#1056 - Italian Buttermilk Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

Cake: 1 cup buttermilk; 1 tsp. baking soda; 5 eggs; 2 cups white sugar; 1/2 cup softened butter; 1/2 cup Crisco shortening; 2 cups flour; 1 tsp. vanilla; 1/2 of a 7oz. bag Baker's angelflake coconut

Frosting: 12oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened); 6 TBSP softened butter; 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla; 24oz. Domino's powdered sugar (1 1/2 boxes); 3/4 cup chopped pecans

In a mixer add 5 egg whites--beat on high until stiff, then scoop them into a bowl and set aside. Wash mixer bowl and place it back on mixer. In the mixer add white sugar, 1/2 cup butter and the Crisco--beat on medium speed. Add 5 egg yolks--beat. Add baking soda, vanilla and the buttermilk--beat. Add flour--beat until smooth. Remove bowl from mixer--add beaten egg whites and fold them into the batter with a spoon. Add coconut--fold into batter with a spoon. Grease 3 - 9" round cake pans. Pour batter evenly into the three cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes on wire racks--use a table knife to loosen the first cake and place it on a cake plate--this will be the bottom layer. Frosting: in a mixer add cream cheese and 6 TBSP butter--beat. Add vanilla--beat. Add powdered sugar--beat. Add pecans--beat. Frost the top and sides of the bottom cake layer. Place second cake layer on top of first layer--frost top and sides. Place third cake on top--frost top and sides. Refrigerate a few hours before serving. Keep refrigerated.