Italian Cream Cake (from a mix)

by Cindy

 

Well it's another snow day in Indiana.   It's a perfect day to stay in and bake something wonderful.  I've been think about making an Italian Cream Cake for a while now but just never got around to it.  I made a homemade Italian Cream Cake many years ago and remember that I didn't like the results.  It called for whipping the egg whites and folding them into the batter.  I remember the cake was very delicate but  almost fell apart when I tried to ice it.  I decided to find a recipe that used a cake mix so that I didn't have to do all of the folding.  I played with a couple of  recipes and came up with this recipe.  I thought the cake tasted great.  It was soft and delicate and held together.  I loved the pecan crunch in the cake, and who doesn't love cream cheese icing?  Adding toasted coconut and chopped pecans on the top of the icing, made a very pretty presentation.  

Italian Cream Cake (from a mix)

1 box white cake mix

1 box instant french vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 c vegetable oil

1/3 cup buttermilk

about 1/4 cup coconut milk

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

2/3 cup pecans or walnuts

Put all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.  When adding the buttermilk add the coconut milk to the buttermilk so that it measures 1/2 cup. 

 Blend on low and then mix on medium for 2 minutes.  Add coconut and pecans and blend together.  Batter will be thick.  Spoon batter into a flour sprayed prepared 9 x 13 pan or into prepared cupcake pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cupcakes require less cooking time so start checking them after about 20 minutes. 

 

Cream Cheese Icing

1 - 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

4 cups of powdered sugar

1 t vanilla extract

coconut and pecans

Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.  On low speed, add powder sugar a little at a time until desired consistency is achieved.  Add 1 vanilla extract.