Chocolate Italian Cream Cake
Description
This gorgeous Italian cream cake has a double dose of chocolate, with cocoa appealing to chocolate lovers in both the cake and the frosting.
Ingredients
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1/2 cup butter
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1/2 cup shortening
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2 cups white sugar
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5 eggs
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
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1 cup buttermilk
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1 cup shredded coconut
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1 cup chopped pecans
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4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
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1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
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1 cup cream cheese
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1/2 cup unsalted butter
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1 cup chopped pecans
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans.
2
Make the cake: Cream butter, shortening, and sugar together. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
3
Sift flour, baking soda, and cocoa together. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in coconut and pecans.
4
Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form; fold into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared cake pans.
5
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, about 30 mintutes.
6
While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting: Sift confectioner's sugar and cocoa together.
7
Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in confectioners' sugar mixture, a little at a time, until well-combined. Mix in pecans and vanilla.
8
Remove cooled cakes from the pans. Frost the top of each layer, then stack and frost the sides.