Ultimate Italian Cream Cake

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Sure! Here’s a comprehensive and beautifully detailed recipe for a Cake Mix Italian Cream Cake, including its history, ingredients, step-by-step method, tips for lovers of baking, and a warm conclusion to bring it all together.

🌟 Ultimate Italian Cream Cake (Cake Mix Hack) 🌟

A beloved Southern-style classic with a shortcut twist!

🧁 Introduction:

The Italian Cream Cake is a rich, elegant dessert known for its nutty, coconut-kissed flavor and decadent cream cheese frosting. Despite the name, this cake isn’t actually Italian—it originated in the Southern United States, where it’s a staple at weddings, birthdays, and holidays. This version uses a cake mix to save time while still delivering that traditional flavor and texture everyone loves.

📜 History:

Though the origins of the Italian Cream Cake are murky, many believe it first became popular in the early-to-mid 20th century American South. The name likely came from the inclusion of coconut and pecans, ingredients often associated with European desserts. It’s a cake meant to be shared—a symbol of celebration, love, and southern hospitality.

🧾 Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 1 box white or yellow cake mix (15.25 oz)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup butter (softened)
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup chopped pecans (toasted is best)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
  • 1/2 cup butter (softened)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional for garnish)
  • Extra coconut flakes (optional for garnish)

🥣 Instructions & Method:

Step 1: Prep the Oven and Pans

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans or line with parchment paper.

Step 2: Mix the Batter

  1. In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk and baking soda. Let it sit while you prepare the rest.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and shortening until light and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Add in the cake mix and the buttermilk mixture, alternating until combined.
  5. Stir in vanilla extract, coconut, and pecans.

Step 3: Bake

  • Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.
  • Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Step 4: Make the Frosting

  • Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  • Gradually add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
  • Stir in the vanilla extract and beat until fluffy.

Step 5: Assemble the Cake

  • Place one cake layer on a serving plate.
  • Spread with a generous layer of frosting.
  • Repeat with the remaining layers, frosting the top and sides.
  • Garnish with additional pecans and coconut, if desired.

💞 For the Lovers (of Cake & Each Other)

This cake isn’t just dessert—it’s a love language. Bake it for:

  • Your partner on a cozy date night at home ❤️
  • A friend’s birthday 🥳
  • A holiday gathering where everyone fights for a second slice 🎄

The moist crumb, the tangy frosting, and the crunch of pecans make this cake memorable and romantic—a dessert made to be shared.

🎉 Conclusion:

This Cake Mix Italian Cream Cake is a celebration of flavor, convenience, and tradition. It marries the nostalgia of homemade baking with the ease of a boxed mix, and the result is utterly irresistible. Whether you’re making it for a crowd or for someone special, this cake will steal the show—and maybe a few hearts, too.

So go ahead… grab a fork, share a slice, and bake with love. 💕

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