Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease three 8 in or 9-in round baking pans, dusting with flour.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer and cream together butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes.. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda; mix in the dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk until just combined. Add in the coconut and pecans and mix just to combine.

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form - but not so much that they become dry. Gently fold ⅓ of the whites into the batter, then carefully fold in the remaining whites until just incorporated. Finally, pour the mixture into the prepared pans.

Bake your cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean—20-25 minutes for 9 -in pans, 30-35 minutes or 8 -in pans. After 10 minutes, carefully remove your cake from the pans and let them cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

For a cream cheese frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter until the combination is ultra-smooth. Gradually incorporate confectioners' sugar and vanilla, and keep beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in some chopped roasted pecans for a rich, nutty flavor.

Store cake in fridge.