Italian Cream Cake with Pecan Cream Cheese Icing
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This cake is in my top 10 favorite desserts of all time. It’s pillowy soft, moist, and just all around perfect. Top it with a pecan studded cream cheese frosting and you’ll bring back an empty pan every time.
Y’all know I’m usually all about making a recipe your own and substituting what you have on hand for what you don’t. With this easy Italian cream cake recipe, though, if at all possible, I strongly encourage you to stick as close to my ingredients list and instructions as you can. Make a trip to the grocery store if need be because the end result is more than worth it!
This is the perfect cake for any special get-together: Thanksgiving, bridal shower, birthdays, or “just because”. Whenever you make it, you’ll most certainly be required to make it again as the question will arise: “Is grandma/aunt/sister making her Italian cream cake this year?”. So get ready to start a new tradition.
Why is this cake so special? Well, it’s tender, light, moist, and totally melts in your mouth. It’s also filled with a flavor you can only get from a special “from scratch” Italian cake recipe. It has hints of vanilla, coconut, and pecan to make a cake that’s to die for. Fortunately, though, there isn’t a lot of fuss involved so there is nothing to deter you from adopting this as your signature special occasion cake. Not that I’m hinting at anything…
Recipe Ingredients
To make this amazingly wonderful cake that your family and friends really and truly deserve a chance to enjoy, you’ll need:
Italian Cream Cake
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Whole buttermilk
- Solid vegetable shortening (such as Crisco)
- Baking soda
- Butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Coconut flakes
Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese (visit this post to learn how easy it is to make cream cheese at home).
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Butter flavoring (optional)
- Chopped pecans
How to Make Italian Cream Cake
Place butter, shortening, and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined and fluffy.
Please please please please please make sure your cream cheese (for the icing) and butter are at room temperature in this recipe. Do you know how I tell y’all not to fret over little details like this in most of my recipes? Well, if I tell you it’s time to get particular, get particular. This is an easy one to do, though. I just set my butter and cream cheese out as soon as I get up in the morning so they are room temp by mid to late morning and that is when I make this cake.
Add your eggs. This recipe calls for five large eggs. You don’t need to add each individually, just toss them all in.
Beat eggs really well, scraping down the sides as needed. Already, this cake batter is like rich smooth velvet, but it’s about to get even better.
In a separate bowl, stir your baking soda into your flour.
Add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture and mix until well blended, about a minute.
Add in the shredded coconut and vanilla extract and mix again until incorporated and the cake batter is nice and creamy. Oh, what a lovely batter this is!
Spread the cake mix into a greased 9×13 cake pan.
If you want to get fancy you can make this in two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans but I mean, we have already made this cake from scratch and I’m just a 9×13 girl.
Bake this at 350 for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
If you are baking it in round pans it will bake for about 25-30 minutes but you’ll need to keep an eye on it and still test for doneness.
How to make the pecan cream cheese frosting
Once it is done, let it cool completely, and then make your cream cheese frosting and ice the cooled cake.
Place the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the flavorings and about half of the sugar and mix again, scraping down sides as needed, until sugar is well incorporated. Add remaining sugar and mix until a nice fluffy icing is formed, again scraping down sides as needed (about one to two minutes). Mix in the chopped pecans and then spread it over the cake.
You can make it into a (or two or three) if you want a layer cake, but I love it in a 9×13 pan!
Top with some coconut and pecans if you want. Then cover with foil or plastic wrap and store in the fridge until serving time.
ENJOY this cake, and enjoy watching everyone else enjoy it, too! This Italian cream cake is one of a kind and such a delicious treat. Great for potlucks, weekday entertaining, and more.
Storage
- Store this cake, well covered in or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to a week or at room temperature for up to two days. You can eat it cold from the fridge, or let it warm up on the counter for 30 minutes or so before serving.
- This Italian cake is also freezer-friendly. Simply take your cooled cake and place it in a freezer-friendly container. Then freeze for 3 to 4 months. Remove a slice or two and allow to thaw on the counter for a quick thaw. Or place the cake in the fridge overnight to thaw.
Recipe Notes
- Now, I say use the “best quality vanilla you can find” and I mean that just as I say it. If you open up your pantry and the best you can find is imitation vanilla, well then use it. If you have this amazing vanilla extract that you just love to use, then use that.
- When you sprinkle the chopped pecans on top, feel free to add some sweetened flaked coconut as well. If you want to go over the top, opt for toasted coconut and toasted pecans to enhance the flavor.
- On the other hand, if you’re not on team coconut, you can totally leave it out. I won’t tell!
Recipe FAQs
What is an Italian cream cake?
Italian cream cake is a moist and decadent vanilla sponge cake that is filled with coconut flavor in each bite. It’s then topped with a coconut and pecan frosting that is out of this world. An ultra-moist and decadent homemade cake.
Why is it called Italian cream cake?
No one actually knows why it’s called Italian cream cake, as it’s actually not Italian but Southern. Yep, this cake recipe first appeared in publications in the southeastern US, so the most logical theory is that an Italian immigrant baker created the recipe.
Why do I need softened cream cheese for the frosting?
Cream cheese is pretty stiff and thick on its own. Allowing your cream cheese to become room temperature allows you to cream the cheese so it is ultra-creamy. If you don’t allow it to soften, it will be hard to mix up and clumpy.
Check out these other delicious homemade cake recipes:
Like Kentucky Butter Cake? Try This Coffee Butter Cake
Easy Birthday Cake Recipe From Scratch
Ingredients
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Cream Cheese Icing:
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temp
- 1/2 cup butter at room temp
- 3.5-4 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon butter flavoring optional
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9×13 pan by spraying it with cooking spray and then setting it aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the shortening, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well until smooth, scraping sides as needed (about two minutes).½ cup shortening, ½ cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 5 large eggs
- In a separate small bowl, stir together the flour and baking soda. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the egg mixture and mix until well blended and completely smooth (about two more minutes). Add in the coconut and vanilla extract and mix until well incorporated.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
To make cream cheese icing
- Place the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the flavorings and about half of the sugar and mix again, scraping down sides as needed, until sugar is well incorporated. Add remaining sugar and mix until a nice fluffy icing is formed, again scraping down sides as needed (about one to two minutes). Mix in the chopped pecans. Ice the cooled cake.8 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 3.5-4 cups confectioner’s sugar, 1-2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 teaspoon butter flavoring, 1 cup chopped pecans
- Store this cake, well covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week or at room temp for up to two days.
Nutrition
This recipe was published in 2015. I updated the photos and post in 2020.
Hi Christy!
I am one of “those” folks who does not like shredded coconut. I actually do enjoy the flavor of coconut, just not the texture. I feel like I am eating grass. I do love that canned cream of coconut that’s probably made for Pina Coladas or something. I can just spoon it right out of the can and into my mouth…yummm. My question is: Can some of this very thick, almost like sour cream texture, goodness be used somehow in place of the shredded coconut? If so, how would you use it in this recipe? Thanks
Caroline, if you can find frozen coconut, it melts right into the batter, making it incredibly moist and flavorful, but without the texture issue so many people dislike.
I’m under doctor’s orders to watch my sugar intake, so when I do eat dessert I want it to be special. I made this cake today. I ate two pieces, and will probably have another this evening. My doctor is going to kill me. I’ll die happy.
LOL. John, you are going to get us both in trouble!!
Where can I purchase the Hamilton Beach Electrics Stand Mixer? I really need one just like yours.y
This is mine. I’ve been using it for years and it’s just wonderful! Link here: https://amzn.to/2GYm1yh
I TRIED AND TRIED TO DESCRIBE (ON BLOGS) THE TEXTURE OF MY GRANDMA’S CAKES SO SOMEONE COULD REPLICATE IT FOR ME. THIS CAKE WAS IT!!!!! Finally!!!! FOLLOWED YOUR RECIPE EXACTLY WHILE CRINGING AT THE SHORTENING (LARD AND BUTTER IS HEALTHIER IN MY BOOK, LOL). MINE WAS A LITTLE DENSE (NOT FLUFFY) JUST LIKE GRANDMAS, NOT TOO SWEET, AND HAD THIS KINDA CHEWY CRUSTY EDGES–AGAIN JUST LIKE HERS. LOVED IT. IT’S A WINNER. THX CHRISTY, YOU’RE AN INSPIRATION. EVERY TIME I READ YOUR SPIRITUAL NOTES, I GOTTA GO GO LISTEN TO SOME OLDIE BUT GOODIES GOSPEL MUSIC, LIKE “LESS OF ME” AND STUFF. KEEP SPREADING THE GOSPEL, GIRL. OH, AND RECIPES TOO;-)
I have just made this cake, and it will get eaten tonight by us and our guests. It already smelled delicious and I tried both the icing and the dough. It’s heaven!
The good thing is, I live in Switzerland and got all the required items from the receipe in our local store (Coop Megastore, for my fellow citizens). Will post again after we ate it .
I am so glad you were able to find all of the ingredients Sandra!! I know that with some things folks over-seas have a hard time finding them or a substitute. I hope you and your guests enjoyed the cake!!
Now this is one cake that I will be making soon.
I even thought about toasting the pecans and also adding some toasted coconut to sprinkle on top
I think that is a wonderful idea Colleen!!
I also use frozen coconut. It seems to make the cake moister.
I love frozen coconut. I have a problem not eating the whole bag though 😉