White Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1/4 pound white chocolate

1/2 cup hot water

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9" cake pans. In a small bowl, melt chocolate in hot water; cool.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla. Add flour, soda and salt alternately and mix well. Add buttermilk and stir, but do not overbeat. Beat egg whites stiffly and fold into mixture. Gently stir in pecans and coconut.

Pour into three cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool the layers completely before frosting.

Use the Coconut-Pecan Frosting. Place one cake on dish and cover with frosting; add second layer and frosting; and then ad third cake and cover top and sides with frosting.