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These cupcakes based on Pioneer Woman’s Italian cake have chopped pecans and coconut flakes in the frosting and in the batter
You’re probably questioning my intelligence right now, aren’t you? That or you’re wondering if I posted the wrong pictures for the recipe. In that case, no. This really is it!
Throughout this PW Wednesday series, the ladies and I have learned to modify almost all the recipes we’ve done. This is because we want the recipes to be healthier or because the quantity was made for a circus. Most of the time it was both. We used Ree’s recipes as guidelines and we added, subtracted ingredients to our taste. Which is why this series is so fun. One recipe, five very different dishes as the final outcome.
With that said, this week’s recipe was my choice again. I decided that we needed something sweet. We’ve done a bunch of savory dishes and while they have been nothing but amazing, we needed a sweet one to round out the savory dishes! So, I chose this cake. Err, cupcake? Again, modification.
The original recipe was a three layer cake that fed about 8-10 people. I really didn’t need that so I decided to halve the recipe and bake cupcakes instead! I really loved it. It has coconut flakes and chopped pecans IN the frosting and within the batter, there were coconut flakes. I only had half of one, the rest I gave to my coworkers and Jason. The reviews are this: not too sweet, the frosting is amazing, the cake batter is super moist, and love the coconut addition!
I must agree with all those. I did modify my frosting because I’m not a fan of getting a cavity as soon as frosting touches my teeth, so it definitely worked because everyone agreed this wasn’t a super sweet cupcake (which I don’t know how I achieved that because it seems like everyone else who made it this week thought it was too sweet). I love how moist my cupcakes came out. One friend said that he expected it to be a kind of dry cake but he was happily surprised with a moist cake. I’d have to say I think my favorite part is the fact that the batter is laced with coconut flakes. So yummy!
Grab the original recipe below for the cake, but here are my modifications:
- I halved the recipe to make cupcakes. You use the same cake batter but just use and bake them in muffin tins! I was able to make 14 cupcakes with the halved recipe.
- The original recipe calls for 5 eggs. How the heck do you halve 5 eggs?! I didn’t want to do the math like Rachel did, so I just threw in 3 eggs. Turned out perfectly fine.
- I halved the frosting recipe and didn’t add as much powdered sugar as it called for (which if you’re curious it called for TWO POUNDS!! Cray cray). I likely added about 1/2 a cup. I added more pecans and coconut flakes instead :) I also think if I didn’t modify the frosting, my frosting would’ve been too runny to pipe.
- I used a decorating tip with a large opening. Not sure you’ll be able to use a pretty frosting tip because there are pecans and coconut flakes folded into the frosting so with a small tip, it’ll likely all get stuck when you pipe.
Here are the ladies & their versions & opinions! It’s funny that two of us did cupcakes and the other two made the layered cake! I love us!
Megan – Wanna Be A Country Cleaver
Billie’s Italian Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 5 eggs, separated
- ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (236 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (85 g) sweetened coconut flakes
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (236 ml) buttermilk
For the icing
- 16 ounces (454 g) cream cheese
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 pounds (907 g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (109 g) chopped pecans
- 1 cup (85 g) sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans or 2 quarter sheet pans or one 9×12-inch pan.
- To make the cake, beat the egg whites until they’re stiff. Transfer them to another bowl, then clean mixing bowl and beater.5 eggs
- Combine the butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar in the mixing bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, then beat until smooth.1/2 cup (114 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (236 ml) vegetable oil, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add the coconut and beat to combine.1 cup (85 g) sweetened coconut flakes
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl then alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, mixing for a few seconds after each addition.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup (236 ml) buttermilk
- Add the egg whites and fold them gently in with the rest of the batter.
- Pour the batter onto the greased pans and spread it out. Bake cakes for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Turn the cakes out of the pans and allow them to cool completely.
- In the meantime, you can make your icing. To make, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until very light and fluffy.16 ounces (454 g) cream cheese, 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 pounds (907 g) powdered sugar
- Add 3/4 cup of the chopped pecans (reserving 1/4 cup for topping) and the 1 cup of coconut flakes. Mix until all combined.1 cup (109 g) chopped pecans, 1 cup (85 g) sweetened coconut flakes
- Stack the cake layers, spreading a generous amount of icing in between each layer. Take the extra icing and spread it all around the sides.
- End with sprinkling of the remaining chopped pecans.
- You can wrap the cake up or place in tupperware for up to a week.
These look like so much fun for your face! And I love finding scaled down sweet recipes, we’re only two over here, and 24 cupcakes or entire layer cakes can seem insane to make sometimes!
Haha I love that you said “so much fun for your face”..so true!
Oooh – love that you went with cupcakes! These are adorable!!
I loved that you made these into cupcakes – and halved the recipe. In retrospect I should have done the same. The nuts seriously helped cut the sweet factor of the frosting, but I wish I could have just stuck with 1 pound of sugar. 2 was kidna over the top.
Good choice Julie – I loved all the coconut and anytime I can break out my cake decorating gear, it’s a good day.
I absolutely love your modifications, as I’m not much of a sweet tooth person. And great idea turning these into cupcakes! Doesn’t it make serving so much cleaner and easier?
I should’ve cut way back on the powdered sugar like you did. I didn’t use a full pound but definitely more than half a cup. Ugh…too sweet!
I love all our pictures and variations this time around :)
TWO POUNDS of powdered sugar?!? Oh Ree. LOL. Love that you turned these into cupcakes. Very fun!
i like that you + rachel made these into cupcakes – that’s what i would’ve done, too. sounds tasty, although very very intense! i wouldn’t expect anything less from the PW. =)
This cake does sound seriously crazy as written. I love seeing the changes that all you ladies have made.
Feeding a circus… lol. I truly love how each week we all end up with something totally different from each other.
Obsessed with how good these look! Seriously swooning over these. Great job on eating half of one. I wish I had your will power! :)