Italian Christmas Cream Cake

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Description

This is the most delicious Italian cream cake ever. A must-have every Christmas or special occasion at our home. People ask for this recipe always. A bit labor intensive, but well worth the effort.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ¾ cups white sugar
  • 1 ½ cups butter, softened
  • ¼ cup shortening
  • 5 eggs
  • ¾ cup pecans, chopped
  • 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez®)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 ¼ cups pecans, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
  2. Spread coconut flakes thinly over a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high until lightly browned
  3. stirring every 30 seconds
  4. 2 to 3 minutes total.
  5. Place coconut in a blender and grind into a fine powder.
  6. Combine coconut powder
  7. buttermilk
  8. and vanilla extract in a bowl. Combine cake flour
  9. baking powder
  10. salt
  11. and baking soda in a separate bowl.
  12. Beat sugar
  13. butter
  14. and shortening until fluffy. Add eggs
  15. one at a time. Add flour mixture alternately with coconut-buttermilk mixture
  16. mixing between additions. Mix in pecans. Divide batter between the pans.
  17. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean
  18. 28 to 32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool on wire racks
  19. at least 20 minutes.
  20. Meanwhile
  21. beat powdered sugar and butter until fluffy. Mix in cream of coconut
  22. vanilla extract
  23. and salt. Add cream cheese; beat until well combined. Place 1 cooled cake on a serving platter and spread frosting all over. Place the other cake on top; coat with remaining frosting.
  24. Press remaining pecans around and on top of the cake to garnish.

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Servings: 12

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