ITALIAN CREAM CAKE by Sarah Phillips © 2007 Sarah Phillips baking911.com
Makes three, 9 x 2-inch layers
stock photo
This makes three beautiful and very rich, but sinful and moist cake layers! You can omit the coconut and nuts in the cake recipe, if desired. I like to garnish the frosted cake with with fresh strawberries or even toasted pecans.
CAKE RECIPE HELP
dinieby: "...it was delicious. (I used) (SMBC) for the icing, which is great also."
SIMPLE SUGAR SYRUP
1/4 cup butter, 1/3 cup rum and 1/4 sugar, warmed until the sugar has dissolved. I brush it on each layer prior to frosting.
STEP I: MAKE THE ITALIAN CREAM CAKE
ITALIAN CREAM CAKE by Sarah Phillips adapted from Gourmet Magazine, April 1996
INGREDIENTS
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; spoon into measuring cup and level to rim
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk; can be cold from refrigerator
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, optional
1 cup chopped and toasted and cooled pecans, optional; chop, then measure and, toast the pecans
2 cups (4 sticks) butter; can be cold from the refrigerator or 1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening PLUS 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter; can be cold from the refrigerator
2 cups sugar, divided
5 large eggs, separated; can be cold from refrigerator
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Position the oven racks in the lower and upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease (not butter) and flour three 9-x 2-inch, preferably light colored, heavy NOT nonstick pans.
SARAH SAYS: Make sure you grease the pans with cooking oil spray or shortening, and line with greased parchment paper for easy removal.
If you use dark, nonstick baking pans or ovenproof, Pyrex glass pans, lower the oven heat by 25 degrees F, but the cake will have crustier and darker edges.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
After measuring the buttermilk, stir in the vanilla extract and set aside.
In another medium bowl, combine the coconut and pecans. Set aside.
3. Cut up the butter into large chunks.
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on low until softened. (If the butter is cold, it will warm quickly from the beaters).
Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl.
4. Add 1 3/4 cups sugar in a steady stream at the side of the bowl.
Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes until light yellow and fluffy.
Stop the mixer and scrape the side and bottom of the bowl with a large rubber spatula.
4. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. After the egg yolks have been added, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the mixture for 2 minutes.
(If the eggs are cold, the batter will curdle slightly. It's ok. It will come together as the batter warms from the beaters. )
Set the kitchen timer to help you keep track of the time. The mixture will become fluffy and aerated.
5. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 3 equal portions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture in 2 equal portions, beginning and ending with the flour.
(If the milk is cold, the batter will curdle slightly. It's ok. It will come together when you add the flour.)
SARAH SAYS: Add the flour and liquid ingredients in increments quickly; do not wait in between additions too long as you don't want to overmix the batter.
After completing the last addition of flour, let the mixer run for 30 seconds on LOW. The batter should look mixed. STOP the mixer. Do NOT overmix.
6. Remove the bowl from the mixer. With a large rubber spatula, in two additions, fold in the coconut/pecan mixture until just incorporated. Then, STOP!
7. In a separate mixing bowl, with clean dry whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, continue to beat at high speed until stiff but not dry.
8. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the whites into the batter in two additions:
A. Before you do, stir the batter gently right before folding in the beaten egg whites so it is completely mixed. Then, stir a big spoonful of egg whites into the mixture and gently stir with a wire hand-whisk to lighten the batter. This will help the rest of the egg whites fold more easily into the mixture. Never add the batter to the whipped whites or they'll deflate.
B. Then with a rubber scraper, scoop about half of the remaining egg whites on top. Finally, still using your rubber scraper, starting on the top, cut down from the center of the mixture to the bottom of the bowl, then draw the scraper quickly toward you against the edge of it, and up to the left and out. You are thus bringing a bit of the mixture at the bottom of the pan up over the egg whites or "folding it over". Then turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you only see slight streaks of white. You will need to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times to keep the mixture from climbing up the sides.
C. Add in the remaining beaten egg whites. Continue the folding movement while slowly rotating the bowl, and cutting down, toward you, and out to the left, until the egg whites have been folded into the body of the batter. The whole process should not take more than a minute, and do not attempt to be too thorough to risk deflating the egg whites. Stop when the batter looks evenly streaked with beaten egg whites and batter.
Immediately divide batter evenly among three prepared baking pans. Gently smooth their tops. Place two pans on the lower shelf of the oven and center the third on the upper shelf.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or or until the top feels firm and gives slightly when touched on the top with a cupped hand (will not spring back when touched with a fingertip) and shrinks a little from the sides of the pan – it should also smell done. If you insert a toothpick in the middle and remove, it should have a few moist crumbs attached, but not batter.
8. Take cakes immediately from the oven to a wire cake rack and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes and then unmold onto wire cake racks (set your timer to keep track of the time) - the cake is fragile and will crack easily if you unmold it before the time is up. Gently peel off the parchment paper and invert cake layers right-sdie-up to cool completely. The cake's top will flatten more as it cools.
Allow to cool completely before assembling or storing.
STORAGE
Cake layers can be stored at room temperature for about 2 days or freeze well for about 2 months. Make sure you wrap them with plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container.
Unfrosted butter cake layers should not be refrigerated because it dries the cake.
STEP II: MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING by Sarah Phillips / Recipe alone
Makes 1 1/4 quarts or enough to generously fill and frost 2, 9-inch layers
INGREDIENTS
4 ounces high-ratio vegetable shortening or 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
12 ounces ( 1 1/2 packages) cream cheese, softened
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
5 to 7 cups (1 to 1 1/2 pounds) powdered sugar, sifted; measure and then sift
2 tablespoons heavy cream, or more, if needed
2 tablespoons meringue powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
SARAH SAYS: Mix using a 5- or 6-quart stand mixer
I personally think that this frosting works better after it has been refrigerated for 1 hour and then slowly folded together with a few turns of a large rubber spatula before using.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. With the mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, soften the shortening, then add the cream cheese and beat on low speed until incorporated.
2. Add in the butter and beat until incorporated. Beat on medium until smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Slowly add half of the powdered sugar at the side of the bowl.
4. Add the cream, meringue powder, and vanilla with the mixer on low.
5. Slowly add the additional powdered sugar until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
6. Beat on low for 2 minutes more. The mixture should look light and fluffy. Adjust the consistency of the frosting with drops of heavy cream of teaspoons of powdered sugar at the end of mixing.
Do NOT overbeat, otherwise the buttercream will become too soft for icing and piping.
STORAGE
Store icing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week. Icing must be kept refrigerated, but can remain at the cool side of room temperature for 2 hours maximum.
Can freeze for up to one month.
COCONUT VARIATION
SARAH SAYS: Add in 2 tablespoons Coco Lopez to the cream cheese frosting with 1 teaspoon coconut extract, plus a little extra powdered sugar and beat!
STEP III: ASSEMBLE CAKE
1. Stack cake layers on a cake plate, spreading about 1/2 cup frosting between each layer.
2. Spread remaining frosting on top and side of cake.
STORAGE
The icing and filling that covers your cake determines how you store your cake. This cake MUST be refrigerated, where it will keep for a few days.
