Cream Cake Ingredients 

CAKE: 

  • 1 white cake mix (15.25 ounce) *I USE DUNCAN HINES
  • 1 yellow cake mix (15.25 ounce)
  • 6 eggs
  • ½ cup vegetable oil 
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 cup water 
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup sweetened coconut (flakes)
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 small box instant vanilla pudding (powder)

FROSTING:

  • 1 cup (two sticks) salted butter, softened
  • 1 block cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup Crisco white shoftening (one block)
  • 1 bag (7-8 cups) powdered sugar
  • Clear vanilla extract 
  • Italian Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer (to taste and/or to thin)

FILLING/TOPPING: 

  • Toasted coconut 
  • Toasted chopped pecans 

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS: 

FOR THE CAKE:

  • Combine all ingredients except nuts and coconut in a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed. 
  • Work in the nuts and coconut. 
  • Grease and flour three 9” pans. 
  • Divide batter between the three pans and bake at 350 for 30 minutes (approximately). 
  • Cool cakes on wire racks. 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

Bring ingredients to room temperature. Mix butter and cream cheese until soft and creamy. Add Crisco and continue to beat until incorporated. (You can leave out the Crisco if you prefer traditional cream cheese frosting.) Toss in the extract and then lower the speed of your mixer to add powdered sugar (more or less to desired consistency). 

FILLING AND ICING THE CAKE:

  • Level all three cakes. 
  • Put one cake on your cake board and add a layer of cream cheese frosting. 
  • Pipe a ring around the edge of the cake and add some toasted pecans and coconut. 
  • Continue to stack and fill.
  • Turn the top cake upside down, so that it’s bottom up. 
  • Ice the cake with a crumb coat and chill. 
  • Once chilled, ice liberally with frosting. 
  • Add chopped (toasted) pecans and coconut to the sides and top then pipe trim or rosettes to add further décor