Here’s a rich, show-stopping Strawberry Italian Cream Pound Cake—buttery, moist, packed with strawberries, coconut, and pecans, then finished with a creamy frosting. Perfect for holidays, birthdays, or anytime you want something special.
🍓 Strawberry Italian Cream Pound Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups cake flour (or all-purpose flour, sifted)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1½ cups diced fresh strawberries, lightly tossed in 1 tbsp flour
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3½–4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 tbsp heavy cream or milk (as needed)
Instructions
- Prep
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Grease and flour a bundt or tube pan very well.
- Cream Butter & Sugar
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (4–5 minutes).
- Add Eggs
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
- Dry Ingredients
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine
- Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.
- Mix in vanilla.
- Fold In
- Gently fold in coconut, pecans, and floured strawberries.
- Bake
- Pour batter into pan and smooth top.
- Bake 1 hour 15–25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pan 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
- Frosting
- Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar gradually, then vanilla.
- Add cream as needed for spreadable consistency.
- Finish
- Frost cake once completely cooled.
- Garnish with fresh strawberries, coconut, or pecans if desired.
Tips for Success
- Use room-temperature ingredients for best texture
- Toss strawberries in flour to prevent sinking
- Don’t overmix after adding flour
- Cake tastes even better the next day
Variations
- Strawberry swirl: Add strawberry preserves and gently swirl
- No nuts: Simply omit pecans
- Extra strawberry flavor: Add ½ tsp strawberry extract
- Glaze instead of frosting: Use a cream-cheese glaze drizzle
If you’d like, I can give you a lighter loaf version, a made-from-scratch strawberry glaze topping, or a southern church-style version everyone loves 🍰
