Cake:

1/4 lb. white chocolate pieces
1/2 c. boiling water
2 c. granulated sugar
2 sticks (1/2 lb.) real butter
4 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. finely grated coconut flakes
1 c. finely chopped pecans

Melt chocolate in water and let cool to room temperature. Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add chocolate and vanilla. Sift flour with baking powder and add melted chocolate and buttermilk alternately to it. You will need to make 4 or 5 separate additions. Beat just until barely smooth after each addition - be careful not to overbeat. Stir in coconut and chopped nuts. Turn batter into 3 greased 8 inch layer cake pans and bake in preheated 350°F oven for 20 - 25 minutes, or until straw inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let stand in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out on rack to cool.

Icing for White Chocolate Cake:

1/2 c. water
1/4 c. white corn syrup
3 c. granulated sugar
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 c. powdered sugar

Combine water, corn syrup and granulated sugar in pan, cook until it will spin first thread stage. (It will drip from spoon in a single thread.) Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until very stiff. Pour hot syrup gradually into egg white, all the while beating at low speed on mixer. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, mix thoroughly, then spread on cooled cake layers. Stack layers and frost sides and top of cake.