Italian Crème Cake

 
Ingredients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk and 4 tsp lemon juice or cider vinegar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3.5 oz angel flaked, sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped nuts, either pecans or walnuts

Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp almond extract

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9 inch cake pans.

Cream together butter and sugar; add eggs yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat egg whites and set aside.

Stir together flour and baking soda; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

Pour into prepared pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, check cakes after 20 minutes. Don't over bake! Allow to cool 5 minutes; turn out cakes onto rack and cool completely.

Frosting: Cream together cream cheese and butter; add confectioners’ sugar and nuts (or sprinkle with nuts over frosted cake). Beat until smooth. Spread frosting over each cooled cake; Stack cakes into 3 layers; spread frosting on sides and top.

Variation: Bake in 17 x 12 sheet pan…cool cake in pan and frost top of sheet cake.

Source:  Granny's Favorites Cookbooks