Chef Paula Deen is on the show tonight and I have a sneak preview of the recipe that she’ll share with Jay. Here it is in case you want to go out and get the ingredients early:
Italian Cream Cake
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup whole buttermilk
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
Garnish: shaved toasted coconut, mint sprig
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 3 (9-inch) cake pans with nonstick cooking spray with flour.
In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Stir in coconut, nuts, and vanilla. Pour evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and butter. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and almond extract. Beat at medium speed with a mixer until smooth. Spread frosting evenly between each cake layer and on top. Garnish with coconut and a mint sprig, if desired.
