Italian Cream Cake is a delicious tender made from scratch cake bursting with coconut, vanilla, and pecans, with cream cheese frosting. A perfect homemade celebration cake.

Oh boy! Here we have a wonderfully amazing Italian Cream Cake recipe for you. This delicious cake is all made from scratch and uses ingredients that most of you will already have in your store cupboard. It is by far the easiest and best Italian Cream cake recipe, giving you moist, tender slices of cake perfect for any occasion.
Is Italian Cream Cake from Italy?
For those of you around the world who are not familiar with an Italian Cream Cake, or creme cake, it is thought to originate in Texas, USA, despite having the name Italian in it! So it's more of a Southern cake than an Italian one. That's confusing!
What is an Italian Cream Cake?
The cake itself is traditionally made up of three layers, with coconut and pecan nuts, and then filled in between and all over the outside with a lovely coconut cream cheese frosting.
This site contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, check Privacy Policy.

Should an Italian Cream Cake be refrigerated?
The answer is yes! We always advise, if a cake uses dairy ingredients and cream cheese (such as for the frosting), you should refrigerate and then take out to room temperature about 2 hours before serving.
An Italian Cream Cake is extremely popular for celebrations such as birthdays and over the holidays. At Christmas time, this looks fabulous and festive because of the frosting all over the cake. You can leave the cake as it is with the white frosting or make it even more festive for Christmas by adding a few edible Christmas decorations to it if you wish!
As for the recipe, this Italian Creme Cake is all homemade and is a very easy recipe. Whilst made from scratch, it's not a hard recipe at all. Follow the instructions below and you'll find it is an easy recipe. The only hard part is being patient for it to bake so you can eat a slice!
Be sure to check out Sally's Italian Cream Cake Trifle too! It's always so popular, especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas time.
This delicious recipe has been generously shared by our Lovefoodies friend Sally.
Sally tells me it's a family favorite, easy to make, and has great flavor and a soft velvety texture. Thanks very much, Sally for sharing. So let's get straight to the recipe and see how we make this popular Italian Creme Cake. Please enjoy!
Recipe by Sally Hall
Prep Time
20 - 30 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Yield
10 - 12 Persons
Ingredients
The Cake
½ cup room temperature Butter
½ cup butter flavored shortening (or use butter)
2 ¼ cups Sugar
6 medium Eggs
¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
dash of Salt
2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Buttermilk *
1 ½ cups Coconut shredded
1 cup chopped Pecans
1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
*if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, take 1 cup whole milk and add 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice
The Frosting
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 x 8-ounce package Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 x 16-ounce container Cream Cheese Frosting *
3+ cups Powdered Sugar (depends on how sweet you like it)
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
½ cup pecans, finely crushed (optional)
½ cup Shredded Coconut (optional)
*If you are unable to get Cream Cheese frosting, triple the butter and cream cheese quantities so you have 1 ½ cups butter and 24 oz cream cheese.
Instructions
Make the cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour three 9 inch cake pans.

2. Cream butter and butter flavored shortening until smooth. Add sugar and mix well.

3. Add eggs one at a time, just until the yellow disappears. Mix for about 30 seconds more.
4. Combine flour, baking soda and dash of salt. Set aside.
5. Then add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Mix well.
Now add ½ cup buttermilk. Mix well.
Add another ⅓ of the flour mixture, rest of the buttermilk, then last of the flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. (i.e. flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour)
Add the vanilla & mix well.

6. Stir in the remaining ingredients, coconut and pecans
7. Pour evenly into the 3 greased and floured cake pans.
8. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove from pans. Let cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting

9. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth.
10. Add the pre-packaged frosting, mix well. (This combination has a better consistency for this cake.)
11. Add the vanilla and mix well.
12. Gradually add the powdered sugar mixing on low to medium until you get the consistency that you desire. Add the crushed pecans and coconut here if you choose to do so.
Build the Cake
13. Place one cake on the plate then add some of the frosting, spread evenly, then add the next cake layer, spread frosting on top of the second cake and add the final cake layer. Then use the remaining frosting to completely cover the cake.
Note : Best if made the day before and kept refrigerated until ready to slice and serve.

Recipe Card

Italian Cream Cake
Italian Cream Cake is a delicious tender made from scratch cake bursting with coconut, vanilla, and pecans, with cream cheese frosting. A perfect celebration cake
Ingredients
The Cake:
- ½ cup room temperature Butter
- ½ cup butter flavored shortening, or use butter
- 2 ¼ cups Sugar
- 6 medium Eggs
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
- dash of Salt
- 2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Buttermilk *
- t (if you don’ have buttermilk on hand, take 1 cup whole milk and add 1
- teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice)
- 1 ½ cups Coconut shredded
- 1 cup chopped Pecans
- 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
The Frosting:
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- 1-ounce x 8 package Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 1-ounce x 16 container Cream Cheese Frosting *****
- 3 cups + Powdered Sugar, depends on how sweet you like it
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Shredded Coconut, optional
- ½ cup Finely chopped pecans, optional
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour three 9 inch cake pans.
- Cream butter and butter flavored shortening until smooth. Add sugar and mix well.
- Add eggs one at a time, just until the yellow disappears. Mix for about 30 seconds more.
- Combine flour, baking soda and dash of salt. Set aside.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture (above) to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Now add ½ cup buttermilk. Mix well. Add another ⅓ of the flour mixture, rest of the buttermilk, then last of the flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. (i.e. flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour) Add the vanilla & mix well.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients, coconut and pecans
- Pour evenly into the 3 greased and floured cake pans.
- Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove from pans. Let cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the pre-packaged frosting, mix well. (This combination has a better consistency for this cake.)
- Add the vanilla and mix well.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar mixing on low to medium until you get the consistency that you desire. Add the pecans and coconut here if you choose to do so.
Build the Cake:
- Place one cake on the plate then add some of the frosting, spread evenly, then add the next cake layer, spread frosting on top of the second cake and add the final cake layer. Then use the remaining frosting to completely cover the cake.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Wilton Excelle Elite 3-Tier Cooling Rack for Cookies, Cakes and More
-
Nordic Ware Leak Proof Springform Pan, 10 Cup, Assorted Colors, 9 Inch
-
Rachael Ray 54073 Yum -o! Nonstick Bakeware Baking Pan With Grips / Nonstick Cake Pan With Grips, Round - 9 Inch, Gray
-
MEYKISS Cake Tester, Stainless Steel Cake Tester Probe Skewer Kitchen Baking Tools, Set of 2
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1076Total Fat: 65gSaturated Fat: 34gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 206mgSodium: 623mgCarbohydrates: 115gFiber: 4gSugar: 89gProtein: 12g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
Celebration Cakes
Here's a great selection of celebration cakes perfect for a party!
Cranberry and Pecan Christmas Cake, loaded with delicious fruits and Spiced Rum. A perfect treat for Christmas.
Coffee Walnut Sandwich Cake.
The best coffee and walnut cake, a classic British afternoon tea cake, layers of soft and fluffy coffee cake with chopped walnuts throughout, adds a great flavor and texture, frosted with coffee cream cheese frosting. A pure delight to eat!
Authentic German Black Forest Swiss Roll, a light sponge cake famous in Germany. Layers of chocolate cake, cherries, kirsch & fresh whipped cream in a cake roll.
Salted Caramel Celebration Cake is perfect for a party. Homemade layers of soft caramel cake and layers of salted caramel frosting then topped with chocolate covered pretzels and salted caramel popcorn.
Walnut Cake is a delicious easy recipe. the cake is so soft and fluffy! Recipe also for a lovely vanilla frosting.
Orange or Clementine Ricotta Cheesecake. A lovely crustless baked dessert. Light and airy cheesecake, topped with zesty sweet homemade orange curd and fresh whipped cream.
Celebration Coconut Cake.
Perfect for a celebration, this coconut cake is made up of layers of soft coconut cake sandwiched between lemon curd then frosted with a light and airy coconut frosting.
Toasted Coconut Cupcakes.
Deliciously light and fluffy coconut cupcakes, with a coconut cream cheese frosting. Simple easy recipe for how to make perfect, moist cupcakes, ideal for parties and celebrations
Honey Bun Cupcakes are lovely and soft with great flavors of cinnamon and brown sugar and topped with a homemade honey buttercream frosting
Cherry Almond Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a lovely soft cake and great tasting. Perfect for parties too!
Coffee Walnut Cake is a deliciously easy soft and fluffy cake recipe. Recipe also for a lovely vanilla coffee frosting. A nice cake for the holidays!
A simple, easy chocolate loaf cake recipe is moist, rich and chocolatey. Perfect for new cooks and is a go to basic recipe
The Famous Hummingbird Cake! A very popular soft and moist cake with pecans, bananas, pineapples, and a delicious frosting too!
Strawberry and Coconut Poke Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream. Easy made from scratch recipe. Yummy!
Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake is a lovely baked dessert and so light and airy. Perfect for Easter, Mother's Day or any time of the year! It's out of this world delicious!
Easy Red Velvet Party Cake recipe with a lovely cream cheese frosting. Soft, fluffy and so delicious! Make as a sheet or round cake, you decide
Chocolate Latte Cake. A soft and moist cake with the flavors of a latte coffee and a hit of chocolate for good measure! Nice and easy recipe too!
Strawberry and Vanilla Cake. A soft and moist cake bursting with delicious strawberry and vanilla flavors. It tastes out of this world!
Authentic German Black Forest Cake, Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte is a delicious cake famous in Germany. Layers of chocolate cake, black cherries and kirsch. Perfect for a party!
Carrot Cake Cheesecake. Simply a Show Stopping Wow!
Caramel Marshmallow Cake, soft, moist cake recipe, with caramel and marshmallows and topped with a fresh whipped cream frosting. Great for celebrations, parties and dessert
Tiramisu Pound Cake, a soft and delicious pound cake with all the flavors of a Tiramisu! It's even got a mascarpone frosting. This will go fast so be sure to make two!
Pineapple and Coconut Poke Cake.
A delicious pineapple combined with creamy coconut cake recipe, topped with fresh whipped cream and more coconut, making a soft and fluffy great tasting tropical cake
Almond Joy Cake. A delicious chocolate cake with almond and a coconut frosting. Always a hit and so popular!
Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake is a keeper recipe! Easy to make and perfect for chocolate lover's.This is also freezer friendly if you wanted to make into portions or make ahead for a party!
White Chocolate Salted Caramel Cheesecake is a delicious baked cheesecake, rich and creamy with a white chocolate filling and a salted caramel topping. Easy to make.
Limoncello Tiramisu. A delicious twist on the classic Italian coffee tiramisu dessert using blueberries, lemon, and limoncello, all homemade and perfect for parties.
Strawberry Shortcake Cake, a wonderful refreshing classic sponge cake packed with fresh strawberries and a whipped cream frosting.
Christine Scisci
says:On the frosting. what do you mean 1 once x 8 cream cheese. Do you mean 1 once + 8 oz package of cream cheese?