Italian Cream Cake

 Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs, separated
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup shredded coconut

 Italian Cream Frosting:

•  3 sticks butter, softened
• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 ½ lbs. powdered sugar

 Method:

In electric mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in ½ cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer mixture into another bowl. In original mixing bowl, cream butter, remaining 1 ½ cups sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, until consistency of whipped cream. Stir baking soda into buttermilk. Add alternately with flour to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in egg whites, then add pecans and coconut (using slow speed on mixer, or by hand). Pour batter into three 9-inch cake pans that have been butter and floured. Bake in preheated 325 degree F oven about 40 minutes. Cool cakes, and remove from pans. For frosting, combine butter, cream cheese and vanilla in electric mixing bowl, until smooth. Slowly add sugar, and continue beating until smooth and creamy. Frost layers and sides of cooled cake. Refrigerate iced cake.

Serves 8-10

 Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

 THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com