Italian Cream Cake With Mint

Italian Cream Cake With Mint

by Tamara Sloviaczek

I love adding or substituting mint to dessert recipes. Instead of the standard vanilla, mint gives sweets a fresh zip. The chopped or dried herb looks like confetti, perfect for your special celebration of  Mother’s Day or a birthday.

I included gluten free and dairy free instructions so you can make this cake work with any dietary restrictions. Enjoy!

Cake Ingredients

½  c shortening

4 oz butter (1 stick)

2 c sugar

1 t baking soda

5 eggs

1 c buttermilk

2 c flour

½ t salt

1 c chopped fresh mint or ½ c dried crushed mint. Reserve whole mint leaves for garnish.

Frosting Ingredients

4 oz butter (1 stick)

8 oz cream cheese (1 package)

1 lb powdered sugar (1 box)

1 c fresh mint, chopped

Gluten Free And Dairy Free Substitutes 

8 oz plant-based butter alternative (16T or 1 c) - Sub for 1 stick butter in the cake and 1 stick butter in the frosting

1 c coconut cream, plus 1 1/2 t of vinegar or lemon juice - Sub for buttermilk

2 c of gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour or see Jackie’s Gluten Flour Mix* recipe below)

8 oz dairy free cream cheese (frosting)

Directions

Step 1

Cream shortening, butter, and sugar together.

Step 2

Separate eggs, adding yolks one at a time to the mixture above. Reserve egg whites.

Step 3

Add dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking soda mixture) and buttermilk.

Note: For the gluten free recipe, the vinegar is required to balance the baking soda.

Step 4

Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and chopped mint.

Step 5

Bake in two greased and floured 9 in round cake pans for 30 minutes, or until done (toothpick comes out clean).

Frosting Directions

Warm the butter and cream cheese to room temperature. Then use an electric mixer to mix in powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in 1 cup of chopped fresh mint.

*Jackie’s Gluten Free Flour Mix

You can make this all purpose baking flour mixture ahead and store in an airtight container for use in many recipes.

Ingredients

1 c fine white rice flour

1 c potato starch

1 c corn starch or Arrowroot

½ c fine corn flour or almond flour

½ c tapioca starch

1 t xanthin gum per cup of flour mixture

Directions

Combine these flours and store in an air-tight container until used.