Italian Cream Cake Recipe

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
Icing:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup margarine, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
Chopped pecans or walnuts

Grease and flour 3 8-inch layer pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening and margarine; beat in sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks, beat well. Combine flour, soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk, beating until smooth. Stir in vanilla, then coconut and nuts. Fold in beaten egg whites. Divide between prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until layers test done. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely. Frost between layers, then top and sides.

For icing: Cream cheese and margarine until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and of spreading consistency. Sprinkle frosted cake with chopped nuts.