Italian Cream Cake

Published 9:09 am Thursday, November 13, 2014

1 stick butter (sweet cream unsalted)

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

2 cups sugar

5 egg yolks

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup Ancel sweetened shredded coconut (use just coconut, not much of the syrup)

1/2 cup pecans chopped

5 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Cream butter and vegetable shortening.

Add sugar and beat until mixture is smooth.

Add egg yolks and beat well. Sift flour, measure and sift again with the baking soda.

Add flour alternately with the buttermilk to the creamed mixture.

Stir in vanilla, then coconut and chopped nuts.

Fold in egg whites. Pour batter into three 8-inch pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until done.

Cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/2 stick butter (sweet cream unsalted)

1 1-pound box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Beat cream cheese with butter. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar. Whip at high speed. Stack cake layers, spreading frosting in-between each layer. Frost cake and sprinkle top of cake with nuts.

Elaine Landry, Jeanerette