Italian Cream Cake

Ingredients :

For the cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

For the cream cheese frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

Directions :

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.

Cream butter, oil, and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl for 2-3 minutes, or until ingredients are light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Stir baking soda into buttermilk. Add the sifted flour to creamed butter in three additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add the salt, coconut, and chopped pecans and mix ingredients into batter. In a separate, very clean bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter.

Divide the cake batter into the three prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting by adding the cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl and creaming the ingredients together. Add the vanilla and salt and mix ingredients together. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until desired consistency and flavor is reached. I used about 2 1/2 cups. Mix in chopped pecans.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, frost the layers and outside of the cake. Cover any leftover cake and store for 3-4 days.