Italian Cream Cake

There's a thrift store in our little town that holds a bake sale on the first full weekend of the month, run by the ladies from the local Mennonite church. They always have such good things--pies, cakes, and cookies, along with breads and even homemade freezer meals. One of our favorites was always an Italian Cream cake, but as with lots of other things in this economy, the bake sale items have just about priced themselves out of my comfort zone. So I decided to try my hand at baking one of these luscious goodies myself.

The recipes I found all called for egg yolks in the main batter, then beating the whites separately and folding in. Since "quick and easy" is my middle name in the kitchen, I am not much of a multi-step, multi-bowl baker. Recipes that call for beating the egg whites and folding them in seem scary and overly complicated, so I just kept on looking until I found that called for whole eggs just plopped in the batter like the regular cake recipes I am used to making.

Italian Cream Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 c buttermilk



• 1 t baking soda



• 1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened



• 1/2 c shortening



• 2 c sugar



• 5 eggs



• 1 t vanilla



• 1 t baking powder



• 2 c all purpose flour



• 1 c coconut



• 1/2 c chopped nuts

1. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and set aside



2. Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy



3. Add vanilla and eggs--1 or 2 at a time, mixing well in between.



4. Add buttermilk, flour, baking powder, and coconut, until combined



5. Stir in nuts



6. Pour into greased cake pan(s). I used two 8 or 9 inch rounds.



7. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven, 30-35 minutes (if you use a tube pan, it will take longer) or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean

Allow to cool completely before frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened



• 1/2 c butter, softened



• 1 t vanilla



• 4 c powdered sugar



• 2-4 T cream or milk



• 1/2 to 1 c coconut



• 1/4 to 1/2 c chopped nuts

1. Cream together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla



2. Add powdered sugar and mix well, adding cream or milk as needed for desired consistency.



3. You can add coconut and nuts into the frosting if like, or sprinkle on top like I did

I almost messed up by thinning my frosting just a bit too much--I usually make sheet cakes, that don't even come out of the pan, or tube cakes, where a softer frosting is better, to drip over the sides. This time, though, I wanted a nicer presentation in the form of a layer cake, and when I made a soft frosting, as usual, I had a little trouble trying to keep it from sliding off the sides. Next time I do a layer cake, I'll remember to make the frosting a little stiffer.

Since I was trying to make a pretty cake, as well as a delicious one, I wanted to use my pedestal cake platter. To keep the plate or platter clean while you're frosting the cake, put down a layer of strips or parchment or wax paper.

Then put the first layer on top of the paper strips. Make sure you have enough sticking out from under so that you can pull them out afterwards.

Frost the cake as usual, then sl-o-o-o-o-w-ly pull the paper strips out from under the edges.

I was so impressed with myself for making this cake--completely from scratch, and a layer cake, at that! Maybe I'll change my middle name from "quick and easy" to "made from scratch"!

Until next time, good cooking, and good eating!

This post is linked to:

What's on the Menu Wednesday at Dinning with Debbie
What's Cooking Wednesday at the King's Court IV
Delicious Dishes at It's a Blog Party
Recipe Swap Thursday at Prairie Story
Tasty Traditions at Coupon Cookin'
Try New Adventures Thursday at Alicia's Homemaking
Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
Sweet Tooth Friday at Alli N Son
Friday Potluck at EKat's Kitchen
Sweet Indulgences Sunday at a Well Seasoned Life

Banana Nut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I hope to return to regular Sugar Free Sunday posts starting on October 3rd. Meanwhile, enjoy this yummy full-sugar, nothing-but-goodness cake!



My husband has never been one for fancy decorated cakes--he always requests a home baked cake for his birthday, usually chocolate-on-chocolate. After eating more than his fair share of banana nut cake recently at the home of a family member, he surprised me by asking me to make one for his birthday this year. I called and asked for the recipe and made one for his birthday--and promptly turned around and made another the very next week! This is a wonderful, moist, cake, with just a hint of "real" banana taste--and the made-from-scratch cream cheese frosting makes it even better!

Banana Nut Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c butter, (one stick) softened
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 8 oz sour cream
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 medium bananas, peeled and mashed (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts

Cream together butter and sugar; add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar-butter mixture, and mix--this will be very stiff--then add in the mashed banana. Add chopped nuts, and stir to incorporate. I baked this in a greased sheet cake pan, about 15 x 10, 20-25 minutes, at 350 degrees. Allow to cool, then frost with cream cheese frosting, below.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1 box (about 3 1/2 cups) powdered sugar
• 1-2 T milk (if needed)

Make sure that the butter and cream cheese are well softened, then cream together with vanilla extract. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. This will be very stiff, especially at first. The first time I made this, I thought my mixer was going to bog down, so I added a dash of milk. It made the mixing easy, but the end result was soft--since I made a sheet cake, it still worked, but it would have been a little too soft to frost the sides of layer cake, for instance. The second time I made it, I just persevered with the mixer, lifting it from the mixture once of twice to clear the beaters, and it did all cream together to make a luscious, thick frosting. And left lots on the beaters to lick off afterward, too. All by myself.

I'm not usually much of a "banana nut" gal myself--I didn't even taste this when we were visiting, and would have never picked this to try if my husband hadn't asked for it--but I'm so glad he did! This has no artificial pseudo-banana flavoring, just real bananas, and it has such a subtle flavor--this is a keeper, for me as well as the rest of the family.

Until next time, good baking, and good eating!

This post is linked to:

Meatless Monday at Sweet and Savory

Mouthwatering Monday at a Southern Fairytale

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace

Just Something I Whipped Up at the Girl Creative

Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum