Italian Cream Cake

It might surprise many to learn that, unlike cannoli, lasagna, and pizza, Italian cream cake didn’t originate in Italy. The American South is credited with creating this delicious, moist dessert.

The cake, believed to have been made by an Italian baker living in Texas (or Georgia, depending on who tells the story), first appeared in a North Texas newspaper in the 1930s. But wherever it was first baked and pulled from the oven, it remains a dessert staple in our Dallas home.

My brother jokingly calls it, “How to Get a Husband Cake.”

When my husband and I first started dating, I asked him what his favorite cake was, and without hesitation, he said Italian cream cake. Since that birthday, 35 years ago, every birthday, he has requested the Italian cream cake I made for him. My brother jokingly calls it, “How to Get a Husband Cake.”

It is important to line baking pans with wax paper to prevent overbaking. The easiest way to do this is to put each pan on a sheet of wax paper, trace around the bottom with a pen, and then cut out the circle. Just be sure to peel it off the cake after baking!

Italian cream cake, filled with coconut and pecans and soaked in rum, should be refrigerated. Although most bakers use cream cheese frosting, I’ve always preferred vanilla buttercream. On the off chance there are any leftovers, slices can be wrapped and frozen.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

5 eggs, separated

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup milk

1 cup finely chopped pecans (plus extra for garnish)

1 cup Baker’s sweet coconut

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. cream of tartar

4 Tbsp. rum, divided (optional)

Frosting

Directions

1. Coat three 9-inch baking pans with baking spray. Line the bottom of each pan with wax paper, then spray the wax paper with the spray.

2. Cream butter; add sugar and beat well at medium speed with an electric mixer.

3. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition.

4. Mix flour and baking soda together. Gradually add to the creamed mixture alternating with milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

5. Mix in pecans, coconut, and vanilla.

6. Beat egg whites (at room temperature) on high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, peel off the wax paper, and cool completely on wire racks. Brush each layer with two teaspoons of rum. Let it stand for 10 minutes before frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I’m a huge fan of vanilla buttercream, so much so that it’s become a family joke. A few years ago, our daughter-in-law sent me a refrigerator magnet that says, “I would like to think I’ll die a heroic death, but more likely I’ll trip over my dog and choke on a spoonful of frosting.”

A good basic vanilla buttercream frosting recipe is a baking must-have. As simple or basic as vanilla buttercream may sound, there are as many versions as there are bakers. Our family recipe, which I got from my daughter-in-law, has the perfect consistency and texture for decorating. I believe the meringue powder makes a difference. If I have a fresh vanilla bean, I’ll reduce the vanilla extract by one teaspoon and add the seed scrapings.

Ingredients

1 two-pound bag of powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. almond extract

2 Tbsp. meringue powder (I prefer Wilton)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 stick Crisco Butter Flavored Shortening Baking Stick

4 Tbsp. milk

Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat Crisco and softened butter until well blended.

2. To the butter/Crisco mixture, add the powdered sugar, extracts, meringue powder, and milk. On low speed, stir in the ingredients until combined.

3. Set the mixer to medium-high and beat for two minutes or until fluffy. If needed, add an extra tablespoon of milk. Store any leftover frosting covered in the refrigerator.