Italian Wedding Cake

Cake:

1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. shortening
2 c. sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
1 c. angel-flake coconut
1 c. chopped walnuts

Procedure:

Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and set aside. Cream butter and shortening; add sugar and beat until creamed. Add egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Stir in vanilla. Alternately add flour and buttermilk-baking soda mixture to butter mixture. Stir in coconut and chopped walnuts.

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into cake batter. Turn batter into three greased and floured 9-inch cake pans or one 13x9x2-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. Cool on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Icing:

1/2 c. butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 (1 lb.) box confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Chopped walnuts for garnish

Procedure:

Cream butter and cream cheese together until well blended. Add confectioners sugar and vanilla; mix until thoroughly creamed. Frost cake and sprinkle top with chopped walnuts.