Italian Cream Cake

This was my first attempt at an Italian cream cake. My sister-in-law loves this kind of cake, so of course I volunteered to make one for her birthday. Not only had I never baked this type of cake before, I somehow had never even tasted this kind of cake before! I searched for recipes, and ended up going with what looked to be a fairly standard recipe from Southern Living. The cake is pretty rich, but I think we all agreed that it turned out to be tasty. The cream cheese frosting with toasted pecans is amazingly good. I am offically a fan of Italian cream cakes!

I decorated the top with some frosting I had reserved before adding the pecans.It looks good enough to eat!ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

Adapted slightly from Southern Living

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

5 large eggs, separated

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans, and line with parchment.

2. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla, beating until blended.

3. Combine flour and soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in coconut.

4. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter evenly into the three prepared pans.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

6. Spread nutty cream cheese frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

NUTTY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

From Southern Living

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted and cooled

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted

DIRECTIONS

1. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.

2. Beat frosting at high speed until smooth; stir in pecans.

**NOTE: I used one and one half times the frosting recipe for my cake.