This decadent Italian Cream Pound Cake is filled with sweetened shredded coconut and pecans, and topped with a rich cream cheese icing.
This cake is the perfect blend of rich coconut, pecan and cream cheese flavors that bring together this Italian Cream Pound Cake recipe. The texture is, of course, different from a traditional Italian Cream Cake, which is a layered cake, as a pound cake is dense whereas a layered cake is light and fluffy. Still...the flavor of this cake is amazing and just melts in your mouth.
So let's get into it, so I can show you how its done!
More recipes ---> Lousiana Crunch Pound Cake, Butter Pecan Pound Cake, Yellow Pound Cake, Million Dollar Pound Cake, Caramel Pound Cake, Southern Caramel Cake, Snickerdoodle Pound Cake, Brown Sugar Pound Cake, Five Flavor Pound Cake, Cookie Butter Pound Cake, Caramel Apple Cake, Buttermilk Pound Cake, Sour Cream Pound Cake, Condensed Milk Pound Cake, Mile High Pound Cake
Ingredients needed for the Italian Cream Pound Cake:
- For the cake:
- 3 c All-purpose flour
- 1 c unsalted butter - room temperature
- 1 ½ c granulated sugar
- 1 c brown sugar
- 5 eggs - room temperature
- 1 c buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 c pecans - chopped
- 1 ½ c sweetened coconut
- 2 tsps vanilla
Ingredients needed for the icing:
- 8 oz cream cheese - room temperature
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter - room temperature
- 1 ½ c powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 5 tablespoon heavy cream
Steps to make the Italian Cream Cake:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and sit to the side.
Then, using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter together then slowly add in the brown and granulated sugars. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes).
Add the vanilla to the batter. Then add the eggs to the bowl one at a time, mixing well after each addition before adding the next egg.
Mix in the flour 1 c at a time, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Fold the pecans and coconut into the batter. Reserve about ¼ c to top the cake with.
Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick spray. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly. Bake the pound cake for about an hour and 15 to an hour and 30 minutes.
The cake is done once a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.
To make the glaze:
In a bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter. Then add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
Slowly pour in the heavy cream until your desired consistency is reached. Pour the glaze over the cake as you desire and then top the cake with the remaining coconut pecan mixture.
Allow the glaze to set. Then serve and enjoy!
Helpful Guides for Beginners
If you're new to baking I got you covered! Here are some helpful guides to help you along the way!
- How to make a moist Pound Cake
- Pound Cake Essential Tools
- Mistakes to avoid when baking a pound cake
- How to prepare Pound Cake ingredients
- How to Make a Pound Cake for Beginners
Helpful Baking Tools
- Bundt Pan
- Stand Mixer
- Hand Mixer
- Basting Brush
- Sifter
- Silicone Spatula
- Oven Thermometer
- Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
- Baker's Joy
- Cake Keeper
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Pound Cake Tips + Tricks
Whether you are a beginner or have been in the baking game for a while, I hope these tips are helpful in making sure that your pound cake comes out great!
⇢ Always use room temperature ingredients – Standard pound cake ingredients include butter and eggs which should always be at room temperature to ensure that they properly blend into the batter and do not cause any clumping. Other common ingredients such as milk, cream cheese, etc should also be at room temperature. Make sure to allow enough time before baking to remove the ingredients from the refrigerator and sit them on the counter to allow them to come to room temperature.
⇢ Properly measure your ingredients – Always measure each ingredient before adding it to the cake to make sure that you have the accurate amount of each ingredient for the recipe. Baking requires exact measurements for the cake to come out correctly.
⇢ Properly cream the butter and sugar together– Once blended the texture should be light and fluffy. Blend the ingredients together at a moderate speed for at least two to three minutes.
⇢ Add the eggs one at a time– Eggs must be added one at a time blending well after each addition. Once you’ve added an egg to the batter and no longer see any yellow, then you can add another egg to the batter.
⇢ Don’t overmix your batter– Aside from creaming the butter and sugar together, once done adding an ingredient, immediately start adding the next ingredient. If you are not quite ready, stop the mixer until you're ready to add the next ingredient. After you have added the last ingredient, just mix until blended. If the batter still requires mixing, for example, if there is any unmixed batter on the side of the bowl, finish the mixing process using a spoon.
⇢ Spray the hell out of your bundt pan - My favorite method is using a baking spray such as Baker’s Joy which includes the flour and oil all in one can. It's always a no-fail method for me and the cake comes right out of the pan. You can also grease the pan with oil (solid or liquid) then dust the pan evenly with flour if you prefer that method.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Yes. I recommend freezing the cake for no more than three months for the best flavor. Individually wrap each slice of cake in plastic wrap or foil. Place the wrapped slices in a ziplock bag to store in the freezer.
Once you remove the cake from the freezer, allow it to thaw at room temperature before unwrapping it.
Either will work fine.
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 3 c All-purpose flour
- 1 c unsalted butter - room temperature 2 sticks
- 1 ½ c granulated sugar
- 1 c brown sugar Light or dark brown sugar
- 5 eggs - room temperature
- 1 c buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 c pecans - chopped
- 1 ½ c sweetened coconut
- 2 tsps vanilla
- For the icing:
- 8 oz cream cheese - room temperature
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter - room temperature
- 1 ½ c powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 5 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- To make the pound cake:
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and sit to the side.
- Then, using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter together then slowly add in the brown and granulated sugars. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes).
- Add the vanilla to the batter.
- Then add the eggs to the bowl one at a time, mixing well after each addition before adding the next egg.
- Mix in the flour 1 c at a time, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Fold the pecans and coconut into the batter. Reserve about ¼ c to top the cake with.
- Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick spray. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly. Bake the pound cake for about an hour and 15 to an hour and 30 minutes.
- The cake is done once a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.
- To make the glaze:
- In a bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter.
- Then add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- Slowly pour in the heavy cream until your desired consistency is reached. Pour the glaze over the cake as you desire and then top the cake with the remaining coconut pecan mixture.
- Allow the glaze to set. Then serve and enjoy!
Tricia H says
This is an amazing cake. Traditional rich pound cake taste with an upgraded flavor. The icing makes it perfect!!
Ashley I dont see the vanilla in your written instructions for the cake, but it was in the video..
Thanks for the reminder to NOT overmix!! Happy Baking!!
Ashley Frederick says
Thank you so much Tricia! I really appreciate you. Good catch! I'll fix that.