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Italian cream cake covered in coconut on a black and bronze cake stand.

High Altitude Italian Cream Cake

Heather Smoke
A high altitude recipe for a classic Italian cream cake (coconut pecan cake), with pecan cream cheese buttercream and crunchy coconut flakes.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings16

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment

Ingredients
 

Cake

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 2 oz unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 3 cups cake flour (or all-purpose flour), fluffed, spooned and leveled
  • 2 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • 1 can (14 oz) full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 cup unsalted pecans, very finely chopped

Buttercream

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp meringue powder (optional)
  • ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • cup unsalted pecans, very finely chopped
  • 1 ½ cups natural unsweetened coconut

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line three 8-inch cake pans with a circle of parchment paper on the bottom of the pans, and spray the paper with non-stick spray.
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar for five minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.  Beat in the extracts.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.  With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the coconut milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing just until moistened.  Add the chopped pecans, using a spatula to gently stir them in.
  • Divide the batter between the pans.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, or with moist crumbs clinging to it.  Set the pans on a wire rack, covered loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream

  • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter for several minutes until smooth.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing until combined.
  • Add the salt, meringue powder and vanilla extract.  Whip the buttercream on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until very light and fluffy. Fold in the chopped pecans.
  • Fill and stack the cooled cake layers, then frost all over with a thin crumb coat.  Refrigerate the cake for 20-30 minutes (keeping the rest of the buttercream covered), then frost with a final layer of buttercream.  Press the coconut flakes all over the top and sides of the cake.

Notes

This cake is best served at room temperature, but leftovers should be kept in the refrigerator overnight because of the cream cheese buttercream.
Keyword Cake, Coconut, Cream Cheese, High Altitude, Italian cream cake, Pecan
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