Betty's Dreamy Italian Cream Cake

Betty demonstrates how to make a Dreamy Italian Cream Cake. This is a light, delicate cake that contains flaked coconut. I am using it for my Easter cake this year.
Dreamy Italian Cream Cake
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening, softened (I used butter-flavored Crisco, but any shortening will work, including more butter.)
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk (I used 1 cup skim milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice.)
1 cup flaked coconut
Perfect Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting (from Betty's Kitchen)
pecan halves and chopped pecans for garnish
In a large mixing bowl, beat ½ cup butter and ½ cup shortening at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add 2 cups sugar, a little at a time, beating well as sugar is added. Add 5 egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla, and beat well. In a medium-sized bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Stir together. Add flour mixture to the cake batter, alternately with 1 cup buttermilk, beating on low speed of mixer after each addition, until all of the flour mixture and buttermilk are mixed into the batter. Stir in 1 cup flaked coconut. Beat 5 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold beaten egg whites into batter. Pour cake batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Loosen with a knife and remove cake layers from pans and allow to cool on wire racks or flat surfaces (such as trays or shallow baking pans). When cool, spread Perfect Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. (This is demonstrated in the Perfect Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting video in Betty's Kitchen.) Garnish top of cake with pecan halves and chopped pecans, if desired. I hope you enjoy this wonderful cake! Happy Easter, with love!-Betty ♥♥♥♥♥
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