Saturday, February 16, 2013

Italian Cream Cake


I love, love, love this cake! It makes an awesome presentation as a 3-layer delight, but it's just as tasty as a 13 x 9 sheet cake. No matter how you bake it, it's a hit every time I serve it.

Used to be I made this cake all the time, and we couldn't keep it in the house.  Now, with just my husband and myself at home, it's easier to make as a sheet cake, then he can easily bring some to work to share with the staff.

RECIPE
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup oil
5 eggs, separated
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk (make your own by adding 1 tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar to the milk)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup flaked coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream sugar, shortening and oil. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir baking soda into buttermilk; add alternately with flour to batter. Mix until well beaten. Fold in coconut.

Beat egg whites and fold into mixture; add vanilla.

Pour into 3 greased and floured 9-inch pans or one 13 x 9-inch pan.

Bake layers in 350 oven 25 minutes; bake sheet cake 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool cake layers before frosting.

Frosting
One 8-oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
One 1-pound box confectioners sugar
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla extract
May need to add 1 Tbsp milk for desired consistency

Cream cheese and butter; gradually beat in sugar. Add pecans and flavorings.  This makes a lot of frosting. Cut recipe in 1/2 for sheet cake.

Enjoy,

Mary

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