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This Italian Cream Cake is a Southern classic with three soft, fluffy layers packed with toasted coconut and pecans. Each layer gets brushed with vanilla bean syrup before the whole cake is covered in brown butter cream cheese frosting. Nutty, buttery, and downright gorgeous. This is the cake you bring out when you want everybody asking for another slice!
For more beautiful layer cakes, try my banana pudding cake, milk and honey cake, or Southern Caramel Cake next!
Now, despite the name, Italian cream cake isn’t actually an Italian dessert. It’s a beloved Southern layer cake traditionally made with buttermilk, coconut, pecans, and cream cheese frosting. Think Old fashioned Hummingbird Cake minus the bananas and pineapple.
My version keeps everything people love about the classic, then turns the flavor all the way up. I toast the coconut and pecans first, add a splash of almond and rum flavor, brush the layers with vanilla bean syrup, and finish it with a nutty brown butter cream cheese frosting.
It takes a little time, but my goodness, is it worth it!
Recipe Development Notes
Italian cream cake can sometimes lean dense or overly sweet, so I built this version around keeping those loaded coconut-pecan cake layers soft and fluffy.
I used the reverse creaming method which means that we add the butter into the dry ingredients. During testing, I found that reverse creaming produced a finer, more even crumb that could support the coconut and pecans without making the layers feel heavy. I do this with my coconut layer cake recipe and it’s perfect every time!
Then we whip the egg whites separately to make the cake airy and light while still keeping that signature plush texture.
This is not how traditional Italian cream cake is made… I personally think it’s better. You be the judge, I promise, you’re gonna love it!
Key Ingredients and Why They Work
(The complete list of ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card.)
- Cake flour creates a softer, finer crumb than all-purpose flour. You can also make your own cake flour substitute, but all purpose flour works in a pinch. If you have more cake flour after this, make my lemon sheet cake with lemon cream cheese frosting next!
- Milk powder is my secret ingredient! It adds more SO much rich, creamy flavor to the cake and creates extra browned bits in the frosting.
- Butter and oil are a power couple! Butter supplies flavor, while oil helps the layers remain moist even after refrigerating.
- Eggs are the all stars in this recipe. The yolks add richness and structure while the whipped egg whites get folded into the batter, making the layers lighter and fluffier.
- Buttermilk and sour cream add moisture, richness, and a subtle tang that balances the sweetness. Not quite red velvet cake tangy but smooth and balanced.
- Coconut and rum emulsions – I swear by these! Together, they deepen the flavor of the cake and make every bite SO dang good! The coconut emulsion is optional, but lovely if you want the coconut to stand out.
- Sweetened shredded coconut and Pecan Halves add sweetness, texture, and classic Italian cream cake flavor. Toasting them first makes it even better.
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese. Cream cheese sold in a tub contains more moisture and may make the frosting too soft.
How to Make Italian Cream Cake
These step-by-step photos are here to guide you through the process. If you’re ready to get started, scroll down or tap “Jump to Recipe” for the full printable version with measurements and instructions.
Brown the butter. Cook the butter and milk powder until golden brown and nutty, then refrigerate until solidified but still soft enough to mix.
Toast the coconut and pecans. Bake at 300°F until the coconut is lightly golden and the pecans smell toasted. Cool, then chop into small pieces.
Reverse cream the dry ingredients. Mix the cake flour, milk powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the softened butter and mix until the texture looks sandy and crumbly.
Mix wet ingredients and egg whites. Whisk the oil, buttermilk, egg yolks, sour cream, and flavor extracts together and add to the dry ingredients and mix for 1 minute. In a separate, clean grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Finish the Italian cream cake batter. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites, toasted coconut, and pecans without deflating the batter.
Bake and soak the cake layers. Divide the batter among three prepared 8-inch pans and bake at 350°F for 28–32 minutes. Prepare the vanilla bean syrup, then brush it over the warm cake layers.
Make the brown butter cream cheese frosting. Beat the solidified brown butter with softened butter until fluffy. Mix in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt, then briefly beat in the cream cheese until smooth.
Assemble the Italian cream cake. Stack the cooled layers with frosting between each one. Apply a thin crumb coat, chill for 30 minutes, then cover the cake with the remaining frosting and decorate as desired.
Britney’s Pro Baking Tips
- Toast the coconut and pecans carefully. Coconut can burn quickly, especially around the edges. Toss it halfway through and check it frequently after 10 minutes.
- Use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. Weighing your ingredients in grams is the best way to ensure the cake turns out properly/as intended. Too much flour is one of the quickest ways to turn a soft cake into a dry one.
- Fold whipped egg whites gently. Use broad strokes to lift the batter from the bottom and fold it over the whites. Stirring aggressively will deflate them and produce heavier layers.
- Chop the mix-ins finely. Large pecan pieces can make the layers difficult to slice and may create gaps in the crumb.
- Cool the cake completely before assembling. Even slightly warm layers can melt cream cheese frosting and cause the cake to slide.
Recipe FAQs
Despite its name, Italian cream cake is actually a Southern American dessert. Its exact origins are unclear, but coconut, pecans, buttermilk, and cream cheese frosting have become its defining features.
You can use them without toasting, but the cake will have less pronounced coconut and pecan flavor. Toasting also gives the pecans a crisper texture and brings out their natural nuttiness.
Yes. Because the frosting contains cream cheese, keep the assembled cake covered in the refrigerator. Let individual slices sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes before serving for the softest texture and best flavor.
Yes. Bake the layers one day ahead, brush them with vanilla bean syrup, and wrap them tightly once cooled. Assemble the cake the following day. The finished cake can also be refrigerated overnight and brought closer to room temperature before serving.
More Southern Style Layer Cake Recipes
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Italian Cream Cake
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (344 g) Cake Flour
- 2 tbsp (12 g) Milk Powder, (optional)
- 2 cups (400 g) Sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 3/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113 g) Salted Butter
- 1/2 cup (112 g) Vegetable Oil
- 5 large (250 g) Eggs, (separated, room temperature)
- 1 cup (240 g) Whole Fat buttermilk, (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup (120 g) Sour Cream
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste, (or vanilla extract)
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- 1/2 tsp Coconut Emulsion, (optional, but recommended)
- 1/2 tsp Rum Emulsion
- 1 cup (85 g) Sweetened Shredded Coconut
- 3/4 cup (107 g) Pecan Halves
Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup
- 1/4 cup (60 g) Water
- 1/4 cup (50 g) Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste , (or vanilla extract)
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) Salted Butter, (browned)
- 1/4 cup (24 g) Milk Powder, (optional)
- 1/2 cup (113 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature, do not brown – see instructions)
- 4 cups (500 g) Powdered Sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 g) Whole Milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste, (or vanilla extract)
- 16 oz (906 g) Cream Cheese, (room temperature)
Instructions
- Prep the brown butter cream cheese frosting. Start by browning 1 cup (2 sticks ~ 227g) of butter in a saucepan. Add butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in 1/4 cup of milk powder, stirring frequently to break up the powdery bits. Cook until the butter becomes foamy and develops browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 7-10 minutes. It’s done when the foam on top also has speckled bits that float and it smells caramel/nutty. Pour into a heat safe container and place into the refrigerator to solidify for about 1 hour (it should be at the ideal temperature by the time that the cakes are finished baking) 1 cup Salted Butter 1/4 cup Milk Powder
- Now we're going to toast the coconut and pecans. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spread the sweetened shredded coconut and pecans onto a baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 5 minutes, give everything a toss, then return to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes. The coconut should be lightly golden, and the pecans should smell toasty and look slightly darker. If the coconut isn’t quite golden after 10 minutes, bake for another 2-3 minutes, but keep a close eye on it, because it can burn quickly. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then chop into small bits so that they distribute evenly throughout the cake without creating big chunks. (about ¼ inch pieces) 1 cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut 3/4 cup Pecan Halves
- Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 8-inch pans with butter and dust with flour (you can also use nonstick baking spray) but be sure to liberally coat the pans as this batter will want to stick to the pans. (Pro tip: It's helpful to use parchment rounds if you have them.)
- Separate eggs into two bowls – egg yolks in one bowl and egg whites in another. Set aside. 5 large Eggs
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add cake flour, milk powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Mix together for about 30 seconds, to combine, then add room temperature butter and mix until the butter is fully incorporated into the dry ingredients – the mixture should appear sandy/crumbly. This will take about 2-3 minutes. 2 3/4 cups Cake Flour 2 tbsp Milk Powder 2 cups Sugar 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 3/4 tsp Kosher salt 1/2 cup Salted Butter
- In the bowl with the egg yolks, add vegetable oil, buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla extract, almond extract, coconut emulsion, and rum emulsion. Whisk together until smooth. 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil 1 cup Whole Fat buttermilk 1/2 cup Sour Cream 1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste 1/2 tsp Almond Extract 1/2 tsp Coconut Emulsion 1/2 tsp Rum Emulsion
- To the bowl with the egg whites, use a hand mixer and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Ensure that the bowl is VERY clean. (Pro tip: squeeze lemon juice into the bowl and wipe clean with a paper towel to ensure that there is no residue on the bowl, this can inhibit the meringue from fully reaching stiff peaks if there’s any fat/grease on the bowl)
- Add half of egg yolk/buttermilk mixture to the stand mixer and mix until just combined, then add the remainder of the mixture and continue to mix until combined, about 20 seconds. Turn the mixer speed up to medium high and mix for 1 full minute to ensure that the batter is fully mixed together – stop at the 1 minute mark to prevent overmixing.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and use a rubber spatula to gently fold in ½ of the egg whites. Once combined, add the remainder of the egg whites and mix until just incorporated. Batter may look lumpy but it’s fine as long as everything is mixed together
- Divide batter equally between the prepared pan and bake for 28-32 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
- While the cakes are baking, make the vanilla bean simple syrup. Add water and sugar to a saucepan over medium. Cook until the sugar is just dissolved, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat and add the vanilla bean paste and mix together. Set aside to cool. 1/4 cup Water 1/4 cup Sugar 2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack. Brush the tops of the cake with the vanilla bean simple syrup and cover with plastic wrap. Let the cakes cool completely. (you may have some leftover syrup, this is ok!)
- Now finish up the frosting. Remove the solid browned butter from the fridge and add the the bowl of stand mixer along with ½ cup (113g) of room temperature butter. Fit with the paddle attachment and mix together for 4 minutes on medium speed, until combined and fluffy. Add in 2 cups of powdered sugar, whole milk, and mix on low for about 1 minute, then increase speed to medium and mix for 1 minute. It’ll look thick and clumpy at first but it’ll smooth out as the powdered sugar becomes incorporated into the butter. Add the remaining powdered sugar and repeat. 1/2 cup Salted Butter 4 cups Powdered Sugar 2 tbsp Whole Milk 2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the cream cheese and mix on medium speed for about 1-2 minutes, until the cream cheese is fully incorporated and the frosting looks fluffy and smooth. 16 oz Cream Cheese
- Once the cakes have cooled completely, place one cake layer onto a cake stand. Add a generous amount of frosting on top and spread into an even layer. Place the second layer on top and repeat. Then add the third layer and coat the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting (crumb coat). Place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then add the remaining frosting to the cake. Decorate however you’d like!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
