Italian Cream Cheese Cake

Name: Italian Cream Cheese Cake
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 16 servings.
Cuisine: Asian Desserts, Asian Recipes, Indian Recipes, Italian Desserts, Italian Recipes
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1/2 cup shortening; 2 cups sugar; 5 large eggs, separated; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup buttermilk; 1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut; 1 cup chopped pecans; CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:; 11 ounces cream cheese, softened; 3/4 cup butter, softened; 6 cups confectioners' sugar; 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Buttermilk makes every bite of this awesome Italian cream cheese cake recipe moist and flavorful. I rely on this recipe year-round.—Joyce Lutz, Centerview, Missouri

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
11 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup butter, softened
6 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour three 9-in. round baking pans. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Beat until just combined. Stir in coconut and pecans.
In another bowl, beat egg whites with clean beaters until stiff but not dry. Fold one-fourth of the egg whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in pecans. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate.

Test Kitchen Tips

Instead of buying buttermilk, you can place 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup and add enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes. Or you can substitute 1 cup of plain yogurt for the buttermilk.

Unless otherwise specified, Taste of Home recipes are tested with lightly salted butter. Unsalted, or sweet, butter is sometimes used to achieve a buttery flavor, such as in shortbread cookies or buttercream frosting. In these recipes, added salt would detract from the buttery taste desired.

These 50 easy cakes make last-minute entertaining a breeze.

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 736 calories, 41g fat (19g saturated fat), 117mg cholesterol, 330mg sodium, 90g carbohydrate (75g sugars, 2g fiber), 7g protein.

Reviews

Click stars to rate

Average Rating:

MarineMom_texas

Dec 4, 2019

I made this cake for a pot luck and only made one major change. I used a 9x13-inch pan instead of layers. It is an easy cake to prepare but there are several steps. I recommend getting all the ingredients out and measured before starting. Plan on using a bowl and hand mixer plus an electric mixer for this cake. It baked for 38 minutes and was perfect. Definitely a 5-star cake. Volunteer Field Editor
Vanessa

Oct 18, 2019

What kind of butter was used for this recipe
Murraybear1

Jan 29, 2015

moist,light and a taste of heaven
Julia Kristine

Jan 12, 2015

I made this cake for my girlfriends birthday, it was delicious. I can't have nuts but I did sneak a piece for quality control, Everyone loved it, birthday girl took the rest home, next day I wished I had taken a piece for myself, I have a convection oven, so had to watch layers carefully so they didn't overcook, but would I make it again? You bet I would...
Tonyacooks

Dec 17, 2014

I need a really tall cake....this says to use 3 Nine inch pans....can anyone confirm that this fills three nine inch pans fully, and bakes tall?
okiegrama

Jan 25, 2014

This was delicious! My whole family loved it.
Bplynch

Aug 12, 2013

Yum! I made this for a co-workers birthday. They loved it! Great cake for something different!
chocolate7861

Mar 11, 2013

I had previously tried another coconut recipe that i loved but this was was the best!
CoachCarrie

Aug 27, 2012

I made this for a birthday cake for a friend and everyone loved it. It was a hit and I will absolutely make again for special occasions (as it's pretty naughty in terms of calories... but it's cake and it's delicious and absolutely worth every bite!).
schweitzerca

Jan 2, 2012

I made this recipe exactly as it was written and it was exceptionally good. Got good reviews from everyone who ate some at the party. Would definitely make again as it's a standout among Italian Cream Cake recipes.