The Amish Cook from Oasis Newsfeatures

I couldn't find room for this recipe in the updated version of "An Amish Christmas", but it is still a neat recipe from the Amish Cook archives. So if you're looking for a different, delicious dessert for your holiday gathering, give this one a try.... The recipe calls for dates, which tells me the recipe was (this is very common) introduced to an Amish cook in the Berne area by a non-Amish person and the recipe just became very popular around the holidays.

3 /4 cup butter, softened

2 1 /2 cups sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 3 /4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sifted cake flour

1 /2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 /2 teaspoon almond extract

1 1 /2 cup milk

3 /4 cup egg whites, about 6

3 /4 pound dates, chopped

1 /2 cup walnuts or pecans

1 box powdered sugar

red and green candied cherries

Cream butter and 1 1 /2 cups sugar. Sift 2 3/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt together. Add alternately with 1 cup milk to sugar mixture; add 1 teaspoon vanilla and almond extract.  Beat egg whites and fold into batter. Bake in 3 9-inch pans in 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes. Cool.  In a saucepan, cook dates and 1 /2 cup sugar with 3 /4 cup water until thickened. Remove from heat and add nuts. Cool.  Place one cake layer on plate and spread with 1 /2 date mixture. Add another layer  and spread with rest of date mixture. Place remaining layer on top. Beat shortening with remaining sugar, flour and milk ,and a pinch of salt. Frost top an sides. As soon as frosted spread top and sides with coconut. Decorate top with 5 red candied cheeries cut into poinsetta shape.  Use green cherrries for leaves and candided silver balls for the center.