Italian Cream Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• ½ c. butter softened

• ½ c. Crisco

• 2 c. sugar

• 5 large eggs separate the yolks from the whites

• 1 Tb. Vanilla

• 2 c. white flour

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 c. buttermilk

• 1 c. sweetened flaked coconut

Icing:

• 1 c. pecans chopped

• 1-8 oz cream cheese

• 1/2 c. butter softened

• 1 TB vanilla

• 1-16 oz powdered sugar

Instructions

Directions for cake :

1. Beat butter and Crisco. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Beat just until blended. Add vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternating with buttermilk; begin and end with flour mixture. Beat on low just until blended. Stir in coconut.

2. Beat eggs whites until stiff. Fold into batter gently by hand.

3. Pour into three eight-inch sprayed pans.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

5. Cool completely before icing. No need to refrigerate.

Directions for Icing

1. Toast pecans whole at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Cool then coarsely chop.

2. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on medium until creamy. Add powdered sugar; beat on low until blended. Then beat on high until smooth about one minute. Hand stir in coarsely chopped pecans.