded coconut sweetened
- 0.5 cup chopped pecans toasted
For the Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4.5 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 0.5 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
- In a stand mixer, cream together the 5 tablespoons of softened butter, shortening, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, around 3-4 minutes.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Gradually add to the creamed mixture alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix in vanilla, coconut, and chopped pecans until just combined.
- In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold into the batter until evenly incorporated.
- Divide batter equally among prepared pans and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- For the frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter until smooth. Add vanilla, then gradually add sifted powdered sugar, beating until fluffy.
- Once the cakes are cool, spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Decorate with additional chopped pecans on top or pressed on the sides, if desired.
Notes
Tammy’s Tips:
- For a deeper coconut flavor, toast the coconut before folding it into the batter.
- Substitute the pecans with walnuts if preferred.
- This recipe can be adapted for gluten-free diets by substituting the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this cake in two pans instead of three?
You can, but the bake time will increase significantly and the layers will be harder to split evenly. Two 9-inch pans will need closer to 40–45 minutes, and you risk a doughy center — use the toothpick test, not the clock, to judge doneness.
Do the egg whites really make a difference, or can I just add whole eggs?
They make a real difference. Folding in whipped egg whites is what gives this cake its lighter texture despite the coconut, pecans, and two fats in the batter. Whole eggs instead will produce a noticeably denser, heavier crumb.
My frosting is too soft to spread without sliding off the layers. What went wrong?
The most common cause is cream cheese or butter that was too warm when beaten. Refrigerate the frosting for 20–30 minutes until it firms up, then spread it. If it’s still too loose, beat in a few more tablespoons of sifted powdered sugar.
Can I bake the cake layers a day ahead?
Yes — this is actually a good strategy for a big-occasion cake. Wrap the fully cooled, unfrosted layers tightly in plastic wrap and leave them at room temperature overnight. Make and apply the frosting the next day.
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