Italian Cream Cake

Since Easter is this Sunday, I want to share my all-time favorite Easter dessert. This is probably my all-time favorite dessert period, actually. My Nana made this for Easter every year growing up and it's just the best cake I've ever had. Parker had never had it before we got married, but it might be his all-time favorite cake now too. He couldn't stop talking about it, so I think I know what I'll be making for his birthday each year now! Since I wasn't home for my birthday for my mom or Nana to make it for me, I made this cake this year for my birthday too. I'm not going to lie, there is effort involved in the cake, but it's so worth it. 
Ingredients:
Cake: 1 stick butter, softened 1/2 cup Crisco 2 cups sugar 5 eggs, separated 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup buttermilk 2 cups flour 1 cup coconut
Frosting: 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature 1 lb box of powdered sugar 1 stick butter, softened 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup pecans, chopped
Directions for your cake:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three round 9'' pans and set aside. 2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and Crisco and gradually add in sugar. Add egg yolks and beat well.  3. In a small bowl, stir together baking soda and buttermilk. 4. Add flour and buttermilk mixture alternatively to cake, mixing as you go so everything is fully incorporated.  5. Add in coconut and mix well.  6. In a small bowl, beat egg whites so they are stiff. This will take a couple of minutes.  7. Fold in well-beaten egg whites to your cake mixture.  8. Pour cake batter evenly into 3 greased and floured pans and bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  9. Remove pans from the oven and let cool completely. 
Directions for your frosting:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and pecans until fully incorporated. 2. When cake is COMPLETELY cooled (your cake will be ruined if you try to frost it while it is still warm), frost your cake. Frost in between each layer before stacking your tiers, frost on the top, and frost on the outside so that all cake is covered with frosting when you look at it. 
Cut into pieces and enjoy!