
Italian Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
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Description
This Italian cake with coconut cream cheese frosting is a family Christmas favorite.
Ingredients
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 5 large eggs, separated, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 cups powdered sugar, or to taste
- 2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
Directions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
- 2. Cream sugar and butter for cake in a large bowl. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, until incorporated.
- 3. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl; gradually add to wet ingredients. Slowly add buttermilk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in coconut and pecans.
- 4. Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cake batter, and pour into the prepared cake pans.
- 5. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool, about 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator or freezer while you make the frosting.
- 6. Combine cream cheese and butter for frosting in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add vanilla. Slowly add in powdered sugar and mix to desired consistency. Mix in 1 cup shredded coconut, reserving the rest to decorate the sides of the cake. Place frosting in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
- 7. Frost the tops of each cake layer, then stack the layers and frost the sides. Press reserved coconut onto the sides of the cake.
Nutrition Facts
serving: 1 9-inch layer cake
calories: 615.5 kcal
carbohydrates: 83.5 g
protein: 5.2 g
saturated fat: 17.1 g
cholesterol: 100.4 mg
sodium: 210.6 mg
fiber: 1.9 g
sugar: 72.2 g