[Kitchen Witch]

Italian Cream Cake with a twist

1 cup Butter
2-1/2 cup Sugar, divided
5 Eggs, separated
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Coconut extract
3 cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Baking soda
1 cup Buttermilk
1/2 cup Amaretto
1 cup Coconut
1 cup Chopped pecans

Whip the egg whites in bowl to stiff peaks, adding half (1-1/4 cups) of the sugar. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and the other half of the sugar. Add the vanilla and coconut extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda), alternating with the wet ingredients (buttermilk and amaretto). Add the coconut and pecans. Beat well. Fold in the beaten egg whites. Pour into two prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
For cream cheese frosting, the ingredients should be half way between cold and room temperature. Cream together 1 pound of butter with 1 pound of confectioners' sugar. Add 6 3-ounce packages of cream cheese and 3 teaspoons of lemon extract. Spread on the cooled cake.