Italian Cream Cake

By bigbare

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 1 1/4 cups shortening
• 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
• 5 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Frosting:
• 20 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups butter, softened
• 5 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

1.Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans; set aside.
2.In a large bowl, cream together shortening and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until soft and well-combined. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3.In a separate bowl, sift together cake flour, salt, and baking soda.
4.Add flour mixture to batter, alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until mixture is well-combined and smooth. Stir in vanilla, chopped pecans, and coconut.
5.In another bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Gently fold egg whites into batter.
6.Ladle batter into prepared pans, dividing equally. Shake pans gently to level batter. Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cake layers cool for 10 minutes in pans. Invert onto cooling racks and let cool completely.
7.Frost with Pollman’s Special Icing for Italian Cream Cake. Garnish with chopped pecans, if desired.

Frosting:
1.In a large bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until soft and well-combined. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract.