Italian Cream Cake

ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powder sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 - 3 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350*
Spread pecans and coconut on foil-lined baking sheet.
Bake 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.  Set aside
Prepare a 10 or 12 cup bundt pan with nonstick spray.
Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla, mixing all well.
Add dry ingredients, alternating with 1 cup milk.
Reserve 1/2 cup pecans and coconut to use for garnish.
Gently stir remaining pecans and coconut into batter to distribute evenly.
Spread batter into prepared bundt pan.
Bake at 350* 55 - 6- minutes, until pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes.
Flip cake onto serving platter to cool completely.

Beat cream cheese, powder sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Add 2 tablespoons of milk and combine well.
Add more milk as needed to attain desired consistency.
Pour over cooled cake.
Garnish with reserved pecan-coconut mixture.

About 16 servings

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