Italian Cream Cake is actually a classic dessert from the Southern U.S., although I'm sure its origins somehow trace back to Italy. What I've garnered from my research on this iconic confection is that it is a super moist cake incorporating buttermilk, vanilla, shredded coconut, pecans or walnuts, and filled/frosted with either a cream cheese or buttercream frosting. It sounded so good that I decided to make this cake for my sister's birthday earlier this month, but decided to substitute the traditional uber sweet buttercream with a lighter Creme Diplomate (a mixture of whipped cream and pastry cream). The cake recipe itself comes from Maryam, the amazing baker of Cakes by MK https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/moist-italian-cream-cake/
FOR THE CAKE:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature (yolks & whites separated)
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
FOR THE PASTRY CREAM:
2 batches Creme Diplomate (Diplomat cream)
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
MAKE THE PASTRY CREAM:
Make two batches of the Diplomat Cream according to instructions and refrigerate up to 2-3 days before use.
MAKE THE CAKE:
a. Preheat oven to 350F.
b. Prepare two 8" cake pans by greasing the bottom and sides with unsalted butter. Place 8" parchment rounds on the bottoms of each pan, and grease the tops with additional butter; set aside.
c. Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl; whisk together until well-combined and set aside.
d. Place unsalted butter, vegetable oil and sugar into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium high speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy; add egg yolks and mix on low speed until well combined.
e. Add vanilla, almond extract and buttermilk and mix on low speed until well combined; use a spatula to scrape mixture down the bowl.
f. Add the sifted dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined (do not over mix).
g. Add the shredded coconut and chopped pecans and fold gently until just combined; set aside.
h. In a medium bowl, add the egg whites and whip on medium speed to stiff peaks, about 2-3 minutes.
i. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the cake batter and gently fold until just combined; add the remaining egg whites and gently fold until just combined.
j. Pour the cake batter evenly between the 2 cake pans and use a spatula to level out the batter. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven to cool for about 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the cakes, invert to remove and place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
a. Using a serrated knife, remove the browned tops, bottoms and sides of each cake layer.
b. Combine the ingredients for the whipped cream topping into a bowl; using an electric mixer, beat over medium high heat to stiff peaks; set aside.
c. Place the first cake layer on a cake pedestal stand or turntable, lined with a cardboard round and/or paper doily. Pipe 3/4 of the pastry cream over the top, then smooth with a spatula. Top with the second cake layer, then pipe the remaining 1/4 of the pastry cream on top, smoothing over with a spatula.
d. Using a spatula, spread a generous amount of whipped cream around the sides of the cake until totally covered. Place the remaining whipped cream into a pastry bag with a star tip, and pipe decoratively on top of the cake, as desired. I like to add gold star sprinkles for extra pizzaz!
Grease the bottoms and sides of the cake pans with unsalted butter.
Place two 8" parchment rounds on the bottoms of the cake pans and grease the tops with butter.
Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl.
Whisk the sifted ingredients together to combine.
Cream the butter, oil and sugar together on medium high until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the egg yolks and beat on low speed until well combined.
Add vanilla, almond extract and buttermilk and mix one low speed until combined.
Beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form; set aside.
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and fold very gently until just combined.
Add the coconut and pecans and fold until just combined.
Gently fold in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites to the batter; add the remaining egg whites and gently fold in until just combined.
Pour the batter equally into the cake pans.
Spread the batter with a spatula to even out.
Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let rest for 20 minutes in the pan.
Remove the cakes from their pans and let cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Shave off the browned tops, bottoms and sides of each cake layer with a serrated knife.
Pipe 3/4 of the pastry cream on top of the 1st cake layer.
Smooth and level out the pastry cream with a spatula; top with 2nd cake layer and top with remaining pastry cream.
Make the whipped cream; use this to frost the sides of the cake and pipe on top with a star tip.
I decorated this cake with gold star sprinkles and gilded butterflies for my sis Elaine's birthday.
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