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.Â
- Yield: 10 - 12 servings 1x
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKEÂ
- 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.Â
- 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.Â
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.Â