Italian Creme Cake

• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 of Shortening. (can be substituted with 1/2 cup of Butter, making 1 whole cup Butter for recipe)
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 Cup flaked Coconut (optional)
• 1 cup Finely chopped Pecans toasted
• Frosting:
• 1 8oz packet of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 5 1/2 cups powder sugar (you can test your sweet palate by adding a cup at a time until you've reached your level of sweetness)

1. 1. Separate eggs keeping both yolk and whites. Allow eggs and butter to sit at rm temp. for at least 30 min. Meanwhile, grease and flour 3 8in x 1 1/2 round cake pans. In a med. bowl, combine four and baking soda. Set aside.
2. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on med-high speed until well combined. (If substituting shortening with butter, beat butter until broken down). Add sugar and beat until well combined. Add egg yolks one at a time making sure yolks are well incorporated. Add vanilla. Alternately add buttermilk and flour mixture, mixing well before adding more. Fold in coconut and half of pecans.
3. 3. In a med-large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with clean electric beater (white will not process if beater is covered in cake mixture). Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into cake batter 1/2 at a time. Do not use electric beater for this or your whites will deflate.
4. 4. Spread cake batter evenly into pans and bake up to 25 min. Tops should be golden brown and toothpick inserted through middle of cakes. If toothpick comes out wet with cake batter, give it a few more minutes. Cool about 10 min before removing from pan.
5. For Cream Cheese Frosting:
6. 1. Beat all ingredients together.
7. 5. Frost cake by layers then entire cake. Let rest about 1hr prior to serving. Can be made 1 day ahead.

eggs, unsalted butter, flour, baking soda, shortening, sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, flaked coconut, pecans, frosting, packet, butter, vanilla, sugar

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/italian-creme-cake-50173743 (may not work)