Award-Winning Italian Cream Cake

This 3-layer Italian cream cake recipe makes a wonderful soft and tender cake perfectly flavored with cream cheese, buttermilk, and flaked coconut.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 658 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 5 egg whites
• 5 egg yolks
• 1.5 cups buttermilk
• 3.5 cups confectioners' sugar

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.

Step 2

Beat 2 cups white sugar, 1 cup butter, and egg yolks together in a bowl with an electric mixer. Alternately beat in flour and buttermilk. Beat in baking soda, then beat in 1 cup walnuts and coconut.

Step 3

Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Divide batter among prepared pans.

Step 4

Bake cakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into middle of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans, about 5 to 10 minutes, before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely, 25 to 30 minutes.

Step 5

To make the frosting: Beat confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, remaining 1/2 cup butter, and vanilla extract together in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Frost and stack cake layers; frost sides if desired. Top with remaining 1/4 cup walnuts.