Italian Cream Cake

Name: Italian Cream Cake
Yield: 20 servings (serving size: 1 slice)
Ingredients: Cream Cheese Icing; Vegetable cooking spray; 2 cups sugar; ½ cup light butter; 2 egg yolks; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup low-fat buttermilk; ½ cup chopped pecans; 1 teaspoon butter extract; 1 teaspoon coconut extract; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 6 egg whites (at room temperature); Sugared kumquats (optional); Orange rind strips (optional); Kumquat leaves (optional)

10 Ratings
10 Reviews

This layered Italian Cream Cake is the perfect dessert for a birthday or dinner party because it is moist and full of flavor from the chopped pecans and cream cheese frosting. The stunning 5-star dessert continues to get rave reviews every time!

Recipe by Cooking Light November 1995

Gallery

Credit: HOWARD L. PUCKETT

Recipe Summary

Yield:

20 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1
Prepare Cream Cheese Icing; cover and chill.

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Step 2
Coat bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans); line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray, and dust with flour; set aside.
Step 3
Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine 2 cups flour and baking soda; stir well. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in pecans and extracts.
Step 4
Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Fold egg whites into batter; pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 23 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen cake layers from sides of pans using a narrow metal spatula, and turn out onto wire racks. Peel off wax paper, and let cool completely.
Step 5
Place 1 cake layer on a plate, and spread with 2/3 cup Cream Cheese Icing; top with another cake layer. Repeat with 2/3 cup icing and remaining layer, ending with cake. Spread remaining icing over cake. Garnish with kumquats, orange rind, and kumquat leaves, if desired.
Step 6
Note: To make sugared kumquats, dip kumquats into lightly beaten egg whites, and drain; roll in sugar.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

300 calories; calories from fat 24%; fat 8g; saturated fat 3.7g; mono fat 1.5g; poly fat 0.6g; protein 4.5g; carbohydrates 53.8g; fiber 0.5g; cholesterol 39mg; iron 0.7mg; sodium 166mg; calcium 28mg.

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MyRecipes Member

03/24/2023

This is a wonderful recipe. I have made it for years! The longer it sits the better the flavour. I can't recommend it enough.

joan49

10/13/2012

I would definitely make this cake again! I said I would not earlier but removed that review. This cake was a big hit for my hubby's birthday. I want to make it again for my 50th birthday this year.

RitaRackley

02/04/2012

I made this for a friends birthday last week-end and it was a HIT ! I did add toasted coconut between the layers and on top with toasted walnuts. I am making it today for a superbowl party. Everyone enjoy this moist yummy cake.

ael5292

01/21/2011

DELICIOUS! After reading other reviews, thinned down the icing with a bit of greek yogurt, then added large pinch orange & small pinch lemon zests; topped with toasted coconut.Awesome; will definitely make again!

kimmy28168

09/30/2010

We loved this cake! I found that making the icing while the cakes are cooling works better than chilling the icing. Very little icing is needed between the layers if you sprinkle a little coconut between the layers. I toasted some coconut and pressed onto the sides and top of the iced cake, then sprinkled a few chopped pecans on top. The whole cake went into the fridge, to be served at room temperature the next day. It was pretty enough to be on a magazine cover and gets better each day. I only had regular buttermilk and it worked just fine. I had icing left over and the cake isn't "Too" sweet like a lot of cakes are. It's our new family favorite!

Marcijo

09/03/2010

This has been a favorite in my family since I first made it several years ago! The only thing I have ever changed is that I double the frosting. This does leave some left over, but I find that the original amount is messy to spread because there is never quite enough.

mayams

11/28/2009

this recipe is a new favorite-- i've made it 3 times for friends' birthdays (by request of course!) very moist, perfect. add this cake to your repertoire. it's worth it!

Runnergal

04/13/2009

This cake got rave reviews when I served at a recent get together. Everyone loved the flavors! After reading the other reviews I was conflicted about what to do with the frosting. I agreed that a standard cream cheese frosting seemed too heavy for the cake. As an alternative, I made a whip cream frosting (heavy cream, powdered sugar, gelatin), but that seemed too light. In the end I found that a compromise worked perfect: I took the whip cream frosting I had made and added in about 6oz of cream cheese! It ended up giving hint of the cream cheese flavor, but the frosting stayed light. This is my new "go-to-wow-their-socks-off" cake!

DellaMarie

02/25/2009

YUM-MY!!

aubiechic

12/30/2008

This recipe was loved by all! Since the original recipe with the cake has bad ratings, I did not use the cream cheese frosting recipe that came with it; Instead, I made cream cheese frosting with 8 oz low-fat cheese (1 block), 1 sticks of butter (1/2 cup), 1/2 cup of pecans (chopped and toasted), 5-6 cups of powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

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