Black Walnut Cake
from Renée McWilliams, Blair, Nebraska

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups black walnuts, chopped
1 3-ounce can flaked coconut
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Cream butter and shortening. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy and sugar is dissolved.  Add egg yolks and beat well.  Combine soda and buttermilk and stir until soda is dissolved.  Add flour to cream mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour.  Add vanilla, walnuts and coconut and stir thoroughly.

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, then fold into batter.  Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling.  Frost with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle top of cake with black walnuts.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3/4 cup butter, softened
1  8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1  3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 3/4 cups powered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese, then add sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla.