Recipe: White Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Icing (using coconut and pecans)

WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE

FOR THE CAKE:
1 cup boiling water
4 ounces white chocolate
1 cup margarine or butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans
1 can Angel Flake coconut
FOR THE ICING:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine or butter, softened
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees G. Grease and flour tube pan or 3 round layer cake pans.

Pour boiling water over white chocolate and set aside to melt.

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and white chocolate mixture to sugar mixture. Add flour, soda and buttermilk, mixing as you go, then the coconut and pecans; set aside.

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold in. Place in prepared pan(s).

Bake until done, about 1 hour for tube pan and 30 minutes for layer pans. Remove and cool on rack.

TO MAKE THE ICING:
Beat cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in vanilla and nuts. Use to ice cake/cakes. If using layer cakes, ice between layers as well as on top and outside.

Makes 12-16 servings
Source: San Antonio Express-News Cookbook, 1983