Chocolate Italian Cream Cake

A chocolate version of the classic Italian cream cake.

Ingredients

Cake:

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup shortening

2 cups white sugar

5 eggs, separated and divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

Frosting:

4 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans.

Make the cake: Cream butter, shortening, and sugar together. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Sift flour, baking soda, and cocoa together. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in coconut and pecans.

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form; fold into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, about 30 mintutes.

While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting: Sift confectioner's sugar and cocoa together.

Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in confectioners' sugar mixture, a little at a time, until well-combined. Mix in pecans and vanilla.

Remove cooled cakes from the pans. Frost the top of each layer, then stack and frost the sides.