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Italian Cream Snack Cake

Simplify that classic dessert with this simple-to-make Italian Cream Snack Cake!

Italian Cream Cake is one of my favorite cakes. Who can resist all that coconut, pecans, and cream cheese frosting? But if we’re being totally honest here, I don’t always want to fuss with a layer cake. Sometimes you just want to simplify. And that, my friends, is how this cake came to be.

This sweet, dense cake is packed with all the things we love about Italian Cream Cake. It’s filled with sweet coconut and crunchy pecans. As for the cream cheese, it’s mixed right into the batter. No frosting required!

Coconut, pecans, and cream cheese make this Italian Cream Snack Cake absolutely delicious! - Bake or Break

While I’m calling this a cake, it’s dense enough that you can grab a piece with your hand. It makes a great quick sweet treat for a snack or a coffee break. Just grab a slice and enjoy!

Another bonus for this cake is that I am pretty much guaranteed to have all the ingredients in my kitchen to make it. If your favorite tastes run along these lines, you can join me in having our Italian Cream fix any time we want!

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Italian Cream Snack Cake

Yield 12 to 16 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes

Simplify a classic dessert with this quick and easy Italian Cream Snack Cake!

Simplify that classic dessert with this simple-to-make Italian Cream Snack Cake!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  • 16 pecan halves

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and brown sugar until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
  4. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in pecans and coconut.
  5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Place the pecan halves on top of the batter, spacing them so that there will be one pecan half on top of each slice.
  6. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before serving.

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    13 Comments on “Italian Cream Snack Cake”

  1. the cream cheese frosting is incorporated into the cake!! brilliant!

  2. This was one of my Mom’s favorite cakes. I’ve never made the “real” recipe, only a lightened version I found in Cooking Light magazine many years ago. Thanks for sharing the sheet cake version.

  3. Did I miss something? I didn’t see any mention of when to add the sugars to the mix.

  4. such a cool idea to mix the cream cheese in so there’s no frosting but you get all that yummy flavor!

  5. Thank you for this Italian lovely recipe 🙂

  6. I think I have to make this just based on the fact that it’s Italian and yet…I’ve never had it! It’s my duty to embrace my heritage, after all.

  7. I need to know if you have ever doubled this and used a 9 x 15 pan?

  8. I added 3T maple syrup and 1C frozen blueberries to the mix since the batter was so dense.  Smells delicious!      

  9. Tried this recipe today, NOT GREAT! In fact, husband pronounced it “inedible”. I am convinced there is something missing. BAtter so dense that it did not cook through after the recommended time. This went in the trash and I am looking for another recipe that will be better. Sorry, lady, but not good.

  10. Does it have to be refrigerated?

  11. This was awful 🙁
    Batter was so thick it literally didn’t move when it baked and the taste was not good either 

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