Italian Coconut Cake

• For cake:
• 1/2 cup butter or marg. softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 1 Tabs. vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• Frost with nutty cream cheese frosting:
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted in a shallow pan, 5-10 mins 350 degrees
• 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup softened butter or marg
• 1 Tabs. vanilla
• 16 oz pkg of confectioner's sugar

1. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks one at a time , beating until well blended after each addition. Add vanilla; beat until blended.
2. Combine flour and soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed until blended. Stir in coconut.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour into three greased and floure d 9" pans. Bake at 350 for 25 mins. until pick comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 mins. and then remove from pan and cool on wire racks.
4. For frosting:
5. Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla at medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed until smooth. Stir in pecans. Makes about 4 cups.
6. Spread between layers and on tops and sides of cake. Garnish with pecan halves

cake, butter, shortening, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, buttermilk, flaked coconut, cream cheese, pecans, cream cheese, butter, vanilla, s sugar

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/italian-coconut-cake-50116447 (may not work)