Italian Cream Cake

Source: Dorothy Martin

Ingredients

• 1 cube butter, softened
• ½ cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
• cream cheese frosting
• extra chopped walnuts as garnish

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter and shortening. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Add egg yolks and beat well.

3. Combine flour, baking soda and salt and add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla. Add coconut and nuts.

4. Fold in beaten egg whites gently. Pour batter into three greased and floured 8-inch cake pans.

5. Bake in 350 oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

6. Remove pans from oven and cool for about 8 minutes; then remove from pans to wire racks. Let cool completely. Prepare frosting and spread between each layer and over the top and sides of cake. Sprinkle frosting with extra chopped walnuts. Cut in thin pieces since the cake is rich.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened ½ cube butter, softened 1 lb powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla

Beat cream cheese with butter until fluffy. Add sugar slowly while beating and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat to combine.