Italian Cream Cake

Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) with racks positioned in the middle. Grease the interior of three 9-inch round cake pans with butter, line the bottom of each with a circle of parchment paper, and lightly dust the sides with flour, tapping out excess. Place 1 cup (110g) of pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat, toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until nutty and fragrant. Set pecans aside to cool completely, then finely chop ¾ cup for the cake batter, leaving the remaining ¼ cup coarsely chopped for garnish.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream 113g (½ cup) of the softened unsalted butter with 400g (2 cups) granulated sugar for 3 to 4 minutes until light, pale, and fluffy. Add the 5 room-temperature egg yolks one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition and scraping down the bowl sides halfway through. Stir in 5ml (1 teaspoon) of the vanilla extract. In a separate small bowl, whisk together 250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour, 5g (1 teaspoon) baking soda, and 3g (½ teaspoon) fine sea salt. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter mixture in three alternating batches with the 240ml (1 cup) room-temperature buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients, mixing on low speed only until just combined (do not overmix). Fold in 85g (1 cup) shredded coconut and the ¾ cup finely chopped toasted pecans.

In a completely clean, dry stainless steel mixing bowl, use an electric mixer with clean, dry beaters on medium-high speed to beat the 5 room-temperature egg whites for 2 to 3 minutes until they hold stiff, glossy peaks (when you lift the beater, the peak stands straight up without flopping over). Gently fold one-third of the whipped egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites in two batches, using a rubber spatula to cut through the center and scrape along the bottom of the bowl to avoid deflating the batter.

Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans, using a spatula to smooth the tops level. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes at 175°C (350°F), until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out with 1 to 2 moist crumbs attached (no wet batter). Let the layers cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of each pan and turn the layers out onto the rack to cool completely to room temperature (about 1 hour) before frosting—warm layers will melt the frosting.

While the cake layers cool, make the frosting: in a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the remaining 113g (½ cup) softened unsalted butter and 452g (16oz) softened full-fat block cream cheese for 2 to 3 minutes until completely smooth, with no lumps, scraping down the bowl sides as needed. Reduce mixer speed to low, gradually add 480g (4 cups) sifted powdered sugar, beating until just combined. Stir in the remaining 5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract, then turn mixer to medium-high and beat for 1 minute until light and fluffy—do not overbeat, as this can make the frosting runny.

Place one fully cooled cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate, spread ¾ cup of the frosting evenly across the top of the layer. Place the second cake layer on top, spread another ¾ cup of frosting across the top. Add the final cake layer, then use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the entire cake in a smooth, even coat. Press the remaining 35g (½ cup) shredded coconut and ¼ cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans onto the sides and top edge of the cake for garnish.

Refrigerate the assembled cake for 30 minutes to let the frosting set before slicing. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving to bring out its full, rich, nutty flavor. Store any leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.