Italian Cream Cake

Ingredients:
Cake:
Cooking spray
2 tsps cake flour
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 cups cake flour (about 8 ounces)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 large egg whites

Frosting:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup (5 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°
To prepare cake, coat bottoms of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans)
Line bottoms of pans with wax paper
Coat wax paper with cooking spray, and dust with 2 teaspoons flour; set aside
Place 1/3 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until creamy
Gradually add granulated sugar, beating well
Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition
Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife
Combine 2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt; stir well
Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture
Stir in pecans, coconut extract, and 1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat)
Fold egg whites into batter; pour batter into prepared pans
Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean
Cool in pans 5 minutes on a wire rack
Loosen cake layers from sides of pans; remove from pans
Remove and discard wax paper
Cool completely
To prepare frosting, place 1 tablespoon butter and cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy
Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth (do not overbeat)
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla; beat well
Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with one-third of frosting
Top with other cake layer
Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake

Yield:
16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 322(25% from fat); FAT 8.8g (sat 4.6g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.8g); IRON 1.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 45mg; CALCIUM 33mg; CARBOHYDRATE 56.6g; SODIUM 221mg; PROTEIN 4.7g; FIBER 0.5g