"Eye"talian Cream Cake Y'all

This cake is a traditional Southern American dessert and is actually not Italian at all. My quest for the perfect Italian Cream Cake recipe started because my sister in-law had a slice at a bakery down in Jacksonville Florida and quickly became addicted to this light~creamy~coconutty~ cake! I decided I was going to bake it for her the next time we are down there. I got a recipe off of the internet, made some changes to it and after the first bite the memories came flooding back to me, Piccadilly cafeteria in Charlestown Square Mall in the 1980's, it was my favorite dessert on the line! My best friend, who will remain nameless, and I used to cut school and go to the Mall just to order Jambalaya soup and "Eye"talian Cream Cake. So I guess you could say this cake was good enough to cut school for ; )

Tools:
two 9 inch cake pans with straight up edges (These work best for layer cakes)
Cooking Spray or butter/flour method to coat pans
Racks to cool cakes
Ingredients
2 cups flour all purpose
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk (or milk with a teaspoon of white vinegar added)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter room temp
1 cup coconut flaked
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups white sugar (the original recipe had 2 cups but I found it too sweet due to the sugar in the coconut)
5 eggs beaten lightly

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese room temp
1/2 cup butter room temp
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup coconut flaked
extra coconut for top

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 or 325 if you are using glass pans. Spray the pans and set aside. Mix the baking soda into the butter milk and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until light & fluffy. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk mixture, vanilla, and coconut until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl. Now sift the dry ingredients, flour mixture and baking powder, straight into the mixture and mix on low for 1 minute only. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Pour into the pans evenly (you can eye it or use a ladle)and bake in the middle rack at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Prepare the frosting by beating the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy adding the heavy cream to achieve a spreadable consistency. Mix in by hand, the nuts and coconut. Remove the cakes when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set on counter top in pans to cool for 15 minutes. Now flip out onto a rack to cool completely before frosting.
Trim any hard edges or bumps off the cakes and lay4 parchment strips onto the outer edges of the cake stand so that you can slip them out from under the cake when you are finished frosting. Place the first layer on and spread some frosting onto it. Now repeat with the second layer and frost the sides as well.. Add some coconut flakes to the top and gently pull out the parchment strips.
Serve this cake room temperature for best texture and flavor.