Gina's Italian Cream Cake

When the Divas of the Dirt met for Sophia's February 2012 Garden day, Sophia's sister Gina made a delicious Italian Cream Cake.

Thank you, Gina, for sharing the recipe!

"ITALIAN CREAM CAKE
1 stick margarine ( I used butter)
½ cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 small can coconut(angel flake)*
1 cup chopped nuts
5 egg whites stiffly beaten

Cream margarine and shortening.   Add sugar and beat until mixture is smooth.  Add egg yolks and beat well.  Combine flour and soda and add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.  Stir in vanilla.  Add coconut and chopped nuts.  Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.  Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 8” cake pans.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
8 oz pkg softened cream cheese
½ stick margarine (butter again)
1 box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Chopped nuts
Beat cream cheese and margarine until smooth.  Add sugar and mix well.  Add vanilla and beat until smooth.  Spread between layers and on top and sides of cake.  Sprinkle top with pecans."

*If you have a bag of Angel Flake coconut instead of a can, it takes about 1 and 1/3 cup of coconut to equal a small can.