Make this festive cake the star of your holiday table with traditional Italian cream cake, tart cranberry curd and simple sugared cranberries.
This post was updated on December 20, 2018 with new photos and revised recipe instructions.
Italian Cream Cake is a forgotten cake flavor and not something you often find in bakeries. Traditionally, this cake is frosted with a cream cheese frosting but in my version, I chose to use a vanilla buttercream in place of the cream cheese frosting and layer the cake with a creamy, tart cranberry curd for the holidays!
The cake itself is heavenly light, made so by incorporating whipped egg whites into the batter right before baking. The cake bakes up to a beautiful brown color, you’ll know it’s done when you gently touch the sponge-like top and it springs back into place. The cake is slightly sweet from the sweetened, shredded coconut in the batter. Some people don’t care for coconut but in this cake, the flavor is so subtle that it truly adds more of a sweetness than a full-on coconut flavor.
Making the Cranberry Curd
The Italian cream cake is filled with a tart and creamy cranberry curd. The curd is creamy from a mixture of eggs and butter. And while homemade curd is a sensitive beast, it’s nothing you can’t handle. When it comes time to add the egg into the buttery, cranberry mixture make sure you slowly temper the eggs first with a few tablespoons of the hot liquid. Once the eggs are acclimated, feel free to whisk them fully into the warm, buttery cranberries. Once complete, the curd is a beautiful pink color that adds excitement to the white cake & frosting when you cut into it.
Decorating with Buttercream & Sugared Cranberries
The tartness of the cranberry curd is balanced with a fluffy, vanilla buttercream. My preference is to frost this cake with a thin layer of buttercream so it doesn’t overpower the light Italian cream cake. But if you’re a frosting fanatic, go ahead and pile it on thick, the frosting recipe makes more than enough to support both preferences!
Sugared cranberries bring rustic simplicity to this festive holiday cake! Piled on top of the cake, they hint to the cranberry curd hidden inside, dazzling your guests with their beautiful, frosted coating when you slice into the cake. I loved piling the cranberries on top and around the edges of the cake, creating mock holly with sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme.
You’ll have plenty of sugared cranberries remaining which make the perfect addition to your holiday drink station! Throw them in a glass of champagne, top your mulled wine, or float them in your morning mimosa! They’re a festive holiday treat that will add a bit of fancy to your event.
Prep the Cake in Advance
Although this Italian Cream Cake requires a bit of attention to make it’s many components, some of these can be made a day ahead of time and assembled the day of your event. When I made this cake, I made the cranberry curd and frosting the day before then the morning of the event, I made the cake and sugared cranberries, assembling everything about an hour before leaving. If you’re really in a pinch the day of the event, feel free to also make the cake and sugared cranberries the day before, carefully storing everything until assembly.
This cake is sure to be a hit at your holiday party! It’s a show stopping cake that’s sweet, tart & creamy.
- Three 8-inch Italian cream cakes, recipe below
- 1½ cups cranberry curd, recipe below
- 3 cups vanilla butter cream, recipe below
- 2 cups sugared cranberries, recipe below
- fresh rosemary or thyme, optional
- Place a single cake on the bottom of your serving platter
- Create a dam around the top of the cake with vanilla buttercream then fill the dam with cranberry curd. Repeat the process for the second layer.
- Place the third cake on top of the second layer
- Remove 1 cup of vanilla frosting and place it in a small bowl. Thin the frosting with 2-3 tablespoons of water and ice the top and outside of the cake with the thin vanilla buttercream. This is your crumb boating
- Let the crumb coating dry from 30-60 minutes then frost the outside of the cake with the remaining, thicker, vanilla butter cream.
- Decorate the cake with the sugared cranberries and fresh herbs, if using
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup shortening
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 5 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- Cooking spray
- flour for dusting the cake pans
- For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Grease and lightly flour three 8-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment circles.
- Cream the butter and shortening with the sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla
- Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating between each new addition
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the baking soda and flour.
- Add the flour mixture and whole milk alternately, beginning and ending with milk
- With the mixer on low, stir in the coconut and pecans
- In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites to stiff peaks
- Gently fold the egg whites into the batter
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake pin inserted into the center comes out clean
- Cool cakes completely then level the cakes, removing the dome before assembling
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- juice and orange zest from 1 large orange
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks, beaten
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and set aside
- Bring the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and peel to boil over medium heat. Stirring occasionally until the cranberries burst
- Carefully pour the mixture into a sieve or small strainer placed over a large bowl
- Press the mixture into a bowl until mostly pulp and peel remains
- While still hot, whisk the butter into pressed liquid
- Remove 1 cup of liquid and whisk it gradually into the eggs to temper
- Slowly whisk the tempered eggs into the remaining cranberry liquid
- Return the mixture to a pot and cook over low heat until nearly bubbling and thick, about 10 minutes.
- Cool completely before using. If storing, place plastic wrap tightly on top of the curd to keep out air so a skin layer doesn't form prior to use
- ½ cup unsalted softened butter
- ½ cup shortening
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons powdered egg whites
- 4-6 cups confectioner's sugar
- 6-8 tablespoons milk
- In a mixer, mix together butter, shortening, egg whites, and 1 cup of confectioner's sugar. Add in vanilla. Gradually add more sugar, alternating with milk until desired consistency is reached.
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1½ cups sugar (for rolling)
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- Place a wire rack over a large baking pan (to catch sugar while cranberries dry)
- In a medium pot, combine ½ cup sugar and water over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
- Gently stir in cranberries until well coated
- With a slotted spoon, transfer to the prepared wire rack and let dry for at least 30 minutes
- Roll cranberries in 1½ cups sugar until well coated, placing the cranberries back on the wire rack to dry. You may need to work in batches.
This cake looks absolutely gorgeous and so delicious! I’m loving the cranberry curd!
What an amazing idea, to use cranberry in an Italian cream cake! The tartness of the cranberry goes perfectly with the sweetness of the cake. I love this recipe.
This cake is gorgeous! And it looks so moist and delicious! I love the combo of Italian cream and cranberry curd – yum! Pinning and sharing!
That cake looks so moist!!! I love the flavor combination of the tart cranberries and the curd. Perfect balance. Thanks for the recipe
Beautiful cake! I love the idea of cranberry curd, and that big pile of sugared cranberries on top is gorgeous. I can’t get enough; I’ve been putting them on all my desserts this month.
Wow. This looks so delicious! I want to gather all those crumbs and scoop them into my mouth. And THEN eat a piece. Yummy!
This cake looks stunning! It seems easy to prepare and so delicious!