Italian Cream Cake

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and flour or possibly use Pam on either three 9" cake pans or possibly (my perennial favorite) a 9 in. by 13 in. baking pan.
2. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add in egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each. Combine flour and baking soda in another bowl, then stir into creamed mix alternately with buttermilk. Stir in vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Beat egg whites till they form stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into batter. Bake 30 min, or possibly till toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cold completely before frosting with cream cheese icing (recipe below).
3. Personal note: for this cake and traditional German chocolate cake, I've stopped beating the egg whites separately and folding them in. Call me lazy or possibly whatever, I cannot tell any significant difference in using the whole egg at the beginning.
4. Icing Directions: Cream butter and cream cheese well. Add in vanilla and powdered sugar; beat till well blended. This is also good with 1 c. of finely minced pecans and 1 c. of coconut added to the icing.