Italian Creme Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup oleo (butter or margarine)
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
3 1/2 ounces angel flake coconut (listed in recipe as small can of coconut)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (pecan or walnut)
5 egg whites, beat stiff
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups flour
1 recipe cream cheese frosting (see notes)

Preparation

Cream oleo and shortening, add sugar, until mixture is smooth. Add egg yolks and beat well. Combine flour, soda and add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in vanilla, add coconut and chopped nuts. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour batter into three 9 inch pans. Bake at 350\u00b0F for 25 minutes or until done. Cool, frost with cream cheese frosting. Frosting: 1 8oz package cream cheese, 1 box powdered sugar, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 stick oleo, 1 tsp vanilla, coconut optional.
This recipe is transcribed as written in the book.
recipe notes: 1. Grease and flour your 9 inch round baking pans prior to starting the recipe. 2. If you use unsalted butter in the place of \"oleo\", add 1/2 tsp salt. 3. Let cakes cool completely before frosting. 4. To prepare frosting cream sugar, cream-cheese, butter and vanilla together then add the pecans and maybe 1/2 cup coconut.
This is a very nice cake. The frosting is just enough for a light layer all around and in between layers, but it's not overdone.