Italian Creme Cake with Pecans and Coconut

A moist hearty cake filled with coconut and pecans, loved by the Italians and by anyone who tastes it. The generous cream cheese frosting inbetween the layers and completely covering the cake ensure the “creme-iness” implied. An Italian favorite….an anywhere favorite!

ITALIAN CREME CAKE (COCONUT PECAN LAYER CAKE)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil

1 cup buttermilk

5 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 1/3 cups finely chopped pecans (leave out about 25 whole pecans for decorating)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

12 ounces of cream cheese (room temperature)

1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup) (room temperature)

1 - 2 teaspoons buttermilk

12 ounces powdered sugar (5 cups)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

dash of salt

For the Cake:

-Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 round cake pans.

-Cream butter with sugar and add vanilla. Add 5 yolks and olive oil then mix and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

-In a separate bowl combine sifted flour, salt and baking soda. Add the flour mixture a little at a time alternating with the buttermilk to the butter/sugar mixture.

-Mix in pecans and coconut.

-Beat the egg whites in a separate electric mixing bowl until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold egg whites into the batter with a spatula. Spoon the batter into your 2 pans evenly.

-Bake until golden on tops for 40 - 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.

-With a long serrated knife, carefully cut each cake in half horizontally, rotating the cake as you slice. Remove the top layer and carefully set aside. Place the bottom section onto a cake platter. Place about 3/4 cups frosting on to the first layer, and smooth over the layer. It will be a bit crumbly but don’t worry. It won’t be noticeable in the completed cake. Sprinkle a light layer of more chopped pecans on top of frosting if desired. Place the top section of the cut cake on top of the first layer and frost. Repeat so that you have 4 layers of cake with 3 layers of frosting in between.

-With the remaining frosting, frost the sides of the cake, then the top as smoothly as possible. Press extra coconut onto the sides of the cake by filling your hand with coconut and pushing against the sides until there is a sparse coating of coconut. Decorate the top of the cake with additional whole pecans placed around the outer edges of the top.

For the Frosting:

-Place all the ingredients in the mixing bowl of an electric mixing bowl. Mix together beginning at low speed and increasing to high speed as the ingredients come together and become smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add a touch more buttermilk if necessary to bring the frosting together. Add a small pinch of salt.

Spread the thick batter evenly between the 2 cake pans.

Frost the outsides and top of cake, then press more coconut into the sides of the cake and garnish with whole pecans on top.

Lovely layers of cream cheese frosting amongst moist cake studded with pecans and coconut!

A Creme Dream!