How to make Italian Cream Cake

The most favored Italian cream cake. This is a family favorite birthday cake! We celebrate several birthdays in August and usually have one big party.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick butter – softened
• ½ cup crisco – solid
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs – separated
• 1 ½ tsps. vanilla extract
• 1 cup walnuts – baked and crushed
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 small can coconut

METHOD:

1. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round cake pans. 
2. Cream butter and Crisco, add sugar and beat until smooth. 
3. Add yolks, one at a time and beat until well incorporated. 
4. Combine, flour and soda and add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. 
5. Stir in vanilla, add coconut and nuts.  Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold in. 
6. Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
7. Italian Cream Cake is ready to be served. Enjoy!

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese – softened
• ½ stick butter – unsalted
• 1 (16 oz) box powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup raspberry jam – or as necessary

NOTE: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add sugar and vanilla and beat until all well combined.  Spread jam on bottom cake layer.  Don’t get it too close to the edge or it will bleed into the frosting. Add top layer and frost cake.  Garnish with nuts and coconut, if desired. My family likes lots of frosting, so I make it to 1 ½ times.

BUON MANGIATA!