Italian Creme Cake

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 egg yolks (whites used later in recipe)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 4 egg whites
• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 6 -7 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut, toasted
• pecan halves (optional)

Recipe

• 1 grease and flour three 8- or 9-inch round baking pans.
• 2 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 3 in large bowl, beat butter and shortening with mixer until combined.
• 4 add sugar; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• 5 add egg yolks and vanilla; beat well.
• 6 in another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soda.
• 7 add dry mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture, beating on low after each addition just until combined.
• 8 stir in chopped pecans.
• 9 thoroughly wash and dry beaters.
• 10 in clean bowl, beat egg whites with mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
• 11 stir about one-third of egg whites into the cake batter, then fold in remaining whites.
• 12 divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
• 13 bake at 350°f for 18 to 30 minutes (depending on size of pan and oven temperature) until wooden toothpicks inserted near centers come out clean.
• 14 cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.
• 15 remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
• 16 make cream cheese frosting: in medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 6 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth.
• 17 gradually stir in powdered sugar until frosting is right consistency for spreading, beating until smooth.
• 18 (makes about 4 cups frosting).
• 19 assemble cake, frosting between layers and top.
• 20 sprinkle top with toasted coconut and garnish with pecan halves.
• 21 cover loosely and store in refrigerator.
• 22 this cake can also be baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan (35 to 40 minutes cooking time).
• 23 if you make 9 x 13-inch cake, you will only need half of frosting recipe.