Quick Italian Cream Cake (Printable View)
Moist coconut-pecan cake with creamy frosting
# What You’ll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
06 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - ½ cup vegetable oil
08 - 3 large eggs
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - 1 teaspoon almond extract
11 - 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
12 - ½ cup chopped pecans
→ Cream Cheese Frosting
13 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
14 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
15 - 3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
17 - 2 tablespoons milk (as needed)
→ Topping
18 - ¼ cup chopped pecans, toasted
19 - ¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (optional)
# Cooking Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan or two 8-inch round cake pans.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, melted butter, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix gently just until combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Fold in sweetened shredded coconut and chopped pecans until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
08 - Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until fluffy. Add milk as needed to achieve spreadable consistency.
09 - Frost the completely cooled cake evenly with the cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle toasted pecans and toasted coconut generously over the top.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The cake stays incredibly moist for days thanks to the buttermilk and oil, so you can make it ahead without that dried out cake problem
- That almond extract creates this subtle bakery style flavor that makes everyone think you spent hours on it
02 -
- I learned the hard way that frosting a warm cake creates a slide right off disaster, so patience with cooling is non negotiable here
- Room temperature ingredients mix together so much better, so take everything out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before starting
03 -
- Toast your coconut and pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly so they do not burn
- Chill the frosted cake for 15 minutes before slicing to get those perfectly clean restaurant style pieces