Southern comfort

The Italian Cream Cake’s origin is, well… Southern, not Italian. It’s not known what the exact story is, but I’ve heard something to the effect that the original recipe comes from somewhere deep in the heart of Texas. Why name it Italian Cream? Your guess is as good as mine. I just know that although recipes vary, this old-timey gem relies on a few things to make it an Italian creme cake- pecans, coconut, and cream cheese frosting. In addition, most recipes also use whipped egg whites in the batter to make this sort of dense cake more light and airy (don’t worry, we’ve veganized that, of course).

Either way, this cake filled with sweet coconut, toasty pecans, and topped with silky cream cheese frosting just works…

Skill Level- Beginner /Intermediate

Shopping List:

• Cake flour (or sub all purpose)

• Baking Powder and Soda

• Granulated and Powder Sugar

• Salt

• Cream of Tartar

• Potato or Cornstarch (optional)

• Vegan Butter

• Vegetable Shortening

• Neutral Oil

• Plant Milk

• White Vinegar

• Vanilla Extract

• Almond Extract (optional)

• Pecans

• Sweetened Flaked Coconut

• Cream Cheese

• Chickpeas (canned)

Equipment:

• Two 8 “ or  three 6” round cake pans (2” or 3” deep- if your 8” pans are 1 “ deep, you may want to increase pan quantity to three)

• Hand or stand mixer

• Scale, if using (you should! )

• Large bowl or stand mixer bowl

• Food processor or rolling pin (if you have large pecan pieces)

• Small baking sheet

• Cooling rack

• Whisk + spatula

• Sifter

• Parchment paper

• Baking spray or extra butter and flour for baking pans

• Piping bag (optional)

• Offset spatula (for frosting)

  
  Makes two tall 8” or three 6” cakes

Products used:

• Silk Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk- I used to always use oat, but I’ve made the switch to soy because it has more protein and I think it lends a better result (especially curdling the vegan buttermilk), but use your fave plant milk or whatever you have on hand… but if you can, go for unsweetened

• Salted Flora or Miyoko’s Butter - These are my two fave, but use whatever brand you prefer. Typically, I use unsalted butter for my baked goods to get a more reliable result (different butters have different levels of saltiness), but I’ve found it a bit difficult to get my hands on some lately, so I figured everyone is in the same boat.

• King Arthur Cake Flour- I know people love Swans Down, but it legit just taste like chemicals to me, so I go for KA’s unbleached. Cake flour gives a nice, light crumb, but if you don’t have, can’t find, or it’s cost prohibitive, just use all purpose as a substitute

• Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt- the chef’s salt for various reasons I won’t get into here, but…it contains 53% less sodium than standard salt, so that’s why I say to use half the amount the recipe calls for if you’re using Morton, sea, or table salt.

• Domino Sugar- now, this is a tricky one… my supplier list it as vegan and Domino has stated in the past that the sugar coming from Baltimore, MD, Yonkers, NY or South Bay, FL are all vegan, but at the time (this was around 2017), the supplies coming from west coast were not. It’s been 5 years, so I suspect that it’s all vegan now. However, I haven’t had the chance to confirm this, so buy with caution. If you’re a distrustful vegan (aren’t we all? ) go for an organic instead- just try to get the finest grain you can- your baking results will be better

• Kite Hill Cream Cheese- This is by far my favorite vegan cream cheese- use whatever is yours

Helpful Notes:

Milk- In a baking recipe (unless otherwise stated) you want all of your ingredients to be room temp- especially the milk. Room temperature sounds very broad, I mean rooms can be lots of different temperatures… So what does that mean? Technically between 68 and 72 degrees farenheit, but practically, it means you can stick your finger in it and feel nothing. Think of it this way, if it’s too warm you’ll think to yourself “yep, that’s kinda hot” and if it’s too cold, you’ll think, “ooh, that’s cold”. When it’s room temp, it’s nothing…I know it sounds weird, but here we are… To get your milk to room temp quickly, you can pour it a bowl or glass measuring cup and pop it in the microwave for 20-50 seconds (depending on the amount and the microwave). Use whichever plant milk you prefer. My preference used to be plain and unsweetened oat, but now I prefer plain and unsweetened soy. That being said, it all works.

Salt- Diamond Crystal Kosher is my preference, but if you use Morton or table salt, reduce the amount by half as Diamond is less salty than the two.

Sugar- to make sure it’s vegan, use organic as it does not use bone char (yes, it’s as bad as it sounds) in the processing like conventional sugar.

Vinegar- We use vinegar to curdle plant milk, which produces a buttermilk-like substance (this is why I switched to soy milk- it really reacts to the vinegar). Vinegar also reacts with raising agents (baking soda + powder) to give vegan baked goods a nice rise. I use white in this recipe, but apple cider works too.

Oil- Along with milk, oil serves as our egg replace. A neutral one is best- coconut oil works, but will change the flavor of your baked goods.

Butter- Although I’m using oil and shortening in this recipe, I like to use vegan butter because I find it helps bring that buttery flavor that we love so much. As for the type of butter, I typically use unsalted vegan butter in my sweet baking recipes, however, I’ve found it difficult to find lately, so I figured I’d adapt the recipe to make it easier on everyone. In regards to utility, unless your recipe calls for melted or cold butter (some do), you’ll most likely want yours to be room temp. You know your butter is room temp when you can easily make an indent with your finger (eww, I know) or a spoon into the butter. It should be soft and pliable, but not runny or melty. If you forget to take the butter out to come to room temp, you can use the microwave, but it can be a bit tricky and go melty fast ( especially vegan butter because it’s made of more water), so use this method with caution- In a pinch, do short 10 second bursts in the microwave and flip the butter often so it does’t start to melt on one side. If your butter goes to soft and runny, just pop it back into the refrigerator for about 5 minutes. All in all, best to leave it out to soften naturally.

Shortening- I sometimes use shortening in my cake recipes because it helps to give the cake a lighter, fluffier, texture than butter. An all shortening cake is really light and airy and also has a good rise, but like I mentioned before, I tend to use butter in my recipes because I like the flavor.

Aquafaba- If you’ve been around the vegan space for awhile, you’ve probably heard of aquafaba (if you’re new to the game, learn more about aquafaba here ). Traditionally, whipped egg whites are incorporated into the Italian Cream batter, so in the vegan version, I replace the egg whites with aquafaba. Folding the whipped aquafaba into the batter helps to keep the final cake light and fluffy.

Measuring- Listen… just go ahead and get a scale! They’re cheap and the most accurate for baking. I use them to develop my recipes and do the best I can to convert to the cup measurements out of courtesy to those who don’t have one, but trust me, if you like to bake- it will be the best $20 dollars you spend to improve your recipes. If you still refuse, make sure that you use the scoop and level method to measure out your flour to avoid using more than the recipe calls for.

Prep:

• Bring milk and butter to room temp

• Add vinegar to milk to make vegan buttermilk (let set about 5 minutes)

• Trace and cut parchment rounds for the bottom of cake pans

• Spray or butter and flour cake pans and place parchment rounds on the bottom for easy cake release

• Toast pecans

INGREDIENTS:

Cake

Dry Ingredients

• 420 g (3 1/2 C ) cake flour ( can sub with all-purpose )

• 1T + 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1 T potato or cornstarch

• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (I use Diamond, half the amount if using table salt or Morton)

• 350 g (1 3/4 C ) superfine or granulated sugar (organic or vegan-friendly)

• 3/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Fats

• 170 g (3/4 C ) vegan butter (salted, room temp)

• 72 g (1/3 C ) shortening

• 2 T oil (vegetable, grapeseed, or canola work best)

Liquids

• 1 1/2 C plant milk (room temp)

• 1 T + 1 1/2 tsp. vinegar (white )

• 1 T vanilla extract (pure)

• 1 tsp. almond extract (optional)

• 240 g ( 1 C ) aquafaba- the liquid from about 2 cans

Nuts + Fruit

• 150 g ( 1 1/2 C ) sweetened flaked coconut, divided

• 173 g ( 1 1/2 C ) pecans, divided, roasted and chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz vegan cream cheese, cold

• 227 g (1 C ) vegan butter (salted, room temp)

• 600 g (4 1/2 C ) powder/ icing sugar

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (pure)

• pinch salt ( if needed )

whipped Aquafaba

Directions:

As mentioned in the Helpful Notes above, whipping aquafaba (liquid from chickpeas) helps to create a light and airy cake. If you’re going to use the same bowl for both the aquafaba and the cake batter, best practice is to whip the aquafaba first as any fat leftover in the bowl might prohibit the the mixture from whipping up properly.

1. In a large bowl, add aquafaba and cream of tartar.

2. With the whisk attachment of your stand mixer or a hand mixer, whisk the mixture on medium- high for about 4 minutes or until stiff peaks form.

3. Set the whipped aquafaba aside and proceed with the rest of the batter.

cake

Preheat oven to 350° F

Directions:

1. Arrange 1 cup (115 grams) of the pecans evenly on a small baking sheet and place in a preheated oven on the middle rack for 8-10 minutes or until they have slightly darkened, become toasty, and smell nutty.

2. If you have large pecan pieces, lightly process them in a food processor to get smaller chunks or alternatively, place them in a closed ziplock bag and break up pieces with a rolling pin or a heavy pan- if using a heavy pan, do it with caution, so that you don’t damage your kitchen counters.

3. I prefer to also process the flaked coconut into finer pieces, but that’s up to you. Set both pecans and 1 cup ( 100 grams )of the coconut aside for the cake batter- the remaining 1/2 cup of each are for decorating the cake.

4. In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, sift in dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, potato starch, and salt), along with the granulated sugar. If your sugar is too chunky to sift, just add to the sifted ingredients. Mix the ingredients together with a whisk to combine. Top Tip - add chunky sugar to a high-speed blender or food processor to get a finer grain (see TOP TIP # 1 below)

5. Add in butter, shortening, and oil to the dry mixture and mix on low (with a paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) until you get a crumbly, almost shortbread-like texture- about 1- 2 minutes.

6. Pour your prepared vegan buttermilk (plant milk + vinegar) into the mix in thirds and mix on low until all the milk has been added.

7. With a spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything gets incorporated in the final mix.

8. Mix on low again- about 20 seconds until all the ingredients are well incorporated- take care not to over mix.

9. Add in toasted pecans and flaked coconut and stir through by hand with a spatula.

10. Gently fold in the whipped aquafab, starting with a third of the mixture to help loosen up the cake batter. Then add the rest and continue to gently fold until fully incorporated and you don’t see any white streaks in the batter.

11. Divide the batter into the the cake pans evenly, then gently tap down on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

12. Place the pans on the middle rack and bake 35- 40 minutes (depending on your oven and your pan color) or until tops spring back when pressed and a toothpick comes out pretty clean-the cakes will continue to cook after they come out of the oven so if there are a couple of small crumbs, that’s ok.

13. Remove the cakes from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then run a small offset spatula or butter knife around the perimeter of the cakes to ensure an clean release. Flip the cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

14. You will want to make sure that your cake is cooled completely before frosting or else you risk the cakes sliding around - I often make my cakes a day before and wrap securely in plastic wrap to keep fresh until I’m ready to use. You can also freeze your cakes with this method if making more in advance.

15. While the oven is still on, toast the remaining pecans and coconut- toast pecans for 8-10 minutes and the coconut for 3-5 minutes or until just golden brown.

16. Depending on how you want to decorate your cake, you can leave the pecans in bigger pieces or process down into smaller pieces- set aside.

Top Tip #1

Using finer grain sugar results in fluffier cakes + cupcakes

Caster sugar (aka baker’s sugar or superfine sugar) can be hard to find in the U.S. and even harder to find vegan, so you can make your own!

• Add chunky sugar to a high-speed blender or food processor

• Blend the sugar for a minute or two (not too long or you will get powder sugar)

• Sift it a couple of times to remove any larger chunks

• Store in an airtight container

cream cheese Frosting

Directions:

1. Add icing sugar and butter to a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer (with a paddle attachment) and mix on a low setting until the sugar is no longer flying around and starts to incorporate into the butter, then turn the mixer to medium and continue to beat until a sugar paste forms.

2. Add cold cream cheese (yes, cold - see TOP TIP #2 below) to the sugar/butter mixture and continue to beat on medium speed until the mixture becomes homogenous.

3. Add vanilla and pinch of salt if needed.

4. If you prefer to pipe the frosting, place in a piping bag with a round tip otherwise, you can spread the frosting onto the cake with a spatula.

5. Once the frosting is applied, you can smooth a little with a bench scraper if you like or make swirls with your spatula for a more traditional look. * This is not a cake to get uptight about getting perfectly smooth (its very difficult with cream cheese frosting) plus, you are covering a lot ( or all of it, if you prefer) with the shredded coconut and pecans- very forgiving *

6. Cover the frosted cake with the toasted coconut and pecan pieces however you see fit- I sprinkled some on top and covered the bottom third of the cake, but you can cover the whole thing or arrange big pieces of pecan all around or on the top- it’s your party, frost how you want to.

7. Slice and serve. Enjoy!

Top Tip #2

making a more stable cream cheese frosting

Vegan cream cheese can be a little more tricky to work with than the regular Philadelphia block. Here are some tips for a more stable cream cheese frosting.

• Mix sugar and butter together first - this way, the sugar coats the butter and creates a thick paste like consistency that helps to stabilize the frosting

• Use cold cream cheese- unfortunately at this time (to my knowledge, anyway) there is no block form vegan cream cheese, only tubs which contain a much softer product. This makes it difficult to make a frosting that is not too runny, so using cold cream cheese rather than room temp gives you a better chance at a stable frosting

• Add more sugar- this is my least favorite option, but can work for some people. The more sugar you add, the firmer the frosting, but I’m not a fan because if there is too much sugar, it starts to not taste like cream cheese frosting to me

• Add a bit of cornstarch- adding cornstarch helps to thicken like powder sugar but without the added sweetness, but use sparingly… although mostly tasteless, if you add too much, your frosting might start to taste a bit off- so start off with a couple of teaspoons and see how that goes before you proceed with more

Storage and Use

1. Store your cake in an air-tight container and keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

2. When ready to eat, place on the counter to come to room temp before eating.

3. To freeze- slice leftover cake and wrap in plastic wrap, then foil, and place in a freezer safe bag or container to enjoy later.

Will you give this southern classic a try? I hope you do and enjoy!

Thanks for checking out the recipe-

xx Debbie, Shorty, + Sophie