Iced Italian Cream Cake

Name: Iced Italian Cream Cake
Yield: serves 12
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; 1/2 cup vegetable shortening; 2 cups sugar; 5 large eggs, separated; 1 cup buttermilk, well shaken; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 cup chopped pecans; 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut; 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature; 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature; 1 pound confectioners’ sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 cup chopped nuts

January 24, 2012

We seem to place a lot of emphasis on birthday cakes in my family. We like for everyone to have his or her favorite cake, but more than that, we like the variety of awesome sweets we get to eat throughout the year! This cake was once Beth’s birthday cake of choice—or so Mom thought until she learned that Beth actually preferred the chocolate caramel cake I always ask for. At first, I thought she was just trying to copy me (it’s a sister thing!), but then I realized that if it’s her favorite cake, too, that’s twice a year for me!

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