Coconut-Spice Cake

Ingredients

• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda 
• 0.8 cup butter softened
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 3.5 ounce coconut or flaked canned
• 3 large eggs 
• 2.5 cups flour all-purpose
• 0.5 teaspoon ground allspice 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 0.1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 1 teaspoon orange extract 
• 0.5 cup orange juice 
• 2 tablespoons orange rind grated
• 1 halves garnish: pecan 
• 1 cup pecans chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1.5 cups sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Equipment

• oven
• hand mixer

Directions

1. Beat butter at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
3. Combine buttermilk and orange juice.
4. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
5. Mix at low speed after each addition until blended. Stir in pecans and next 3 ingredients.
6. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9" round cakepans.
7. Bake at 350 for 25 to 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove layers from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
8. Spread Seven-Minute Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.
9. Sprinkle with coconut.
10. Garnish, if desired.