Italian Cream Cake

It is my sister Sandy's birthday today!
I have been cracking my head for the past whole month what cake should I bake for her birthday.  Red Velvet Cake?  Hummingbird  Cake?  Cheesecake with blueberries topping?  Or Chocolate Cake?  And finally I made up my mind on this Italian Cream Cake.  I wanted to bake the Hummingbird cake for her but on the second thought, she is not a pineapple lover and so I have to skip that one.

Here you are my dear sister, I present you your birthday cake.... hope you like it and may you be in good health and happiness will come back to you all over again.

The original recipe call for whole cream cheese frosting topping but I adjusted it with some whipping cream mixed with the cream cheese in it.

And also I have used walnuts instead of pecans as pecans selling here is very costly.  I have to crush finely the walnuts so my dad can eat happily when chewing and biting the cake.  He has "teething" problem ....ha..ha...  I believe when the chef bakes or cook, have to consider the person who consume it have any difficulty or health problem on the food they eat, right?

 Sitting nicely on the side table of our dining table.  See the upper tier right hand side, that is a "towel cake".

Italian Cream Cake
For the cake:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans (I used walnuts instead)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 450g cream cheese
• 100g unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 160g icing sugar
• 2 cups fresh cream, whipped till stiff

For the cake:
1.  Preheat oven to 170 Celcius. Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans. Set aside.
2.  Cream butter, shortening and sugar together in a large bowl. Add 5 egg yolks one at a time, until each is
     fully incorporated.
3.  Add dry ingredients, vanilla and buttermilk to butter and sugar mixture.  Stir in coconut and walnuts and
     set  aside.
4.  In another large bowl, beat 5 egg whites until stiffly beaten but not dry. Fold egg whites into cake batter by
     hand, being careful not to overmix.  Evenly divide batter between prepared pans.
5.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6.  Cool in pans on rack until cool to the touch.

To Make Frosting:
Beat cream cheese with butter till soft.  Turn mixer to low speed, add icing sugar a little at a time. Whisk till well blended.  Fold in the whipped cream.  Put in the refrigerator for an hour or two before spreading to the cake. 

  

This is a three layers 8" cake.
Will post how it look like after my sister cut it out... ok?  Oh, and one more thing, I would like to thank Sonia for sending me the Cake Leveler as a gift, if not my this cake wouldn't be that level cut out.  Thank you once again.

Herewith, after the cake been sliced......