Italian Cream Cake
Serves 12
- 1/2 cup Crisco shortening
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup finely ground pecans
The Frosting
- 12 ounces (1-1/2 8-ounce packages) cream cheese
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 16 ounces confectioner's sugar
- chopped pecans, or shredded coconut for garnish
Directions
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Grease three 9-inch cake pans. Line the pans with circles of parchment paper. Grease and flour the pans.
Be sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. Cream together the shortening, butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the batter alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Stir in the vanilla.
Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Fold in the nuts and coconut.
Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared cake pans. Place the pans on the center rack of your oven, baking for 25 minutes, or until the cakes are golden and a tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans completely.
While the cakes are cooling prepare the frosting. Combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together in a bowl using an electric mixer. Beat together until smooth and fluffy. Add the sifted sugar, a little at a time until completely combined. If the frosting seems too loose, place it in the refrigerator to firm up a bit.
Frost between the layers of the cakes, then the sides and top. Garnish the cake with your preference of chopped pecans or shredded coconut. Cover the cake and refrigerate. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.