Italian Cream Cake

This is a great birthday cake or potluck dessert. It never fails to please.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup Crisco

1 stick butter

5 eggs-separated

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups flour

1 cup pecans, chopped, plus more for topping

2 cups coconut, plus more for topping

Directions:

  1. Cream together sugar, Crisco, and butter.
  2. Add 5 egg yolks (save whites), one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add vanilla.
  3. Mix flour, salt and soda in separate bowl.
  4. Alternate mixing in buttermilk with the flour mixture, mixing well after each little addition.
  5. Beat 5 egg whites, then fold them into the batter. Fold in pecans and coconut.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees: 9"x13" pan-50 minutes; 3 9" rounds 25-30 minutes.

Icing:

1 box powdered sugar-sifted

1 stick of butter

8 oz. Cream cheese

1 teaspoon of almond extract (optional)

Mix together. Spread on cool cake. Sprinkle with coconut and pecans. Keep cool until time to serve.