Have you contacted Better Homes themselves? I know I did for one item that was well over 5 years old. Give it a try. Good luck.

I went to the bhg.com website, here is the recipe from their files
Italian Creme Cake
Cakes infused with coconut are a southern Italian favorite. Frosted with a buttery pecan frosting, this cake will be a sure hit with coconut and pecan lovers.
Source: Better Homes and Gardens

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
1/3 cup shortening
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 3-1/2 ounce can flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
4 egg whites
Pecan Frosting (see recipe below)
Pecan halves (optional)

1. Grease and flour three 8x1-1/2-inch round baking pans; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla; beat on medium speed until combined. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to egg yolk mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Fold in coconut and chopped pecans.
3. Thoroughly wash the beaters. In a small mixing bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold about one-third of the egg whites into cake batter to lighten. Fold in remaining whites. Spread batter evenly into prepared pans.
4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks.
5. When cool, spread the top of a cake layer with frosting. Top with another layer, frost, and top with a third layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. If desired, decorate cake with pecan halves. Chill cake until serving time. Store any leftover cake, covered, in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Makes 14 servings.
Pecan Frosting:In a bowl beat 12 ounces cream cheese, softened; 6 tablespoons butter, softened; and 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth. Gradually add 6 cups sifted powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Makes 4 cups.


Nutritional facts per serving
calories: 682 , total fat: 37g , saturated fat: 17g , cholesterol: 119mg , sodium: 284mg , carbohydrate: 86g , fiber: 2g , protein: 7g , vitamin C: 0% , calcium: 7% , iron: 11%

The Italian Creme Cake sounded so good!! I went to www.bhg.com and found only one recipe, but doesn't call for using a cake mix. You might want to check the recipe out anyway.
A great holiday season to all.

Yes, I live in the heart of Cajun Country in Louisiana.

Mmmmmmmmm Pappacitas, Mammacitas, The Original Ninfa's.......

YUM!!!!

You may not be able to get Mexican food like that around here but you sure can't get gumbo in Texas as good as we have here!

Yeah, I read about the 71 vehicle pile-up on the Toll Road! How awful! Thast one of the reasons I absolutely will not drive in dense fog unless it is an emergency!

Pappacitas, Mammacitas, The Original Ninfa's.......
Great, now I'm hungry again! Ha.
My parents use to own a seafood restaurant in East Texas and I think I lived on the gumbo and boiled shrimp. I was much thinner and felt so much better. Gosh, those were the days. Eating for free.
I hate to drive in rain or fog. I'm just such a nervous person when I'm driving and I know I scare everyone around me.

I found a site with loads of Italian Cream Cakes - go to: Cooks.com Choose Cakes, then type in Italian Cream Cake

This is a sample of one of the cakes there..... hope this helps.

ITALIAN CREAM CHEESE CAKE
Printed from COOKS.COM
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 1/3 c. water
1/4 c. cooking oil
1 c. pecans
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
2 c. Angel Flake coconut
Blend cake mix, pudding, water, eggs and oil. Beat at medium speed 4 minutes, stir in pecans and coconut. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 minutes in greased tube pan.

ICING:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese (softened)
1 stick butter
Chopped pecans
1 box powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix and spread over cake.

This is from the Cake Doctor...

Makes 12 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 25 minutes

5 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
3 large egg yolks
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour three 9-inch round layer pans with vegetable shortening and dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pans aside.

2. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Set the bowl aside.

3. Place the cake mix, egg yolks, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl, and with the same beaters used to beat the egg whites, blend with the electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Turn the beaten egg whites out on top of the batter, and with the rubber spatula fold the whites into the batter until the mixture is light but well combined. Gently fold in the coconut and pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, smoothing the tops out. Place the pans in the oven, two on the center rack and another pan above if three layers will not fit on one rack.

4. Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 25 minutes. The top layer may bake more quickly, and it might needing rotating to a lower rack during baking. Remove the pans from the oven, place on a rack to cool 10 to 15 minutes, then invert once, and then again, so that the layers rest right-side up on racks to complete cooling. Frost with the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting and serve.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting: Blend an 8-ounce (softened) package of cream cheese with 8 tablespoons soft butter, then add 4 cups sifted confectioners sugar and 1/2 teaspoon coconut flavoring. Beat until creamy, and frost the middle, top, and sides of the cake.

and this one from Epicurious site... rave reviews...

For cake layers
2 cups granulated sugar---reduce to 1 3/4 cup
1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening, softened
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter softened, or 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup shortening
5 large eggs, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

For frosting
an 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
a 1-pound box confectioners' sugar

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 375°F. and lightly butter and flour three 9- by 2-inch round cake pans, knocking out any excess flour.

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together sugar, shortening, and margarine until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Into another bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat flour mixture into egg mixture in 2 batches alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until combined. Beat in vanilla, coconut, and chopped pecans. Beat egg whites in another bowl until they just hold stiff peaks and fold into batter gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops, and bake in upper two thirds of oven, switching position of pans in oven halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake layers in pans on racks 10 minutes and invert onto racks to cool completely.

Make frosting:
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together cream cheese, margarine, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, beating until creamy.

Stack cake layers on a cake plate, spreading about 1/2 cup frosting between each layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and side of cake.


SUGGESTIONS.... increase frosting by half.../ put 1 tablespn dark rum on bottom layer.../ add sliced bananas to center of cake....../ use pecans on the outside of cake..whole...

Perhaps you'll also like this cake...

Italian love cake....9x13 pan

2 lbs ricotta cheese
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (3 3/4 ounce) box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup milk
8 ounces non-dairy whipped topping, thawed (such as CoolWhip)
1 box fudge marble cake mix

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Prepare cake as directed on box and pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan.
3 In separate bowl, combine ricotta, sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix well.
4 Spoon over unbaked cake.
5 Bake cake for 1 hour.
6 Cool.
7 Mix instant pudding with milk; fold in whipped topping.
8 Spread over cake; refrigerate.

WOW - Didn't know there were so many delicious sounding Italian Creme Cake recipes out there! And thanks for all the tips about the websites.

Diana's recipe from cooks.com looks very much like the recipe I remember, though the BHG recipe was a layered cake, not a bundt.

YUMMY! dawny