Italian Cream Cake

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
5 eggs (separated)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups cake flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flaked coconut

Cream butter and sugar, add egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift flour and baking soda. Add to mixture alternating with buttermilk, flour to be added first and last. Sit in pecans, coconut and vanilla. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in beaten egg white. Bake in 3 round layer pans at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool and frost with icing, icing recipe below.

Icing:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 box powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and spread on cooled cake.