Jump to content

Menu

Italian Cream Cake recipe - do you have a favorite?


Recommended Posts

No clue, but why are you doing this to me?? My waist DOESN'T need this... It sounds so good... :)

 

Did you look at the one on allrecipes yet? I googled and it popped up. At least that way you get reviews. Subbing the shortening isn't hard. I use a non-hydrogenated organic palm oil shortening available in the organic aisle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The one I like best was from Southern Living - I made it several times, it always turned out and was delicious. I guess I tossed out the magazine it was in because I can't find it. If you google Southern Living Italian Cream cake it shows up on several websites, including a really yummy looking orange flavored one. It does have shortening but you can use the non-hydrogenated, organic type or substitute butter but don't expect it to be as fluffy with butter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOL! I'm having the same problem with all this menu planning. Last summer I did Atkins for 6 weeks and lost 10 lbs. I have recently put 3 lbs back on. So yesterday I went back on the diet knowing that I will be totally pigging out at the party :D And I really want to lose those 3 lbs again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you realize how NAUGHTY this was of you to post TWO equally valid recipes? LOL Now we have to try them both! And of course Cynthia should do it ahead, to make sure she makes the perfectly best one. :)

 

Hmmm, maybe I'll try one (or both!) tonight. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You peeked my curiousity - and I had to google "authentic" italian cream cake. and came up with this recipe. She definitely does not approve of shortening, margarine or oil in a "cream" cake!

 

Please come back and post which recipe used and how it turned out!

 

This is the one my mom makes minus the orange marmalade. It is wonderful!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So does Italian Cream Cake always include cream cheese in the icing? I guess this is good and bad if it does. The bad: I hate cream cheese icing. The good: I shouldn't have even been looking at it since my goal is to lose 20 pounds in the next two months!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok experts, I'm trying to reconcile the coconut contradictions. Both recipes call for flaked coconut in the cake. Do you think that would be sweetened or un? We use both kinds. In fact, what we really like is the really nice coconut you get in the organic section in the green bags, yum yum. But anyways, what kind for in the cake? The recipe on allrecipes just says flaked in the cake. Then for the frosting it calls for more and says sweetened. That other "I'm Italian so listen to me" recipe doesn't even call for coconut in the frosting. What do you think? Should there be coconut in the frosting?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So does Italian Cream Cake always include cream cheese in the icing? I guess this is good and bad if it does. The bad: I hate cream cheese icing. The good: I shouldn't have even been looking at it since my goal is to lose 20 pounds in the next two months!

 

Well see, as I'm thinking, that lady on that authentic italian website is very thin and eats dessert every day. Clearly that's where we've been flubbing up. ;)

 

 

The allrecipes site uses a whole pack (8oz) of cream cheese to the 4 oz. of the "authentic" site. The one with less cream cheese just uses more butter to balance it out. So texture-wise they both would work. But would one or the other be better? Definitely the full pack would make it overtly cream cheesy, where the lower amount would just give it a bit of tang, like the frosting on Quiver's cinnamon rolls.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ooo, that recipe from myrecipes.com is the better (more coherent) version of the one from allrecipes! Well we're good. I like the idea of 1/2 and 1/2 on the butter and shortening. Now if I can figure out the coconut, we'll be in business. It wouldn't be a big deal, except I used up my coconut on the last thing I made. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tada, I found coconut! And it says flaked, unsweetened! It's not the organic stuff (which is better), but it will do. Later! I've got a cake to make! :)

 

OK, you've got to let me know which one you are making and how it turns out. I still have to go to the grocery store!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I'm using the Southern Living recipe at myrecipes.com, and the batter is quite good. The cakes are in the oven and appear to be rising nicely. Alas, I found some leftover pineapple cake from my birthday in the frig. (I thought we had frozen it.) So now the horrible quandry: eat the pineapple upside down cake tonight and eat the italian cream cake tomorrow, or decide we can't wait, and let the pineapple cake hold.

 

Unmercifully to you, I think we're going to polish off the pineapple upside down cake tonight and eat the italian cream cake tomorrow. I think though it's just as well. When you make a cake like that, the flavors (coconut, etc.) are going to meld and be even better the next day. You have to refrigerate it, what with all the cream cheese in the frosting. So however it tastes tomorrow will be a good indicator of how it would taste for you when you make it ahead a day or two for a party. I think once it's frosted it will hold quite well, what with all the eggs and the thick frosting.

 

Is that too torturous? So yes, I'd say make the Southern Living one and don't even sweat it.

 

Oh, it uses the 1/2 short, 1/2 butter. I used the organic palm shortening (non-hydrogenated), and it still was fine. The organic palm is a bit stiffer or less creamy than regular shortening (to my mind). That's why I thought the blend with the butter would be good in a cake. I'm not sure why they didn't go all butter like that other lady. Really though, each type of fat contributes to the texture.

Edited by OhElizabeth
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Cynthia, did you get yours made yet? I'm eating mine as we speak! I caved in and tried some last night, and it was good. Today though, mercy me, it's like all the flavors gelled. The one thing I screwed up was not putting enough frosting between the layers. (I should have made it thicker.) But altogether, yes the cake is exquisite.

 

I put the chopped nuts in the frosting and like them. You could also leave the frosting plain and garnish with the nuts. Also, I don't know how much cake you want or what dimensions, but you could make this with *6* layers instead of three. Double the frosting. THAT would be insane. What I made ended up 3" high using the 9" round cake pans. It's pretty, but if you did 6 layers (a double batch), it would end up looking like one of those Cheesecake Factory cakes. And honestly, it's so good, that would just be VERY wow. And if you do that that, you might like to spread a layer of filling, like that other recipe suggested, on the frosting before you put on the next layer. It would just add a nice something. But it's crazy good as is.

 

Ok, now on the shortening vs. butter vs. half and half. I don't know to what extent the shortening is improving the crumb (texture) of the cake. It really is VERY nice. We should do a search and try to learn something here. See, to me, if the shortening is not affecting the texture, then the all butter would be nice, just for the extra touch of color and flavor. (more of a good thing is a good thing?) But it's just fine as is, really and truly. The cake is so good, it would be good even without the coconut, which I find distracting. Might be fun to try it without the coconut and using a raspberry filling.

 

Well anyways, I'm now on my 2nd slice. You were very, very bad to suggest this. People at the party will think you're amazing if you serve this. If you want to try it with all butter, well I guess give it a whirl. If it weren't so TERRIBLY bad for me, I'd make that other, all butter, version, leaving out the coconut and playing around with some fillings. It might be the slight differences in amounts of wet and dry are to account for the change in fat. But really, I think your guests will love you either way.

 

Oh, and if you need to feed a lot of people, you could make a double batch in a large sheet pan (in the cake decorating section) and then repeat. Then put them together for two layers. I don't think I'd fret with 4 thin layers in that case, just two. Just make the frosting thick to keep them juicy and luscious. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, Elizabeth! It sounds fabulous! And I like the idea of a double layer sheet cake. I was thinking that a sheet cake would be so much easier to serve rather than a tall round cake. I think I'll probably go with the all butter option - it's just one of those things for me. And I like the idea of making extra frosting - a good frosting is a treat. A bad frosting is just worthless calories, IMO.

 

Ds comes home from England on the 10th and the party is on the 17th. So I've got a little time to get it all together. I think I'll start making the lasagnas next week. I'm working on the gardens, yard, and house this week. Big parties are so good for making me get all those projects I've been talking about done.

 

Thanks for "kitchen/taste testing" the recipe for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...