Printable Recipe: Authentic From-Scratch Italian Creme Cake Recipe

Authentic From-Scratch Italian Creme Cake Recipe

If you've got a little extra time or want to do something really special for dessert, there's nothing like homemade cream cake to please even the pickiest of eaters.

The from-scratch Italian creme cake recipe you'll find below is ideally suited for fusion cooks who enjoy tinkering a bit with their recipes. For example, to turn this simple cake into a rich Zuppa Inglese simply brush the cake layers with rum. Or swap the rum out for some lemon or pear syrup instead. Enjoy with an Espresso and you'll feel like you just landed in Barcelona.

Ingredients:

Cake
1/2 c. vegetable shortening, softened
1/2 c. rendered butter, softened
2 c. white sugar
5 large eggs, separated, at room temp.
2 c. well sifted cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. cultured buttermilk, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla or lemon extract

Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract or lemon flavoring
16 oz. confectioners sugar, sifted

Cake Instructions: 1. Prepare the oven, bringing it to 325 degrees F.

2. Spray 3 9-inch cake pans with vegetable oil. Lightly flour.

3. Place the shortening, butter and sugar into a mixing bowl. Beat on medium until the mixture is fluffy.

4. One at a time start adding the separated egg yokes. Beat to integrate them singularly.

5. Sift the salt and flour together.

6. In a separate container mix the baking soda and buttermilk.

7. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients into the rest of the batter, beating as you go.

8. Place egg whites in separate container, beating them until they peak.

9. Hand fold the eggs into the batter along with the vanilla.

10. Pour equal amounts of batter into each prepared pan.

11. Bake for 25 minutes testing for doneness with a toothpick.

12. Cool for 10 minutes then turn them onto a cooling rack

13. Cool completely before frosting.

14. Put frosting between each layer of the cake, on the sides and top. Decorate as desired.

Frosting Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients for the frosting in a large mixing bowl.

2. Use an electric mixer on medium setting, mix until everything is well integrated.

3. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing until the texture is smooth

4. Refrigerate until you frost the cake.