Moist Italian Cream Cake
Print Pin VideoThis Italian Cream Cake is hands down one of the fluffiest and most moist versions you’ll ever try! With ultra-tender coconut, pecan cake layers with a hint of almond flavor, all topped with a smooth and tangy cream cheese frosting—a true Southern classic!
IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 6 tbsp (78 g) unflavored vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- 1⅓ cups (266 g) white granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs (whites and yolks separated) - room temperature
- 2½ tsps vanilla extract/essence
- ¼ tsp almond extract/essence
- ¾ cup (170 g) buttermilk - room temperature
- ¾ cup (60 g) shredded coconut - unsweetened, dried
- ¾ cup (75 g) pecans - roughly chopped
- 1 batch cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional (see note 1 if using a convection oven with a fan) and grease two 8-inch cake pans (I use my homemade cake release to grease my pans). Also line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside for now.
- Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk, mix until well combined and set aside for now.
- In a large bowl add in unsalted butter, oil and sugar. Using a hand or stand mixer on a medium-high speed, cream that for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Next add egg yolks and mix on a low speed until well combined.
- Next, add the vanilla, almond extract/essence, and buttermilk. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are well combined. Scrape any batter off the attachments, as the rest of the initial mixing will be done by hand.
- Add the presifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and using a spatula, gently fold until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Next add in shredded coconut and roughly chopped pecans and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix. Set the batter aside for now.
- Add the egg whites to a thoroughly cleaned bowl (see note 2). Using an electric mixer (ensure the attachments are cleaned thoroughly), whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add ⅓ of the egg whites to the cake batter and gently fold with a spatula until almost combined, being careful not to push out too many air bubbles. Once done, add the remaining egg whites to the batter and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Distribute the batter between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs on it.
- Allow to cool in the tins for 20 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to completely cool.
- Once the cakes are cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting and assemble. See blog post above or recipe video to see how I assemble mine :)
Video
Notes
Note 1. If using a convection oven that has a fan function, bake at 160 °C (320°F) as the fan function bakes food faster.
Note 2. If there is any fat residue in the bowl or on the mixer attachments, this will prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.
Nutrition
Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
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