For Easter dessert, carrot cake often takes center stage—and for good reason. It’s familiar, comforting, and a little bit nostalgic. But if you’re in the mood to surprise your guests with something equally classic and a touch more indulgent, this Italian Cream Cake is a beautiful alternative.
This cake has all the things we love: a tender, rich crumb, a hint of coconut, a bit of crunch from pecans, and that luscious cream cheese frosting that feels right at home on any spring table. It’s decadent without being fussy, and made just as you would any good cake from scratch—simple steps, wonderful reward.
This Italian Cream Cake recipe was generously shared with me by a dear friend, Suzanne Jernigan, who is not only a fantastic cook but also the keeper of this beloved family favorite. It’s the cake most requested by her family, which tells you everything you need to know.
I’ve made a few small tweaks to make it my own, as we chefs tend to do, but the heart of the recipe is entirely hers. Suzanne, I’m so grateful you shared it with me. My family has been enjoying it immensely.
In fact, I recently made it for my dad’s 89th birthday, and let’s just say… there wasn’t much left to celebrate with the next day. Always a good sign.
If you’re looking for something a little different this Easter—something familiar, yet special—this cake might just become your new tradition.
Italian Cream Cake
½ cup butter
½ cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3, 8 or 9-inch cake pans with non-stick spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside each pan, and spray again once in place.
To make the cake, cream the butter, oil, and sugar together in an electric mixer. Add the egg yolks one at a time. Add extracts and mix well. Combine all the dry ingredients. Add ½ of the dry ingredients and mix. Next, add the buttermilk, mixing to incorporate. And last, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix only until combined. Fold in the coconut. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes until the cake is done and brown around the edges. Allow the cake to cool before removing it from the pan. Frost the cooled cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and press the pecans to the cake edges.
Cream Cheese Frosting
12 ounces of cream cheese
¾ cup softened butter
6 cups of powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat the cream cheese and butter together with a handheld mixer. Add the vanilla and the salt, and the sugar slowly, allowing it to incorporate. Once the sugar is in, beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Frost the cooled cake
Enjoy!
Lorie
