Regardless of its identify, Italian cream cake is a distinctly Southern US conventional vacation cake. A sturdy but moist pound cake-like batter is chock-full of toasted pecans and candy coconut and swathed in a thick and tangy cream cheese glaze—true decadence.
Italian Cream Cake
Makes 1 (10-cup) cake
Cake:
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 giant eggs (150 grams), room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) almond extract
- 2½ cups (313 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1¾ teaspoons (5 grams) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
- 1 cup (240 grams) complete milk, room temperature
- ½ cup (75 grams) pecans, finely chopped
- ½ cup (42 grams) sweetened flaked coconut
Glaze:
- 4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
- ¾ cup (90 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) complete milk
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
Garnish:
- chopped toasted pecans, toasted sweetened flaked coconut
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Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C).
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For cake: Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and granulated sugar at medium velocity till gentle and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
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Add eggs, one by one, beating nicely after every addition. Beat in extracts.
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In a medium bowl, whisk collectively flour, salt, and baking powder. With mixer on low velocity, steadily add flour combination to butter combination alternately with milk, starting and ending with flour combination, beating simply till mixed after every addition and stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Fold in pecans and coconut.
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Spray a 10-cup fluted tube pan with baking spray with flour. Unfold batter into ready pan. Firmly faucet pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter 7 to 10 occasions to settle batter and launch any air bubbles.
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Bake till a wood decide inserted close to heart comes out clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted close to heart registers at the least 205°F (96°C), 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire rack, and let cool utterly.
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For glaze: In one other medium bowl, whisk collectively all elements till clean; spoon onto cooled cake. Garnish with toasted pecans and toasted coconut, if desired. Refrigerate in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days.
