World Cooking

Homemade Italian Cream Cake

I’m convinced that the key to a homemade cake coming out tender and moist (sorry, I know a lot of people hate that word but it’s really the only one that applies here) is buttermilk! I use it in my One Bowl Chocolate Cake and decided to use it in this Homemade Italian Cream Cake recipe as well. Switching out the milk for buttermilk made all the difference! Also, I have always found homemade white or vanilla cakes to be drier than their boxed mix cake mix counterparts. I feel like I can almost say that I have tried all the vanilla cake recipes over the years. I’ve had people swear to me a certain recipe is their go-to, then I try it and I’m like “Eh, it’s okay but it’s nowhere near as moist as a boxed cake mix.” I have absolutely no problem saying that. I love a good boxed cake mix (Duncan Hines 4 Life!) Hey, I’m too old to be a food snob at this point. But at least I’m honest. �

From scratch versus cake mix

What I end up having to do with a lot of homemade cakes is poke tiny holes and then pour a simple syrup (sugar dissolved in water) on top to make the cake moist. That is actually a trick that some bakeries and diners use. Especially if they sell cakes by the slice. It means the slices won’t get hard after cutting. I’m pretty sure some places use that trick so they can sell more of the cake beyond the day it was made. However, most folks never know the difference anyway. Unless you bake a lot, then you know. Ha! I’m not sure I can ever get a ‘from-scratch’ cake to come out quite as tender as a boxed mix but I think this comes pretty dang close. The vegetable shortening helps too. Tip: Try switching out the vanilla extract with almond extract to give it an unexpected slight pop of flavor in the background. 

Ingredients:
For the cake: 

1 stick (8 tbsp) salted butter, softened to room temp.
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
5 beaten egg whites

For the frosting: 

1 stick (8 tbsp) salted butter, softened to room temp.
1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese, softened to room temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 small (16 oz) box powdered sugar
shredded sweetened coconut and chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325f degrees.

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (like Baker’s Joy.)

In a large mixing bowl (or in the stand of an electric mixer) mix together butter, shortening and sugar until smooth.

Add in egg yolks one at a time, mixing with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer after each egg, until blended.

In a small bowl mix together buttermilk, vanilla extract and baking soda.

Add 1/2 a cup of flour at a time, and 1/4 of the buttermilk mixture,
Repeat this until flour is added and buttermilk mixture is added. Blend well with hand mixer or stand mixer each time you add an ingredient.

Gently stir in the pecans, sweetened coconut, and beaten egg whites, until well blended. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.