If you didn’t know any better, you might think you were looking at a carrot cake, right? Or maybe a Hummingbird Cake? I shared a snap of this Juicy Citrus Italian Cream Cake recipe over on Instagram yesterday and asked if people could tell what it was. Turns out, not too many people have enjoyed a slice of Italian Cream Cake before, and I’m really happy to be sharing one of my favorite cake recipe with you here today.
This cake is one to contend with, friends. It’s loaded with delicious things that all work together to create a truly special confection that really is perfect for just about any occasion – or just because. I’m talking toasted coconut and pecans, lots of vanilla, hints of coconut milk, almond, and in my own swing on the classic Italian Cream Cake recipe – the thing that I think elevates it into “BEST ITALIAN CREAM CAKE STATUS” – is all the citrus flavor that we’ll strategically weave into the mix. Allow me to explain …
You might also want to peek at our banana cream cake, lemon cream cake, Chocolate Irish Cream Cake, or this strawberries and cream-inspired gooey butter cake.
Introducing The Best Italian Cream Cake. Ever.
We make this bold claim in good faith – we think you’ll love it and (hopefully!) agree that this Italian Cream Cake Recipe is the one to beat. We took our time with it for sure, making sure we had nailed every little nook and cranny of the thing. From the tender crumb to the deeply flavorful batter and the utterly addictive cream cheese frosting, this Italian Cream Cake Recipe is something special.
A true labor of love, this Italian Cream Cake recipe is fairly standard op for the most part, but there are a few key things we do to ensure it’s as good as it can possibly be …
But First, What is an Italian Cream Cake?
Kissing cousins to the beloved Southern Hummingbird Cake and the Carrot Cake as well, an Italian Cream Cake recipe is a layered, frosted cake that boasts the warmth of toasted pecans and coconut and the bright, addictive qualities of a classic cream cheese frosting. Sweet vanilla and almond extracts (pure extract please! None of this “vanilla flavoring” stuff) add lots of great flavor to both the batters and the fluffy, whipped frosting.
The crunch of the toasty coconut and chopped pecans really gives this cake a special texture that makes for a truly memorable sweet treat.
Is an Italian Cream Cake Italian?
No. No it’s not. I mean, there are undoubtedly cream-filled cakes (tortas) in Italian cuisine, but this cake, this popular American confection is actually purported to have originated in Texas. Weird, right?
The four dead giveaways that this is not in any way an Italian cake by origin are:
1) The tres’ American presentation – those layers with frosting in between make for a very American style of cake.
2) Cream cheese frosting. Creating a classic American buttercream and then whipping a bunch of cream cheese into the mix is decidedly not Italian.
3) Pecans. Not Italian. Hazelnuts yes, but pecans … not so much.
4) Buttermilk. Also an incredibly Southern ingredient –very Texan indeed – and typically not one seen in Italian cookery. Note that in our recipe here, I’ve swapped in coconut milk for the buttermilk, as it goes right along with the toasted coconut and admittedly, I’m obsessed with it.
Orange You Glad We’re Adding Citrus to this Italian cream cake recipe?
Ha. Thanks for putting up with my simple, simple sense of humor. Yall’re too kind, honestly. Okay, so! I want to talk for just a sec about the specifics of this Citrus Italian Cream Cake recipe, and why I think it’s just TOPS. Hopefully you’ll get a chance to give this recipe a whirl, and if so, please let me know how she fares! (I think it’s a she, this cake). I genuinely feel real joy when people share that they’ve made my recipes, and it will never, ever get old.
I’d like to note here that this is not an overwhelmingly citrusy cake – it’s not intended to be. I’m adding fresh, bright citrus juices and zests into the Italian Cream Cake recipe batter because I’ve found that they absolutely add a deliciously elevating depth of flavor to this cake. An Italian Cream Cake is, truth be told, very sweet by nature. By adding in the tang and zip of some gorgeous citrusy fruits, we’re helping to mitigate that sweetness, and kind of give that sugar (and our palates) something more to grab onto while we’re enjoying the cake.
Orange, Lemon & Grapefruit, Oh My.
In this recipe, we’ll fold in the zest and juice of an orange, lemon, and grapefruit. You could stick to just oranges if you like (that’s what I’d do if I were going to stick to one citrus flavor). But the combination of all three is lovey. Subtle, but lovely.
Also, to add an extra bit of moisture and subtle citrus flavor to the cake, we’ll slick a thin layer of orange marmalade on the tops of each cake layer. Again, the addition of the marmalade adds a very mellow orangey note to the cake – but not too much. This is, first and foremost, an Italian Cream Cake. The citrus isn’t meant to take over – it’s meant to support and complement. And it really does a great job at these things.
How to Store an Italian Cream Cake
Because Italian Cream Cake is filled and covered with a luscious cream cheese-based frosting, it does need to be stored in the refrigerator, before and in between servings. To properly refrigerate your Italian Cream Cake, wrap the unfrosted cake layers in plastic to protect them from absorbing any fridge smells and to protect them from drying out. Then, unwrap them to warm up on the counter before you move forward with frosting.
- A whole frosted cake cake be refrigerated, cut or not, covered in the fridge for up to 4 days nicely.
- I like to bring the cake out at least 30 minutes prior to serving, to allow it to come up to temp before devouring.
Juicy Citrus Italian Cream Cake
A classic cake that is bursting with the heavenly flavors of vanilla, almond, toasted coconut, pecans, and in our version today, some bright and fresh citrus juices and zest. The fluffy cake pairs so perfectly with this luscious whipped cream cheese frosting, and we hope this recipe will quickly become one of your favorites, as it is ours.
- Yield: 10 – 12 servings 1x
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
- The zest and juice of 1 large lemon, 1 orange, and 1 grapefruit
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (shake the can first, and reserve the remainder for our frosting)
- 14-ounce bag of toasted unsweetened flaked coconut, divided (see note)
- 1.5 cups pecan pieces, toasted (see note)
- 3/4 cup orange marmalade
FOR THE FROSTING
- Two 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup reserved coconut milk
- 2 pounds confectioner’s sugar
- 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust your rack to the middle position. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the soft butter, the sugars, the vanilla, the almond extract, and the citrus zests and juice until light, golden and fluffy; about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition.
- To that bowl, add the dry ingredients alternately with the coconut milk and mix just until everything is well combined (over-mixing cake batter can result in a tough cake, so just don’t do too much). Gently mix in half of the toasted coconut.
- Divide the batter evenly between your three pans. Bake for 22 – 25 minutes or just until a cake tester/toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a cooling rack before removing/using.
- Meanwhile prepare your frosting: Cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the 1/3 cup reserved coconut milk, the vanilla and almond extracts, and whip until incorporated (this makes it lighter and fluffier). Add the confectioner’s sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, creamy and very smooth.
- Put one cake on your cake plate, bottom side up. Spread a thin layer of marmalade on the cake, about ¼ cup, followed by a thick layer of frosting. Top with some toasted pecans. Place another cake layer on top, spread with marmalade, frosting and pecans. Finish with the last layer and top with the last of the marmalade and then a layer of frosting. Work/spread the frosting down the sides of the cake until you have a nice, thin crumb coat of frosting all around the top and sides. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look great. We’ll add another layer of frosting after it chills. Place your cake in the fridge so the frosting can set; takes about 20 – 30 minutes.
- Once the frosting has firmed up, remove the cake and then smooth on a thick coating of frosting all over the cake. Press the rest of the toasted coconut onto the sides and top with more toasted pecans. Decorate as you like! This recipe makes lots of frosting, all the better to play with.
Notes
NOTE: To toast your pecans, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat and allow them to toast up for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently until you can smell them and they take on a slightly darker shade of brown. Cool them completely before using them in the cake.
To toast your coconut, follow the exact same method as the pecans, above. Just note that it will toast up faster for you, so keep an eye on it and stir frequently to allow for evenly toasting/browning. I’ve got a photo in this post of what my toasted coconut looks like – not too brown, but just enough.
