Italian Cream Cake. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk; set aside. Beat shortening in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and baking soda together and set aside.

Ideal for showcasing as the feature dessert for birthdays, holidays or any special gathering, it's such an amazing cake it's guaranteed to turn any occasion into something special. An Italian Cream Cake, layered to perfection, is sure to be a hit at any party. Spread cream cheese frosting and garnish with toasted pecans for a scene-stealing cream cake. You can have Italian Cream Cake using 16 ingredients and 9 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of Italian Cream Cake

Prepare 1/2 cup of butter flavored shortening.
You need 1 stick (1/2 cup) of salted butter.
You need 2 cups (400 g) of granulated sugar.
Prepare 5 of eggs, separated and at room temperature.
It's 2 cups (240 g) of all purpose flour.
It's 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
You need 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.
Prepare 1 cup of buttermilk, at room temperature.
You need 2 cups of sweetened, shredded coconut.
You need 1 cup of finely chopped pecans.
You need 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
You need 16 oz of cream cheese, at room temperature.
Prepare 1 stick (1/2 cup) of salted butter.
Prepare 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
You need 32 oz of powdered sugar.
It's 1 1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans (for frosting).

Italian Cream Cake has three layers of moist cake covered in cream cheese frosting with plenty of coconut and pecans. It's not hard at all to make and is perfect for a holiday celebration. But let's just start by saying that Italian Cream Cake isn't exactly Italian. It's more of a southern thing.

Italian Cream Cake instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease, flour and line the bottom of 3 (9-inch) pans with parchment paper..
In a bowl of an electric mixer cream the shortening, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition..
Sift flour, baking soda and salt together onto a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. With the mixer on low speed, add the sifted ingredients in batches alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients..
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, and gently fold into the prepared batter. Add the coconut, pecans and vanilla and fold into the batter..
Divide the batter among 3 prepared cake pans and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of each cake..
While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and mix until throughly combined. Add the nuts and fold together. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to frost the cake, then bring back to room temperature..
Allow cakes to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling..
When the cakes are completely cool, stack the layers with the frosting and frost sides and top. Decorate with whole pecans around top edge of cake..
For a smaller version of the cake, use two (8-inch) pans and the following ingredient amounts: 1/3 cup butter flavored shortening, 1/3 cup salted butter, 240g granulated sugar, 3 eggs, 144g all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2/3 cup buttermilk, 1 1/4 cup shredded coconut, 2/3 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 8oz cream cheese, 1/4 cup salted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 16 oz powdered sugar, 3/4 cup chopped pecans. Baking time may vary..

Cake: In a large bowl, cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Despite the name, this Italian cream cake is a Southern specialty that is thought to have originated in Texas. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk or sift until the dry ingredients are uniformly mixed. The cake itself is soft and moist with a super yummy vanilla-coconut-butter flavor.