Italian Cream Cake...a Southern Favorite!

Italian Cream Cake is a wonderfully moist cake that doesn't really seem to have originated in Italy, but in the South. I have no idea why it's called "Italian Cream Cake".  I have researched it and can't seem to find anyone who does know. 

When I think of Italian Cream Cake, I think of my late mother in law, who made one every year during the holidays, sometimes two, one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.   She made one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of eating.  Unfortunately, I didn't get her recipe, but this recipe comes very close to it according to what my husband and I remember.

 Here is what you will need for this decadent cake:

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks
5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1  1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Frosting
1  8oz. package cream cheese, softened
4 Tbs. butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (for garnish on the top of cake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With an electric mix beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar together.  Add the eggs yolks and mix well.  Mix the flour, baking soda and salt.   Add the buttermilk and flour alternately to the mixture and blend, don't over beat this, but make sure it is well incorporated.  Add the vanilla, nuts and coconut. 

Fold in the beaten egg whites. 

Pour the mixture into 3 greased and floured cake pans (9 inch works best).   Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Let them stand and cool about 15 minutes before trying to remove from pans.

Frosting

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Beat in the powdered sugar and add vanilla. Frost between the layers of the cake and the top and sides and sprinkle the 1 cup chopped pecans on top.

A good way to keep your cake plate clean when frosting a cake is to lay the first layer on pieces of wax paper slipped up under the edge all the way around.  Then as you frost it, it will catch any that comes off the edges.  I tend to be  a bit messy so this really helps me.

When you finish with the whole cake, carefully pull out each piece of wax paper and then just neaten up the edges.  See how clean the plate is?  It wouldn't look like this if I hadn't used the wax paper, believe me.  I am not that neat.

Italian Cream Cake!