Italian Cream Cake

I love trying different cakes and this is one my daughter wanted me to make. I love nuts and coconut so this was a very yummy cake.

Cake Ingredients

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

5 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 egg whites, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1  cup flaked coconut 

1  cup chopped walnuts 

Frosting Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional:

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

12 walnut halves, toasted

1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two 9" cake rounds with parchment paper and grease.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and set aside.

Combine soda and buttermilk and set aside.

Cream sugar, 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in 1 tsp vanilla. Cream mixture until it becomes light and thick.

Mix buttermilk mixture alternately with FLOUR into creamed mixture. 

Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites. 

Stir in coconut and walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting and Cake Assembly:

Cream butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, confectioners' sugar and cream cheese together.  Chill in the refrigerator while you are toasting the coconut and walnuts.

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Spread coconut flakes on a baking sheet.  Bake and as the coconut starts to brown, stir the coconut.  Frequently checking to make sure it doesn't burn.  Remove from oven and allow to cool. (Takes about 8 - 10 minutes).

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place walnuts, single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake them, stirring occasionally until the walnuts are fragrant and darkened slightly in color (about 10 - 12 minutes).  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Chop walnuts saving 12 halves for top.

Frost cakes with cream cheese.  Mix toasted coconut flakes and chopped walnuts then add to sides of cake.  Pipe swirls of cream cheese on top then add halved toasted walnuts.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes