Italian Cream Cake

I would venture to say that anyone that reads this blog regularly knows that I love to cook.  It works out well that my family loves to eat! 

In June it was my parent's anniversary.  They both happen to love Italian Cream Cake, so I decided to make one as a present for their anniversary.

 Believe it or not, I had never made the cake before. And to be honest...and as I told my parent's I don't know if I will ever make it again.
It had lots of steps to it, which to my very IMpatient self frustrated me.  BUT my Mom told me (many times) it was the best cake she had ever eaten.  Even my Dad, who only doles out X number of compliments per year, used a compliment up for the cake.


So if you do not get impatient, and you want to eat The World's Best Cake (my mother's name for it now), here is the recipe I used for Italian Cream Cake (the original title). (Be sure to read the recipe, for my thoughts as well as the secret at the very end of the frosting!)

Ingredients for the cake:

• 1/2  cup  butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2  cup  shortening
• 2  cups  sugar
• 5  large eggs, separated (this is when it began to get on my nerves!)
• 1  tablespoon  vanilla extract
• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1  cup  buttermilk
• 1  cup  flaked coconut

Preparation:

Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, (I was starting to get growly)  beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla, beating until blended.
Combine flour and soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.(I was hating the cake by now.) Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in coconut.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (my nerves are shot now), and fold into batter. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans.
Bake at 350° for 20 -25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
Spread Nutty Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired.

 Nutty Cream Cheese Frosting--

Ingredients:

• 1  cup  chopped pecans
• 1  (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2  cup  butter or margarine, softened
• 1  tablespoon  vanilla extract
• 1  (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted

Preparation:

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat frosting at high speed until smooth; stir in pecans. Layer between the cake layers and cover the tops and side.  If you are patient (by now I was not), you can decorate the top with whole pecans.
 Also, to be quite honest, I love frosting, so I doubled the recipe so that there was generous amounts between layers and enough for the top and sides. (Hence, the secret behind the declaration for the World's Greatest Cake!

I hope you enjoy it as much as my parent's did!
P.S. My recipe was from Southern Living.
Linked to Foodie Friday .



Update on Susie:
After being in surgery for hours and hours, the doctors were able to get half the tumor.  They had hoped to start treatment in 10 days, but because of the aggressive nature of the tumor, they are beginning radiation and chemotherapy this weekend. The good news: When Susie woke up this morning from the operation, she was coherent and had a smile on her face!
I'm telling you, that is the only thing her face knows what to do is smile!!
Please continue to keep Susie, her family, and her doctors in your prayers. There is also a Facebook group, Praying for Susie, that you are welcome to join.
Thank you to everyone for your prayers.