White Chocolate Coconut Cake

1/2 c Water

1 c Unsalted butter

; or margarine; soften 2 c Granulated sugar

4 lg Eggs; separated

2 1/2 c Sifted cake flour

1 1/2 ts Baking powder

1/2 ts Salt

1 c Buttermilk

1 ts Vanilla extract

1 c Chopped almonds or pecans

1 cn (3 1/2 ozs) flaked coconut

--frosting-- 2 c Whipping cream

2 tb Confectioners' sugar

2 ts Vanilla extract

1 c Flaked coconut

1. Heat oven to

350 degrees. Grease three 9-inch round cake

pans. Line bottoms with wax paper. Grease paper. 2. Put white chocolate and water into top of double boiler;

1 1/2 cups sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add flour

mixture to butter mixture in thirds, alternately with buttermilk, vanilla extract and white chocolate mixture, beating until smooth after each addition. 4. Beat egg whites in small mixer bowl until soft peaks

1/2 cup sugar; beat until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter; gently fold in nuts and coconut.

5. Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake until

30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire racks

10 minutes. Remove from

pans; cool completely on wire racks. Remove wax paper. 6. For frosting, beat cream until frothy. Beat in sugar and