Italian Cream Cake

This is a recipe I found and have been craving to try but didn't have an occasion to make it. Finally I decided to just go for it :) It turned out so yummy!!!!


Cake Batter:

½ cup Butter, room temperature
½ cup Shortening
2 cups Sugar
5 Large Eggs, Separated
1 cup Buttermilk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Shredded or Flaked Sweetened Coconut
1 cup Chopped Pecans

Frosting:

1 stick Butter, room temperature
1 package Cream Cheese (8 0z.), room temperature
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound Powdered Sugar
Chopped Pecans (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.


Cake batter: Cream butter, shortening and sugar in a large bowl. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add buttermilk and mix well. Add vanilla and mix well.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl; add coconut and pecans and toss together well, then stir into wet ingredients. Mix well by hand.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold gently into cake batter, and then divide batter into 3 greased and floured 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.

Bake 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees, or until lightly browned and cake tests done when a toothpick is inserted near the center (I used a 9 inch pan and had to cook almost 30 minutes). Cool thoroughly on wire racks in pans.

Frosting: Cream butter and cream cheese together in a medium bowl; add vanilla, and gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. You may want to make 1 1/2 batches of frosting if you like to have extra to decorate with.

Carefully remove cakes from pans. Place bottom layer on serving plate, top with frosting. Place second layer over first, top with frosting, then place the last layer. Frost the cake, then sprinkle with chopped pecans as desired.

Keep cake refrigerated.