ITALIAN CREAM CAKE Cooking spray 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup light butter 2 large egg yolks 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup low-fat buttermilk 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1 teaspoon butter extract 1 teaspoon coconut extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 6 large egg whites Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows) Lemon rind (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Coat bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pan), and line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray. Dust with flour; set aside.

Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in pecans and extracts.

Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer using clean, dry beaters until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Fold egg whites into batter, and pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350°F for 23 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen cake layers from sides of pans using a narrow metal spatula; turn out onto wire racks. Peel off wax paper; cool completely.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate. Spread with 2/3 cup Cream Cheese Frosting, and top with another cake layer. Repeat with 2/3 cup frosting and the remaining layer, ending with cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting over sides and top of the cake. Garnish with lemon rind, if desired.

Serves 20.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1/2 cup block-style fat-free cream cheese, chilled
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Lightly spoon sugar into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Gradually add sugar to butter mixture, and beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat).

Makes 2 cups.

NOTE: Light butter is OK to bake with. Store the cake in refrigerator, and bring at room temperature before serving.

[The Best of Cooking Light, 125 of our all-time greatest recipes]