Growing up, my Memaw ALWAYS made a German chocolate cake for my birthday. It has ALWAYS been what I love to eat.
UNTIL, my Aunt Debbie made an Italian Cream cake for me the day after I gave birth to my first child.
I remember the pang of guilt that shot through me, when I considered that "this could be my new favorite birthday cake."
Ok, move over just a tad, German chocolate cake. Italian Cream cake is NOW my number 1a favorite dessert to eat. This is Aunt Debbie's recipe. I have never made it myself, but I've happily eaten it for the last eight years.
HERE'S WHAT AUNT DEB DOES
- 1 white cake mix with pudding
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 (3 1/2 ounces) pkg shredded coconut
- 2/3 cup toasted chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoon rum (optional)
- Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Preheat oven 350°F degrees. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in coconut & pecans. Pour batter into 3 greased & floured 9” round cake pans.
Bake 15-17 minutes. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle evenly with rum, if desired: let stand for 10 minutes. Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides.
Chill for 2 hours before slicing.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 (16 ounces) package powdered sugar
- 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in pecans and vanilla.Makes 4 cups.
I hope you enjoy this delicious cake as much as I do. I actually crave it from time to time. I'm not sure that's entirely a good thing but it is THAT wonderful! It's a beautiful cake to take to luncheons, pot lucks, where ever two or more are gathered. EAT UP!
I need to ask my Aunt to make this again.
At least one Sunday each month my huge family (I’m the baby out of 7) gathers at my mom’s house for a themed meal. Everyone has to bring a dish. Yesterday was my day for an Italian dessert. I came across your Aunt Deb’s recipe and thought I would give it a whirl since it is so super simple. IT WAS A HIT! I got so many compliments and shared your recipe with my 3 sisters and my mom. I just wanted to thank you for sharing it and let you know that I am also a die hard German chocolate cake lover but I think with one more slice of your 1a fave…I could very easily be swayed!
Thanks again and have a wonderful day!
LOL! Sunny, did you have a moment of guilt when the thought ran through your mind that this cake could possibly replace German Chocolate cake?
Thank you for getting back with me. I’ll be sure to pass this along to my Aunt Deb.
My mom has celiac disease. So I replaced the white cake mix with Pamela gluten free white cake mix. I made the icing from the Pamela gluten free white icing with a touch of almond extract. She though it was great. Even those that dont have the disease liked it.
My husband’s favorite cake has always been that Black Forest cake which his mom made and I’ve never attempted it…for that reason. You can never make as good as “mom’s”, you know. BUT when I brought a piece of this home leftover from a party I took it to, he raved about it to his daughter the next day that THIS was now his favorite cake in the whole wide world, even though he doesn’t really like coconut (I told him it had coconut AFTER he tasted it.) Toasting the pecans really brings out the flavor in the nuts. This is well worth the calories!
Hi, my name is Debbie Wood I am a retired bakery owner and have made hundreds of wedding cakes. My neice is getting married in June and wants a Italian Cream Cake all the recipes I have found were so involved and expensive to make. I was so happy to find this easy recipe. I am going to try it out and hope that this Aunt Deb will be able to bless her neice with a good looking and good tasting wedding cake. I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the recipe.
I hope your niece loves this cake too. I particularly like it the next day right out of the refrigerator. Mmm, cold Italian Cream Cake. Great! Now my mouth is watering for coconut.
You are going to give the recipe a test drive before the big day right?
Hi Jill…It was great to meet you down at the Farmer’s Market yesterday. Your soup was delicious! And this cake sounds Fab-u-lous! Will have to try it out at the next gathering. My mom always made us a Chocolate Roll for our birthdays. Here’s the link to my blog…
http://www.delightedheart.blogspot.com
Blessings!
patti
Hi Patti!
Oh thank you and it was cool meeting you, too! You’re going to share that Chocolate Roll recipe with me right?
I believe there’s plenty of SDR inquiring readers that what to know too.
Yes, I plan on trying it out this weekend. Will the cake have to be refrigerated the day of the wedding as I will set it up around noon and the wedding is not till 7:00 p.m.
Debbie Wood
I’ve email Aunt Deb.
Aunt Deb said,
”
“the longer in the fridge, the better, but it should be ok.
We made this tonight it was great especially that frosting!! I put pics up on my facebook. It was really really really good!
We need to be friends on facebook, before I can see those pics. Add me to your friends: Jill McKeever Dallas/Fort Worth Network
Last night I found this recipe while searching for a cake to make for my father, whom is Italian. I came across this and decided I would trust Aunt Deb’s recipe and your love for this cake because after, German Chocolate is/was my favorite! So, I made the cake last night and we served it tonight with my dad’s famous Spaghetti Dinner. It was absolutely delicious! Everyone LOVED it! I am pretty sure this is now my favorite cake! So, thank you and thank YOU Aunt Deb!!
Jennifer, you made Aunt Deb’s day! I let her know what you said and she was just thrilled. We’re both so happy to know that your Dad’s dinner went so well. And this cake is so creamy and nutty, not to mention easy to make. It’s one of those recipes that leads others to think you slaved over the recipe, when in reality it’s so easy to bring together.
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing your success with us.
I made this last night for Thanksgiving Dinner. It smells wonderful…the frosting is GREAT!
I was wondering how this would work for a traditional stacked wedding cake. I generally always use the buttercream frosting so I can get the nice smooth surface for decorating. I didn’t see anything from Debbie Woods about how her niece’s wedding cake turned out. My concern is always
1) Is it structurally sound to stack,,,and transport.
2) Will it frost smooth for decorating.
Hi Jill. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I do like cake so much that I wanted to try every recipe I found. This is really a quick thing to do. Hope to see more of your recipes.
Sammy SweetCakes, the cake I did for my neice turned out wonderful and delicious. I used the traditional buttercream frosting and the cake stacked beautifully, no problems. I did not use the rum I used vanilla.
Hope your cake turns out great.
Debbie
THANK YOU, Debbie!
Thank you so much Jill and Debbie for getting back with me. I am going to offer my bride a taste test so I can do a practice run. She wants key lime cream cheese filling. I’m hoping this will talk her out of it. Wish me luck.