Chocolate Italian Cream Cake

Cake
* 1 cup butter
* 2 cups white sugar
* 5 eggs, separated
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup shredded coconut
* 1 cup chopped pecans
Frosting
* 1 cup cream cheese
* ½ cup butter
* 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
* 1 or 2 teaspoons of milk or water to thin the icing
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Pecan pieces to decorate (optional)
* Whole Pecans to decorate (optional)
* Maraschino Cherries to decorate (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with wax paper. Separate the eggs.
2. Cream 1 cup of the butter, shortening and sugar together. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the vanilla.
3. Sift soda, flour and ½ cup cocoa together. Add alternately with buttermilk to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in the coconut and 1 cup of the chopped pecans.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared cake pans.
5. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cakes cool completely before frosting between layers and on sides.
6. To Make Frosting: Cream the cream cheese and butter together. Sift confectioner's sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa, beating in a little at a time until well-creamed. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Some additional options:
*Add a tsp or two of instant espresso (or coffee) to buttermilk.
*Add 2 or 3 squares of melted chocolate to frosting
*Process nuts and coconut until they're finely ground before adding to batter.
*Do not add pecans to frosting, rather press finely chopped pecans into the sides of frosted cake - looks bakery-quality and adds great texture.
*Decoratively pipe leftover frosting on top of cake and garnish with Maraschino Cherries.