Italian Cream Sheet Cake

Italian cream sheet cake is a soft, buttery vanilla cake loaded with coconut and pecans, topped with a fluffy cream cheese frosting. It’s sweet, nutty, and super tender thanks to the buttermilk, making it perfect for parties, holidays, and potlucks. Baking it as a sheet cake means quicker baking and easy serving for a crowd. The frosting is rich but light, with extra coconut for that classic flavor. Finish with pecans on top for a little crunch in every bite.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp shredded coconut
• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 3–4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a jelly roll baking sheet with butter or non-stick spray.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl, then set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl or mixer for 4–5 minutes, until fluffy and lighter in color.
4. Add eggs and beat until fully incorporated, then mix in vanilla extract.
5. Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter (beginning and ending with flour), mixing until just incorporated.
6. Fold in shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
7. Pour batter into the greased baking sheet and spread evenly.
8. Bake 17–20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, then cool completely.
9. Beat butter and cream cheese for 3–4 minutes until fluffy, then gradually mix in powdered sugar and salt, beat in vanilla, and stir in shredded coconut.
10. Frost the cooled cake and top with chopped pecans, then slice and serve.

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cooking Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes
Kcal: 520 kcal | Servings: 24

Tips

Toast the pecans lightly before folding them in for a deeper, richer nutty flavor that really stands out in the cake.

Make sure the cake is fully cool before frosting, and store it covered in the fridge (cream cheese frosting) for up to 5 days; let slices sit a few minutes at room temp before serving.

FAQ

Is Italian cream cake actually Italian?
Not really—it’s a classic Southern-style cake with coconut and pecans, despite the name.

Can I bake this in a 9×13 pan instead of a jelly roll pan?
Yes, but it will be thicker and need a longer bake time; start checking around 25–30 minutes.

Can I reduce the powdered sugar in the frosting?
You can, but the frosting will be softer—use 3 cups for a less-sweet, looser frosting and 4 cups for thicker spreading.

Can I freeze Italian cream sheet cake?
Yes—freeze unfrosted cake tightly wrapped, then thaw and frost; frosted slices can be frozen too, but the texture is best when thawed in the fridge.