Italian Cream Cake {VIDEO}: a Special Occasion Cake You’ll Want Every Day!

This easy delicious three-layer Italian Cream Cake makes any occasion feel special.

It’s a family favorite recipe perfect for every night dinners, parties, gatherings or just ‘because’. 

What is Italian Cream Cake?

Italian Cream Cake is a three layer cake with coconut, pecans or walnuts, buttermilk and cream cheese frosting. It is traditionally served on special occasions and is sometimes also called ‘Italian Wedding Cake’ .

It’s easy to make and you’ll want to serve it more frequently, trust me!

Ingredients in Italian Cream Cake

Despite the exotic recipe name the ingredients in Italian Cream Cake are simple and easily found at any grocery store!

• Unsalted Butter
• Shortening
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Flour (regular or gluten free)
• Baking Soda
• Buttermilk
• Vanilla Extract
• Shredded coconut  (I used half sweetened and half unsweetened coconut)
• finely chopped Walnuts or Pecans
• Cream cheese
• Powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
• Milk (to thin frosting to desired consistency)

Can be Made Traditionally or Gluten-Free

The original vintage recipe I used was a traditional one made with regular flour.

I adapted it with gluten-free flour. I suggest using a measure-for-measure style gluten-free flour if making it gluten-free.

This style of flour is an easy swap into gluten recipes to provide the same flavor and binding behavior.

How to Make Italian Cream Cake – Step by Step:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
• In a large bowl cream together the room temperature butter, shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (photos 1 & 2). NOTE: a hand held or standing mixer  may be used.
• Add egg yolks; mix well (photo 3).
• Sift together the flour and baking soda (photo 4). 

• Add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients (photo 5).
• Add vanilla, coconut and walnuts (photo 6). Mix to combine.
• Stiffly beat the egg whites to form soft peaks (photo 7). Fold into the batter.
• Pour batter into the prepared pans (photo 8).
• Bake for 30 minutes (until the cake is golden on top and toothpick comes out clean). 

• Allow to cool on wire racks for 20 minutes (photo 9). Remove from pans and allow to cool fully before frosting (photo 10).

Making Cream Cheese Frosting

Using a hand held or standing mixer, cream together ¼ cup butter and cream cheese (photo 11).

Add powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla (photo 12). Mix to combine (photo 13).

Add milk, a teaspoon at a time to reach desired spreading consistency (photo 14).

Spread a layer of frosting in between the cake layers, on the top and sides (refer to video for visual).

Time Saver Make Ahead TIP

Use this time saving PRO tip! 

• Make the cake layers ahead of time. Do not frost!
• Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. This may be done up to 1 week before serving.
• On the day of serving remove cake layers from freezer and allow thawing in the refrigerator.
• Assemble and frost the cake while the layers are still cold (tip: this makes the cake easier to frost with less crumbs).
• Allow the assembled cake to come to room temperature before serving.

More Delicious Recipes You’ll Love

• Hummingbird Cake
• Chocolate Cherry Instant Pot Cheesecake
• Three Berry Cobbler with Sour Cream Biscuits
• Tuscan Baked Apples {Boffoli}

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5 from 20 votes

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Italian Cream Cake

Though this cake contains coconut and walnuts I found neither flavor jumped to the forefront to stake claim on the cake.  It is a well balanced, lovely cake with a beautiful aroma, presence, texture and flavor.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword italian cream cake, Italian Wedding Cake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 10

Calories 698 kcal

Author Toni Dash

Ingredients

• 1 stick plus ¼ cup butter softened
• ½ cup shortening
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 5 eggs separated
• 2 cups flour regular or gluten free
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 ½ ounces shredded coconut  I used half sweetened and half unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1-8 ounce package cream cheese
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• Milk to thin frosting to desired consistency

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attachment or large bowl with a hand held mixer, cream together  the 1 stick of butter (the additional ¼ cup is for the frosting), shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg yolks and mix well.
4. Sift together the flour and baking soda.  Add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
5. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, coconut and nuts.  Mix to combine.
6. Stiffly beat the egg whites to form soft peaks.  Fold into the batter.

7. Pour batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30 minutes (until the cake is golden on top and toothpick comes out clean).  Allow to cool on racks for 20 minutes.  Remove from pans and allow to cool fully before frosting.

Making frosting:

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer with whisk attachment or medium bowl with a hand held mixer, cream together ¼ cup butter and cream cheese.
2. Add powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix to combine.
3. Add milk, a teaspoon at a time to reach desired spreading consistency. Note: since my cake was gluten free which is not as dense as wheat flour cakes I thinned mine with about 5 teaspoons of milk but make your own judgment for what would be desirable to you.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Recipe attribution: Mrs. Edna Peavy, Atlanta GA

Nutrition Facts

Italian Cream Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 698 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 8g40%

Cholesterol 87mg29%

Sodium 204mg9%

Potassium 178mg5%

Carbohydrates 112g37%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 90g100%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 195IU4%

Vitamin C 0.2mg0%

Calcium 59mg6%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Originally published: February 25, 2012

Italian Cream Cake video: