Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8x2 inch pans. You can also use 9 inch pans.

Mix butter at medium speed until softened and smooth. Gradually add sugar, mixing on medium speed 4 to 5 minutes.

Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition until the yellow of the yolk is blended. Add Vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, add flour, baking soda, and salt, whisk at least 30 seconds to blend.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture (that is 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 additions of buttermilk) After last addition, mix just until blended..

Fold in pecans and coconut; using a spoon or spatula until combined.

Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula or spoon, gently fold into batter.

Spoon batter into three 8 or 9″ round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool on wire racks.

Cut the butter into slices and add to the bowl of your mixer. Beat on low to medium speed until the butter is softened and smooth.

Cut the cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, beating at low to medium speed until incorporated.

Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended.

Increase mixing speed and beat until fluffy, approximately 1 minute, don't over beat. If beaten too long it will become very soft. If this happens, just refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes.

This frosting will pipe best if used while still very cool. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly (do not microwave) and remix.

Will frost a 3 layer 8 or 9 inch cake. Cool layers before filling and frosting.

We filled and frosted the cake with cream cheese frosting. Chill at any time during the decorating process to firm things up (15 minutes in the freezer or longer in the refrigerator).

After the cake was completely frosted, we pressed the remaining chopped pecans around the bottom half of the cake. The traditional way to frost this cake is to stir all the pecans into the cream cheese frosting then frost the cake.