• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) round cake pans. Alternatively, you can grease just two 9-inch pans and split layers to make a four layer cake.
• Cream butter, shortening, sugar and salt in bowl of stand mixer for 3-5 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl often. Beat in vanilla and almond extract (if using).
• Stir baking soda into buttermilk to dissolve. The buttermilk will get bubbly.
• By hand or using lowest speed of mixer, add flour and buttermilk mixture alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
• Fold in the pecans and coconut.
• In a second mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks just barely start to form, then fold into the batter.
• Divide the batter evenly between the pans.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cake tests done. If you divide the cake batter between two pans instead of three, bake time will be more like 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans on rack for about 10 minutes, then turn from pans and cool completely.

Frosting

• Cream the butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and salt. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat until well blended. Frost the cakes and stack. Garnish with pecans.
• This recipe makes enough frosting to frost the cake generously and still have a little extra for decorating.