Italian Cream Cake
A new year and it’s time to have a new method to a long time stand by recipe. This version of Italian Cream Cake is a new recipe for me and it’s certainly a keeper.
Ever since I tried Billie’s Italian Cream Cake, I was hooked to it’s fluffy texture and butter crumbs. In this case I tried out a new recipe for an Italian Cream Cake. This was the last baking of Billie’s Italian Cream Cake. It has been my go-to cake for gift giving.
This recipe from Cake Paper Party scratched the separating of eggs and folding of egg whites. This recipe also omitted the coconut into the batter. Curious I baked the recipe up.
The cake, though amazing, I found it missing something, maybe I’m just so use to the coconut. This version of Italian Cream Cake is very good for decorating, cutting the domes off these cake layers was easy-peasy.
The frosting…god the frosting…it is amazing. Butter, cream cheese, and mascarpone are a wonderful trinity of flavors. This buttercream is not overly sweet and is velvety smooth.
In this dark and dreary January month, I decided to tint the Italian Cream Cake’s buttercream with a sunny yellow and ruffled the layers. I know the colors of this photo shoot is indicative of springtime, but man I’m very much ready for warmer weather.
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
- ½ cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
- 12 ounces mascarpone, room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups (4 sticks, 1 lb) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2-lbs powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 325 degree F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray.
- Take 1 tablespoon of flour and in a small bowl toss the chopped nuts with the flour. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat eggs with 1 cup sugar until pale yellow, thick, and well increased in volume, about 5 minutes. Gently pour the beaten egg mixture into another bowl and set aside.
- Switch out the stand mixer's whisk attachment for a paddle attachment
- Beat butter, oil and remaining 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle in flour. Add the baking soda and salt to the mixing bowl with the flour and butter mixture. Turn mixer on low and mix to moisten dry ingredients, about 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer going on low, slowly pour in buttermilk and vanilla extract. When all the buttermilk and vanilla extract are added, beat on medium speed for one minute until well combined and smooth.
- Fold in the nuts.
- By hand, stir in half of the beaten egg mixture; once incorporated, gently fold in the remaining half of the beaten eggs.
- Gently pour into the prepared pans and bake for about 20-28 minutes, turning halfway, until the cake tests clean with a toothpick. When you remove the cakes from the oven, thwack them firmly on the counter to minimize shrinkage. Let the cakes rest in the pans for 5 to 9 minutes before turning them out to the cooling rack and cool completely.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine the mascarpone and cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Remove to another bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until pale and light. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time on low speed until combined and smooth. Add the vanilla on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to high and beat for 3 to 5 minutes until creamy and firm.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and gradually add the mascarpone-cream cheese mixture. When it is all added, increase the speed until beat for a final 1 minutes. If you are coloring the frosting, you can tint it now.
- Level off the cakes so each layer is flat.
- Frost each layer with frosting and then stack the next layer on top.
- Do a light crumb coating on the outside of the cake and let the cake chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Frost the cake with a final coat of frosting. Let the cake chill for a final 15 minutes.