Coconut Cream Cake (Italian Cream Cake)
Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
Emeril calls this Coconut Cream Cake but the more popular name seems to be Italian Cream Cake even though this cake is not from Italy. Nobody seems to know for sure where this cake came from, but most researchers say that it has Southern origins. One food writer said that he did not find anything remotely similar to this American classic while in Italy, but he did find that the first published recipe came from a Texas homemaker in the Dallas area in the post WWII years. Whatever its origins, this popular layer cake is irresistible. For a more casual cake, you could bake it in a 13 x 9" oblong pan and frost just the top. Cut the cake recipe back by a third, and perhaps the frosting recipe by half.
For cake batter:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 eggs, separated
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup ground pecans
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup freshly grated coconut
For frosting:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup freshly grated coconut
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans.
Using an electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter. With the mixer running, add the oil and incorporate thoroughly. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each yolk.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking soda together. Add the ground pecans to the flour mixture. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the egg mixture. Mix thoroughly. Fold in the coconut. Using an electric mixer, in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the center of each cake is set.
Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on a wire cake. After the cakes have cooled, invert each cake onto a piece of parchment paper. Set the cakes aside.
To make the frosting, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Mix well. Fold in the pecan pieces.
Spread a thin layer of the frosting on top of each cake. Place the layers of cake on top of each other. Ice the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the coconut.
