Cooconut Cream Cake

COCONUT CREAM CAKE

½ cup shortening
½ cup butter
2 cup sugar
5 eggs, room temperature, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
2 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 2/3 cup coconut

Blend shortening, butter and sugar until creamy. Blend egg yolks into sugar mixture. Add baking soda to buttermilk. Stir buttermilk and flour alternately into the egg mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff, add vanilla. Fold into cake mixture. Fold in coconut. Pour into three 8 or 9 inch greased and floured round pans. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, turn onto rack and cool completely.

FROSTING

½ cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (opt)

Blend butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Fold in coconut and nuts. Spread between each layer and cover cake. Additional coconut may be toasted and sprinkled on top.