Butter Pecan Cake

Recipe by Daily Parent

Ingredients

Cake:: 1/2cup (1 stick) butter; 1 1/2cups sugar; 3 egg yolks; 2cups all-purpose flour; 1teaspoon baking soda; 1cup buttermilk or yogurt; 1/2cup chopped toasted pecans; 2teaspoons vanilla; 5 egg whites
Icing:: 1/2cup (1 stick) butter, softened; 8ounces cream cheese, softened; 1cup powdered sugar; 1teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans.
To prepare cake, beat butter in mixer bowl on high speed. Add sugar, beat well. Add egg yolks, beating after each addition. Combine flour and baking soda; add alternately with buttermilk until blended. Stir in pecans and vanilla.
Beat egg whites in mixer bowl until soft peaks form. Stir one-fourth egg whites into batter. Gently fold remaining egg whites into batter. Pour batter into cake pans and bake 20 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
To prepare icing, beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Add sugar and vanilla; beat 1 minute longer. Place icing in refrigerator to chill about 15 minutes (or longer) if icing is too soft. Ice cake.