Italian Cream Cake

Here's one of my favorite classic cakes!  I love to serve this one after a nice Italian dinner.  It wows everyone presented on a beautiful pedestal.

Italian Cream Cake

Cream together 1 stick margarine and 1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco, add 2 cups sugar and beat until very smooth.  Separate 5 eggs.  Set aside whites and beat until stiff.  Add yolks to the mixture.  Alternately add 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 cup buttermilk to mixture.  Stir in 1 cup chopped walnuts and 3/4 cup coconut.  Fold in egg whites.

Pour into 3 greased and floured 8-inch cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until cake tests done.  

Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting and top with more coconut.

This is such an impressive cake to serve to guests.  The consistency of the cake is very fluffy.  I just wowed some teacher friends with this dessert.  They loved the combination of the coconut and walnuts in the cake.