Italian Cream Cake & Champagne

Ahhhh…..cake and champagne.  Is there any finer food or beverage with which to celebrate a birthday?  I think not.  I wrote previously about my oldest daughter and her birthday cake request.  LuLu’s birthday will be celebrated tonight.  The cake is made, the champagne is chilled and the gifts are gaily wrapped.  Stay tuned for photos of the celebration.

Meantime, bake a cake and sip from a flute filled with bubbly…..declare to be celebrating with The Orange Bee family!

Enjoy!

Italian Cream Cake

Cake:
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) butter, softened, divided use
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 3.5 oz. can flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup nuts, finely chopped
Frosting: 
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 1 pound box confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 – 1 cup nuts, chopped well

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Grease and flour 3 9″ cake pans.
Using an electric mixer, cream 1 cup butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Set aside.

Stir together flour and baking soda.  Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Using a wooden spoon or spatula stir in vanilla, coconut and nuts.  Divide batter equally among prepared pans.

Bake 30 minutes.  Cool cakes in pans for 5 minutes.  Turn cakes out onto racks to cool completely.

To make the frosting:

Beat the cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup butter together.  Add confectioners’ sugar and almond extract.  Beat until smooth.

Use frosting between layers of the cake and on top.  Garnish top of cake with toasted coconut and nuts, if desired.

Recipe: Paula Deen