Italian Cream Layer Cake Recipe excellent cake and always a hit. One great tip, usually dust the pecans in flour before adding to the batter. One faux paus, I learned to never substitute cake flour for the all purpose flour.

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (3.5 ounce) package flaked coconut

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups white sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup margarine, softened

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites

4 cups confectioners' sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease three 9 inch, round cake pans.

Combine soda and buttermilk, and let stand a few minutes.

In a large bowl, cream sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup oil and shortening. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Mix buttermilk mixture alternately with flour into creamed mixture. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Gently stir in 1 cup pecans and coconut.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

To make the Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat together cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and confectioners' sugar.

Stir in 1 cup chopped pecans. Frost and fill cooled cake with cream cheese frosting.