Eggless Italian Cream Cake

Italian cream cake has always been one of my favorite cakes to bake for special occasions. It is soft, rich, and full of sweet coconut and toasted pecans.

Traditional recipes usually call for several eggs, but I made this eggless italian cream cake completely egg free. It is a wonderful option for anyone who has an egg allergy or simply avoids eggs in their diet.

Even without eggs, the cake layers turn out soft and tender thanks to buttermilk and sour cream. You get all the classic bakery style flavor without needing eggs at all.

I finished the cake with a smooth cream cheese frosting and extra toasted pecans on top. It looks beautiful on a plate, and your guests will never guess it is eggless.

Why You’ll Love It

Incredible Moisture – The blend of buttermilk and sour cream keeps every single bite wonderfully soft without needing any eggs.

Irresistible Texture – Sweet coconut and crunchy toasted pecans create the perfect contrast against the tender, fluffy cake crumb.

Rich Cream Cheese Frosting – Tangy cream cheese balances the sweet cake layers for an authentic, bakery-quality finish everyone will love.

Easy One-Bowl Method – You do not need fancy mixers for the batter since everything mixes together quickly by hand.

Ingredient List

For the Cake

• 1 cup Pecans, Chopped
• 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 1/4 cups Buttermilk, Room Temperature
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream, Room Temperature
• 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, Melted
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut

For the Frosting

• 12 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
• 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 5 cups Powdered Sugar
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp Salt

For Garnish

• 1/2 cup Pecans, Chopped
• 1/4 cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Step 2

Spread all of the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 6-8 minutes until fragrant, adding the garnish coconut to one side of the sheet for the last 3 minutes. Let cool, then set aside the garnish pecans and toasted coconut.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Step 4

In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, sour cream and sugar until the sugar mostly dissolves. Whisk in the melted butter, oil and vanilla until smooth.

Step 5

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold gently just until combined. Fold in the 1 cup of shredded coconut and the 1 cup of toasted pecans.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans and smooth the tops.

Step 6

Bake for 28-32 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Step 7

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and beat until light and creamy, being careful not to overbeat.

Step 8

Place one cake layer on a plate, spread with a thick layer of frosting and top with the second layer. Frost the top and sides, then sprinkle the toasted pecans and coconut over the top.

Chill for 30 minutes before slicing for clean, neat layers.

Tips

Bring Dairy to Room Temperature

I always make sure to pull the buttermilk and sour cream out of the fridge about an hour before baking. If these ingredients are cold, they will cause the warm melted butter to solidify into tiny clumps.

Having everything at room temperature helps the wet ingredients blend into a smooth mixture, which gives this eggless cake a soft and uniform crumb.

Keep a Close Eye on the Coconut

Sweetened shredded coconut contains sugar, which means it browns much faster than pecans. I recommend adding it to the baking sheet only during the last three minutes of toasting.

As soon as the coconut edges look light golden, take it off the pan right away so it stays sweet and tender.

Cool the Toasted Mix-Ins Before Adding

From my experience, you should never fold warm pecans or coconut straight into your prepared cake batter. The heat will melt the fats in the batter too soon and change how the cake rises in the oven.

I like to transfer the toasted nuts and coconut off the hot baking sheet onto a cool plate so they reach room temperature quickly before mixing them in.

Try These Next

• Eggless Coconut Layer Cake
• Eggless German Chocolate Cake
• Eggless Hummingbird Layer Cake
• Eggless Red Velvet Layer Cake
• Eggless Spiced Carrot Cake

Questions You Might Have

Can I use unsweetened coconut instead of sweetened shredded coconut?

You can use unsweetened shredded coconut, but it will make the cake slightly less sweet and a bit drier.

If you use unsweetened coconut, make sure the flakes are finely shredded so they blend nicely into the tender crumb of this eggless cake.