Italian Cream Cake Recipe

YIELD: 1 double layer cake

Ingredients:

* 1 cup butter

* 5 egg yolks

* 5 egg whites - beaten to form soft peaks

* 1 3/4 cups sugar

* 2 cups white flour

* 1/2 tsp baking soda

* 1/2 tsp salt

* 1 cup walnuts ( see substitution ideas below)

* 3/4 cup coconut

* 1 1/8 cup sour milk (or buttermilk)

* 1 tsp vanilla



Ingredients: The Frosting

* 4 cups powdered sugar (Sift it IF it's lumpy!)

* 1 cup butter

* 4 ozs cream cheese

* 1 Tbsp of rum (optional!)

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

* 1/2 cup orange marmalade (optional!)

Italian Cream Cake Recipe Procedure

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease and flour 9 in round cake pans.

Separate the eggs. Beat the whites until soft peaks form - and set those aside for a bit.

Cream the egg yolks, butter and sugar.

Set them aside.

Take out two bowls - one for the dry ingredients, and another for the milk and vanilla.

In the bigger bowl combine the dry stuff - flour, baking soda, salt, nuts and coconut.

In the smaller bowl or tiny pitcher - add the vanilla to the sour milk or buttermilk (whatever you chose).

Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk ingredients to the egg/butter/sugar you creamed together.

*Whew* you're almost down to one bowl.

Now, fold in those egg whites.

Pour the batter into your prepared pans.

* Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Do the basic tooth pick test to be sure.

The Frosting Procedure

* Beat together all the ingredients.

* Set the orange marmalade in a cup or pitcher so you can pour it out slowly.

* MAKE SURE your cake has cooled.

* For the middle layer drizzle orange marmalade OVER the frosting.

* If you want to drizzle it on top - try warming it a bit first, and then it will be "drizzly" looking instead of clumps.