This cake is for the bride. It was offered during the wedding of a very close friend.
| Prep Time: | 1 hr |
| Cook Time: | 35 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 35 mins |
| Servings: | 10 |
| Yield: | 1 to 3 – layer inch round cake |
Ingredients
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup margarine
- 2 cups white sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 egg whites
- ½ cup drained crushed pineapple
- ½ cup flaked coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 8 inch pans. Combine the buttermilk, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and almond extract. Beat in the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour, mixing just until incorporated. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Stir in pineapple, coconut and 1 cup pecans.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake layers to cool 10 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- To make the frosting: Cream together the butter, cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until blended. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1 cup pecans. If frosting is too stiff to spread, stir in milk a teaspoon at a time until it reaches desired consistency.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 1044 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 118 g |
| Cholesterol | 164 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Saturated Fat | 21 g |
| Sodium | 684 mg |
| Sugars | 94 g |
| Fat | 62 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
It’s very good, soft, and moist. I added extra coconut to the batter and also added a cup of coconut to the frosting. The whole family loved it.
Made it years ago. Special birthday cake. I knew it as Italian Cream Cake. So fun to make it again. Everyone raves because it’s so different.
I made this for a bachelorette party and it was unanimously declared a fantastic cake. My mom had the leftovers, and she also said it was one of the best cakes she’d ever eaten. I like that no single flavor comes across too strongly. Instead of tasting individual coconut, pecans, and pineapple, you taste a harmonious blend of flavors complimented by a smooth, moist texture that’s solid and cohesive but light and airy. The only substitute I made was butter instead of shortening.
I didn’t care for the look of the pecans mixed into the frosting, so removed two cups of frosting and mixed only that with finely chopped pecans and used it as filling, frosting the top and sides with the plain cream cheese frosting. It seemed skimpy on the sides, so I pressed chopped pecans around the whole cake. Yup, probably 4 cups of pecans in all! The cake was fabulous, but the frosting was a bit too sweet and rich for my taste. If I make it again, it will probably be with buttercream.
Phenomenal flavor, very moist and light! I made cupcakes with this recipe (makes 36-48 cupcakes) with a couple of modifications: *Instead of margarine, I used butter. *Instead of 2 tsp vanilla in the frosting, I used 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp almond flavoring. *Instead of mixing pecans into the frosting, I used sugar-glazed pecans sprinkled on top of the frosting. Probably the best cupcakes I’ve ever made, and I’m not a big fan of nuts. They were a big hit. I’ll be making them again!
This was just ok. I made this for my sister’s birthday and the flavors of pineapple and coconut just don’t come through. It tastes like a pecan cake with pecan cream cheese frosting.
My guests all raved at how good this was, even the ones who didn’t like pineapple. If you are going to make something unbelievably good you just have to add goodness and forget about calories. I made this cake but changed a few things the second time and thought it was much better by substituting the margarine and shortening for 1 full cup Butter, adding walnuts with the pecans and also including more of them than called for in both the cake and icing, also adding coconut to the icing. You can add more pineapple if you like also. A couple things to consider, If you can’t get your egg whites to fluff, its OK just add them anyway, and double the icing, your guests will appreciate it. Its ok to change some things, put in what you like, omit what you don’t.
I recommend toasting the coconut and pecans first to bring out the flavors. Cake is excellent and I got several comments of “the best cake I’ve had in years”
Bake for only 20 minutes and then start checking with a toothpick. I made a triple layer and 35 minutes was way too long. In spite of it being a little crispy the flavor of this cake was wonderful.
I made this into cupcakes for my fathers 80th birthday party. The theme was Italian foods so this was perfect! They were the best cupcakes I’ve ever made, I got tons of compliments…they are highly addictive.
I am so happy I came across this recipe. Just to put it out there, the pictures don’t do it any justice at all. I followed a suggestion from above and did all butter instead of the shortening and omitted the baking soda. The best frosting I’ve made in a very long time. Everyone was raving about it. Thanks so much for sharing.
I made 1/2 of this recipe to try it before I make it for a bridal shower this weekend. It is amazing! I used all butter, used 2 times the pineapple, but did not double the coconut. The bake time was perfect – it took just 35 minutes. I added a scant 1/4 teaspoon almond extract to the frosting and added pecans on the top after I frosted the cake. My husband said this cake is even better than my signature coconut cake!
Amazing !!! This cake will be my wedding cake!
I have made this cake several times and it is ALWAYS a hit. Follow instructions exactly! NOTE: It tastes better the next day! I have also frozen it and thawed it a few days later and it still tastes fresh!
I’ve made this twice now and people love it…especially my husband. I would have given it 5 stars, but for the denseness of it, I didn’t. The flavor is just like a wedding cake, which is also a more dense cake, but this was just a little too dense for me. Of course, maybe I just need to make it a few more times because i think it’s one of those recipes that the more you make, the better you get at it. The icing is really good too.
i have made this cake twice the first time i forgot the baking soda which made it come out flat which was fine cause it was easier to stack but both times it was super moist and tasted so good. i had coconut haters even like it they couldnt even tell it had coconut in it. on one cake i ran out of time and frosting so i went to store and bought fluffy whip icing and used that on one and tasted awesome too so if u dont have time to make cream cheese frosting included in recipe try betty crocker whipped fluffy white icing with some nuts on top to decorate it will work as well and light in taste too. the only problem is it is alot of work but worth the taste.
This was almost too delicious! Subbed white wheat flour and it was still moist and delicious!
Words cannot express how good this cake is! You would think that because the cake is so dense, it would be dry, but it was far from it. It was tender, moist and delicious. I decreased the sugar just a tad, added a little more pineapple and coconut and that was it. No one in my family likes coconut, but I made it anyway, just because I wanted to see if I could, and I did. You will not be disappointed!
Oh my! This cake is fabulous! It was a huge hit at the soup supper where I served it. Next time I would put more filling between the layers. I was afraid I would run out of frosting, but there is plenty to put a generous amount between the layers (the recipe does not mention filling the layers).
Holy Moly this was good!!!!!! I will use more pineapple next time.
ive done it a couple of times. it is deliciouis. the frsoting always comes out kinda of runny though