Recipe: Holiday Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

HOLIDAY WALNUT CAKE

"A triple layer black-walnut cake!"

FOR THE CAKE:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped black walnuts
3 to 4 ounces canned coconut
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
FOR THE FROSTING:
3/4 cup butter, softened
11 ounces cream cheese, softened
7 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup chopped black walnuts (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease arid flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans; set aside,

Cream first 3 ingredients until light and fluffy; add egg yolks one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Set aside.

Combine buttermilk and soda; mix well. Alternately add flour and buttermilk to creamed mixture; begin and end with flour. Add vanilla, walnuts and coconut. Set aside.

Beat room-temperature egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form; gently fold into cake batter. Pour batter into cake pans.

Bake 30 minutes or until center springs back when pressed lightly. Cool pans on cake rack for 10 minutes; remove from pans and let cool completely before spreading frosting between layers, on sides and top of cake. Sprinkle top with chopped walnuts.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
Combine all ingredients for the frosting except walnuts and beat well.

TO FREEZE AHEAD:
Cake layers can be baked ahead of time and frozen. Defrost before frosting.

Makes one (3-layer) cake, serves 12-16
From: Recipelink.com
Source: Words Worth Eating recipe card, not dated