What Is an “Italian Cream Cake” — and Why Use a Cake Mix?
Italian cream cake is a Southern‑U.S. style cake (despite the name) that features coconut, pecans, and a rich cream cheese frosting. Its moist, nutty, coconut‑flavored layers are often made from scratch, sometimes with eggs separated and whipped white foams. But many bakers adopt a “cake mix Italian cream cake” version to save time and simplify ingredients. The cake mix version retains much of the flavor while cutting effort.
The version below is adapted from a commonly used recipe on Food.com and sites like KeyIngredient.
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Ingredients & Tools
Cake Ingredients
1 (18 ¼‑ounce) white cake mix
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1 (3 ½‑ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
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1½ cups water
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4 eggs
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½ cup vegetable oil (or canola)
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1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
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2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
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Frosting / Filling Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter, softened
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6 ounces cream cheese, softened
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1–2 tablespoons cream (or milk) as needed to adjust consistency
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2½ cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar, sifted
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1½ cups flaked coconut (for topping)
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(Optional) Additional chopped pecans for topping
Tools You’ll Need
Mixing bowls
Electric mixer or stand mixer
Measuring cups & spoons
9×13–inch cake pan (or equivalent)
Nonstick spray or butter + flour to grease pan
Spatula
Cooling rack
Sifter (for powdered sugar)
Knife for chopping nuts
How to Make Cake Mix Italian Cream Cake — Step by Step
Below is a step‑by‑step guide, with notes and tricks to get the best result.
1. Preheat & Prepare Pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F (≈ 175°C).
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Grease and flour a 9×13‑inch pan (or line with parchment) to prevent sticking.
2. Make the Cake Batter
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, instant vanilla pudding mix, water, eggs, and oil.
Using an electric mixer, beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes until well blended.
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Using a spatula, fold in the chopped pecans and flaked coconut so they distribute evenly in the batter. Be gentle to not deflate too much.
Pour or spread the batter into the prepared baking pan, smoothing the top lightly.
3. Bake the Cake
Bake in the preheated oven for ≈ 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs).
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If the top starts to brown too quickly, loosely tent with foil in the last 10–15 minutes.
After baking, remove the cake and cool completely before frosting (this is important so the frosting does not melt).
4. Make the Frosting
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.
Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth.
Add cream (or milk) 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to achieve a spreadable consistency (not too stiff, not so loose it runs).
Once frosting is ready, you can gently fold in a small amount of coconut or pecans if you like extra texture inside.
5. Frosting & Topping
Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake.
Sprinkle the top generously with flaked coconut (1½ cups) and optional chopped pecans for decoration.
6. Chill & Serve
It’s often best when the cake chills for a few hours (or overnight) so flavors meld and texture firms slightly. Many bakers note that this cake tastes better the next day.
Just A Pinch Recipes
Slice into squares or rectangles and serve.
Variations & Enhancements
You can tweak this basic method in many ways to suit preferences or available ingredients:
Three-Layer Version: Instead of one 9×13, split the batter among three 8 or 9‑inch round pans (adjust baking time). The Cakedecorist version describes a three-layer cake variation.
Cake Decorist
Add rum or bourbon: Some traditional recipes include a splash of rum or bourbon for flavor. In the “Quick Italian Cream Cake” version, rum is optional.
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Buttermilk swap: Swap some of the water for buttermilk to deepen flavor and moisture. Some Italian cream cake recipes use buttermilk.
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Use yellow cake mix: If white is not available, yellow or vanilla cake mix can work; this is also done in some cake mix Italian cream cake versions.
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Add pineapple: Some recipes add crushed pineapple (drained) to the batter or topping. The Kentucky Living version adds pineapple.
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Toasted nuts/coconut: Toast pecans and coconut lightly before adding for extra flavor and crunch.
Chocolate drizzle: Add a chocolate ganache drizzle topping for contrast.
Mini cakes or cupcakes: Use this batter for cupcakes — bake ~15–20 min depending on size.
Tips & Troubleshooting
Here are common issues and how to fix or prevent them:
Problem Cause Solution
Frosting melts or slides Cake isn’t fully cooled Always cool completely before frosting
Cake is dry Overbaked or too much flour Test earlier, reduce bake time slightly
Cake is dense or heavy Overmixing or folding too much Fold gently, don’t overwork batter
Coconut or nuts sink to bottom Batter too loose or add-ins too heavy Toss add-ins in a little flour first or fold gently
Top browns too quickly Oven too hot Use foil tenting or lower rack
Cake crumbles when sliced Frosting too heavy or cake fragile Chill cake before cutting, use sharp knife
If you like, I can also send you a printable 1‑page version, or a video walkthrough, or adapt this to your local ingredient names (e.g. metric, or available coconut types). Would you like me to send that?
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