Recipe - Italian Creme Cake

One half cup Butter; softened
1/3 cup Shortening
1 Three fourths cup Sugar
4 Egg yolks
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 Three fourths cup Allpurpose flour
1 One half teaspoon Baking powder
One fourth teaspoon Baking soda
Three fourths cup Buttermilk
1 cn (3 1/2oz) flaked coconut
1 cup Chopped pecans
4 Egg whites
CREAM CHEESE PECAN FROSTING:
12 ounce Cream cheese
6 tablespoon Butter
1 One half teaspoon Vanilla
6 cup Powdered sugar; sifted
One half cup Chopped pecans

In a large mixer bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer
until combined. Add sugar; beat on medhi speed til mixture is light and
fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla; beat well. In another bowl combine
flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to egg yolk mixture alternately
with buttermilk, beating just til combined after each addition. Stir in
coconut and chopped pecans. Wash beaters thoroughly.

In a small mixer bowl, beat egg whites til stiff peaks form. Stir about 1/3
of the whites into the cake batter to lighten. Fold in remaining whites.

Pour batter evenly into 3 greased and floured 8inch cake pans. Bake in a
350* oven for 2530 min. or til a toothpick inserted near the center comes
out clean. Cool in pans 10 min.; remove from pans. Cool layers thoroughly
on wire racks.

When cool, spread the top of one cake layer with Cream Cheese Pecan
Frosting. Top with another layer, frost, and top with the last layer. Frost
top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. If desired, decorate cake
with edible flowers or pecan halves. Keep cake chilled until serving time.
Store any leftover cake, covered, in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Makes
14 servings.

Potluck tips: For easier toting, substitute a 13x9x2 pan for the three
8inch pans. Bake 3540 min. or til done. Frost cool cake with half of a
recipe of Cream Cheese Pecan frosting.

Cream Cheese Pecan Frosting: In small mixer bowl beat cream cheese, butter
and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating til smooth.
Stir in pecans. Makes 2 cups.

Posted to TNT Prodigy's Recipe Exchange Newsletter by
slea@hightowerservices.com (Shawn Zehnder Lea) on Sep 20, 1997