I have another addition for the six inch cake collection – Six Inch Italian Cream Cake! It’s a four layer pecan and coconut cake covered with cream cheese frosting. Since posting this, I have made it more often than the 9-inch cake. And my daughter has tested it as well, so we have plenty of photos.
Adapted From a 5 Egg Recipe
To adapt the original 5 egg recipe, I made ⅔ of it, baked the batter in two small pans, then split each layer to make a 4 layer Italian Cream Cake. It’s a little on the tall side so slices are kind of awkward when set upright.
But they are just fine on their side.
Next time I might make the cake this same way, but leave off the fourth layer or crumble it up and slap it on the sides. Well, in theory. I like the idea of crumbling things up and putting crumbs on the sides of cake, but my cakes always look messy when I attempt this so it probably won’t happen. I really admire all of you who can decorate. Here's another photo. My daughter made and decorated this one and put pecan halves on the side.
Here’s the recipe. It makes just enough frosting to frost and fill the entire cake, so if you want to do any decorating with extra, you’ll need to double the frosting. Also, if you still don't have the six inch pans you can buy the Fat Daddios's brand on Amazon.
A Few More Notes
The directions call for a stand mixer. When I first started making this cake I only had one bowl for my stand mixer, so I beat the egg whites in the stand mixer bowl first, then scraped them aside (into a second bowl) and used that same stand mixer bowl for the batter. If you have two stand mixer bowls, you can whip the whites last. I've found that they don't deflate during their brief wait, but it could different in other kitchens. Beating the whites first is also helpful if you are using a handheld mixer and only have one set of beater blades. You can beat them first and not have to worry about washing them off.
Recipe
Six Inch Italian Cream Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ cup buttermilk room temperature
- 3 large eggs separated and at room temperature
- ⅓ unsalted butter 70 grams
- ⅓ cup shortening 65 grams
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar 250 grams
- ½ teaspoon salt omit if using salted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour 170 grams
- ½ cup pecans toasted and chopped
- ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
Frosting:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened,
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 pound powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour two six inch round cake pans or spray with flour-added cooking spray and line bottoms with parchment circles.
- Measure and assemble all ingredients.
- Stir baking soda into buttermilk and set aside.
- Beat egg whites until stiff peaks just start to form using the whisk attachment of the stand mixer. Scrape them into a bowl to wait. If you are using a handheld mixer and two bowls, just beat them and set them aside.
- In the same stand mixing bowl (or a different one if using a handheld), beat butter, shortening, sugar and salt until light and creamy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl often. Beat in vanilla.
- By hand or using lowest speed of mixer, add flour and buttermilk/soda mixture alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in the beaten egg whites.
- When egg whites are incorporated, fold in the pecans and coconut. Batter should be thick and light. Scrape into prepared pans dividing evenly (about 16 oz per pan)
- Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until cakes tests done.
- Allow the cakes to cool for about 10 minutes in the pans, then transfer to a wire rack. When cakes are cool, split them horizontally to make four layers.
- Frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat until well blended. Frost the cakes and stack.
Elizabeth S says
I wanted to make my parents an anniversary cake, and they both love Italian cream cake. This is such a great little cake because every other Italian cream cake I have made was 3 full layers (too much for 3 people). The cake was not at all dry, and the taste was perfect. I had enough frosting to frost it, and I coated the cake with toasted coconut and pecans. Best cake I have made in years. Thank you!
Sue says
That’s a very pretty cake! I saw your note about Amaretto on Facebook. I wonder how an Amaretto glaze would be applied while still warm? I’d offer to test that but one of my taste testers can’t have that. Darn!
The way you made it here will fly though
Anna says
Martha, if you experiment with the 7 inch pans please report back! I only have the two 6 inch pans. I also think this cake would work just fine with two 8 inch pans, though in my mind Italian Cream Cake needs at least 3 layers. So you are right -- the 7 inch pans should work perfectly with a shorter bake time. Maybe check the cakes at 25 minutes since they'll be so shallow?
LaFern, thanks!!! I like them for the same reason. We eat dessert a lot, so I try to keep the cake portion sizes small and serve them with a little fruit or something. The smaller size cakes are great for that. One of these days I may even buy a couple of the 4 or 5 inch pans to make the small bakery style cakes.
LaFern says
I am so happy to see you doing these smaller 6-inch cakes. A regular-sized cake is always too much for just my husband and me and these smaller cakes are just perfect. Thank you!
Martha T says
This is great! I am thinking that three 7" pans might be perfect; thank you!