This... is sin on a plate. I've known this recipe for ages and I make it at least once a year (around Christmas) but it's become so popular around my area that I get asked for it ALL the time. Here is the recipe, but...

Good luck with it. It's very temperamental cake!

CAKE:
1 stick real butter (sweet cream unsalted works well)
1/2 cup Crisco
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (REAL stuff)
2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup pecan pieces (or more or less, depending on your taste)

Directions:

Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy, gradually add sugar, beating well. I mean well! No lumps! Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until well blended after each addition.

Add vanilla; beat until blended.

Combine flour and soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in coconut and pecans.

Oh yeah, remember those egg whites? You're going to need them.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. (TIP! If you put the metal beater blades (I use a hand mixer) and the bowl in the freezer for ten minutes before you whip your egg whites, they form nicer peaks.) Fold in a third of the whites into the batter, using as few motions as possible. YES there will still be egg whites visible in the cake batter, no that's not a problem!

Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round baking cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (In my oven there's a hot spot and a cooler spot, so I have to do the cake-dance, switching the three layers around to make sure they evenly bake.)

Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool on wire racks.

Now,for the ICING!

Icing:

1 stick butter (softened but not melted)
1 8 ounce block cream cheese
2 pounds powdered sugar
a touch of vanilla to taste

Whip the hell out of the butter and cream cheese, and add in the vanilla. Then it's time to give your kitchen a new paint job as you slowly add in the powdered sugar until you get the consisteny you prefer or run out of the powdered sugar. I prefer a good thick and stiff frosting for my cake.

Ice the cake, between the three layers and on the sides and top. Don't worry if it's not pretty, just cover that sucker in flaked coconut and sprinkle pecans on top and enjoy.



Oh yeah, um... about serving size? Think about 1/3 a normal slice of cake. It's a very dense and rich layer cake, heavy on the stomach. It goes great with a cup of espresso.

If you try it let me know how it turns out. I've had this recipe forever, it was handed down from my Nona.