Recipe

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• vegetable cooking spray
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup light butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tsp butter extract
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 egg whites (at room temperature )
• sugared kumquats (optional)
• orange rind strips (optional)
• kumquat leaves (optional)
• cream cheese icing
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 1 (8-oz) package neufchatel cheese
• 1 (1-lb) package powdered sugar , sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 Prepare Cream Cheese Icing; cover and chill.
• 2 Cream Cheese Icing
• 3 Cream butter and cheese at high speed of a mixer until fluffy.
• 4 Add sugar; beat at low speed until well-blended.
• 5 Add vanilla; beat well.
• 6 Coat bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans); line bottoms of pans with wax paper.
• 7 Coat wax paper with cooking spray, and dust with flour; set aside.
• 8 Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended.
• 9 Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine 2 cups flour and baking soda; stir well.
• 10 Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• 11 Stir in pecans and extracts.
• 12 Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat).
• 13 Fold egg whites into batter; pour batter into prepared pans.
• 14 Bake at 350° for 23 minutes.
• 15 Let cool in pans 5 minutes on a wire rack.
• 16 Loosen cake layers from sides of pans using a narrow metal spatula, and turn out onto wire racks.
• 17 Peel off wax paper, and let cool completely.
• 18 Place 1 cake layer on a plate, and spread with 2/3 cup Cream Cheese Icing; top with another cake layer.
• 19 Repeat with 2/3 cup icing and remaining layer, ending with cake. Spread remaining icing over cake.
• 20 Garnish with kumquats, orange rind, and kumquat leaves, if desired.
• 21 Note: To make sugared kumquats, dip kumquats into lightly beaten egg whites, and drain; roll in sugar.