Ingredients

2 10-inch regular Dutch ovens

Cake:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
5 eggs (separated)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup coconut (flaked)
1 1/2 cups pecans (chopped)

Icing:
1/2 cup butter
16 ounces cream cheese (2-8 ounce bars)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon meringue powder
5 cups powdered sugar
Whole pecans for garnish

Directions

Cream butter and sugar; add egg yolks and vanilla. Combine flour and soda in separate bowl. Add alternately with buttermilk to sugar mixture. Fold in coconut and 1/2 cup pecans. Beat egg whites with wire whisk until stiff. Fold into batter. Grease 2 10-inch Dutch ovens; place 10-inch circle of parchment paper in bottom of each oven. Divide batter in half; add to Dutch ovens. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees (15 coals on top, nine on bottom for each Dutch oven), or until toothpick comes out clean when tested. Turn out on cooling racks and let cool completely.

For icing, mix butter, cream cheese, vanilla and meringue powder until creamy. Add powdered sugar little at a time and beat until smooth. Place in cooler until needed to ice cakes. Slice cool cakes in half and put icing between each layer and on the outer surface of cake. Garnish with whole and remaining chopped pecans.