ITALIAN CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Italian Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting image

This Italian cake with coconut cream cheese frosting is a family Christmas favorite.

Provided by qabowman

Time 1h40m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

2 cups white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
5 large eggs, separated, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 cups powdered sugar, or to taste
2 cups flaked sweetened coconut

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
Cream sugar and butter for cake in a large bowl. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, until incorporated.
Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl; gradually add to wet ingredients. Slowly add buttermilk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in coconut and pecans.
Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cake batter, and pour into the prepared cake pans.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool, about 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator or freezer while you make the frosting.
Combine cream cheese and butter for frosting in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add vanilla. Slowly add in powdered sugar and mix to desired consistency. Mix in 1 cup shredded coconut, reserving the rest to decorate the sides of the cake. Place frosting in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Frost the tops of each cake layer, then stack the layers and frost the sides. Press reserved coconut onto the sides of the cake.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 615.5 calories, Carbohydrate 83.5 g, Cholesterol 100.4 mg, Fat 30.6 g, Fiber 1.9 g, Protein 5.2 g, SaturatedFat 17.1 g, Sodium 210.6 mg, Sugar 72.2 g