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A slice of Italian cream cake served on a white plate.
5 from 4 votes

Italian Cream Cake (Coconut and Pecan)

Enjoy the flavors of coconut and pecan in this Southern classic Italian cream cake.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Assembly Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 16
Calories: 649 kcal

Ingredients

For the cake:

For the frosting:

  • ½ Cup Vegan Butter room temperature
  • 8 ounces Vegan Cream Cheese room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 4 cups Powdered Sugar sifted
  • 1 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut optional
  • 1 Cup Pecans optional

Instructions

For the cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9-inch cake rounds and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  • Combine the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small mixing bowl. Whisk well and set aside.
    2 ½ Cups Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon Salt
  • Add the sugar, butter and oil to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.
    ½ Cup Vegan Butter, ½ Cup Olive Oil, 2 Cups Sugar
  • Add the vanilla and almond extract and beat for 30 seconds more.
    2 teaspoon Vanilla, ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
  • Add the egg yolks (only yolks) one at a time, beating for 60 seconds between each addition. Scrape down the bowl.
    5 Eggs
  • Set the mixer to low speed. Add half of the dry ingredients following by half of the sour cream and milk. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
    1 Cup Non Dairy Milk, ½ Cup Vegan Sour Cream
  • Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the coconut and pecans and fold them into the cake batter with a spatula.
    1 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut, 1 Cup Pecans
  • Add the egg whites to a mixing bowl and begin beating on medium low speed. Gradually increase the speed until the egg whites reach stiff peaks. It will take 6-8 minutes.
  • Fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter with a spatula.
  • Divide the batter evenly between your three prepared cake pans.
  • Bake on the center rack of a preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the cake pans before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:

  • Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
    ½ Cup Vegan Butter, 8 ounces Vegan Cream Cheese
  • Add the vanilla and beat for 30 seconds more.
    1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • Add half of the powdered sugar and stir on low until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining sugar. Once the dry ingredients are mixed in, move the mixer to medium high speed and beat for about 5 minutes until it's really fluffy.
    4 cups Powdered Sugar

Assembly:

  • Spread the coconut and pecans on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow the nuts to cool, then chop them into small pieces.
    1 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut, 1 Cup Pecans
  • Place one cake layer on a plate with the top of the cake facing down. Spread ¼ of the frosting over the cake. Sprinkle with pecan pieces.
  • Repeat with the second layer, topping with frosting and pecan pieces.
  • Place the final layer on the cake. Add ½ of the remaining frosting and spread it over the tops and sides of the cake in a thin layer. Make it as smooth as possible. Place the cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  • Remove the chilled cake and top with the remaining frosting. Decorate the cake with the remaining pecans and coconut.
  • Serve immediately or store the finished cake in the refrigerator. Note: This cake slices best if it is made a day ahead of time.

Notes

STORAGE: Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.