This posting is an adaptation of Italian Cream Cake to make it while car camping with the scout troop this weekend.  It will make 12 good sized servings and can be made in one 13 x 9 inch pan in a cardboard box oven (which is what I did) or in two 9-inch round cake pans in two Dutch ovens.  At home this would be baked for 45 minutes in a 325 degree oven.  I did not keep track of how long it took in the cardboard box oven, but I kept the temperature in the 275-300 degree range.  My experience is low and slow is safer than high and fast, and it will get the job done.  The cake turned out perfectly at this lower temperature.

Since we were car camping, I took two bowls, a whisk and a spatula to camp.  I stored the liquid ingredients and icing in a small cooler.

For the cake

½ cup salted butter

½ cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk

5 large eggs, separated

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups flour, sifted

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup chopped pecans

Cooking spray

For the icing

8-oz package cream cheese, softened

½ cup salted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 lb. confectioner’s sugar

½ cup pecans, finely chopped

At home cream the butter, oil, and sugar together.  Mix in the buttermilk and the egg yolks.  Put in a container for camp.  Put the separated egg whites in a separate small container.  Mix together the flour and baking soda and put it in a container for camp.  Put the vanilla, coconut, and pecans in a small baggie.

Also at home, make the icing.  Beat the cream cheese and butter until soft and fluffy.  Mix in the confectioner’s sugar and then the vanilla.  Put the icing in a suitable container for camp.  Put the pecans in a small baggie.

At camp heat up the coals and grease the baking dish with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine the wet cake mixture with the dry ingredients.  Mix well.  In a separate bowl with a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until very frothy.  Fold into the batter.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick or knife comes out clean, about 45-60 minutes, depending on the temperature.  Remove the cooked cake from the oven to cool to room temperature.  Ice with the prepared icing and sprinkle on top the pecans.