Italian Cream Cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cream cheese
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup softened butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup dry shredded coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons orange zest

PREPARATION

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until creamy and set aside.

Mix sugar and butter in a large bowl, proceed to beat at high speed until the ingredients are creamy, add the egg yolks one by one. Add the cups of flour, the baking soda and continue beating. Add the reserved cream cheese, heavy cream, vanilla, nuts, coconut, and orange zest. You must mix these elements for several minutes so that they are well incorporated. Separately, in another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and firm, add them to the previous mixture in an enveloping way. Pour this preparation into a previously buttered and floured mold and take it to a preheated oven at 350 degrees. You will know that this cake is completely baked when you insert a wooden stick in the center of the cake, and it comes out completely dry. Once the cake is thoroughly cooled, cut it into two or three layers to fill it with the Italian cream.

CREAM FOR FILLING AND TOPPING

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large tablespoons of softened butter
• 1 cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

PREPARATION

Mix at high speed in a bowl the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla, beat until you get a thick cream. Once the cream is ready, put it in the refrigerator for a while to harden, and you can use it for the filling and topping of the cake. Sprinkle some chopped walnuts and grated coconut on top of the cake.