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1
Prepare Cream Cheese icing; cover and chill.
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2
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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3
Coat bottoms of 3 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans), and line bottoms of pans with wax paper.
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4
Coat wax paper with cooking spray.
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5
Dust with flour; set aside.
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6
Combine sugar and butter in large bowl; beat at medium spped of a mixer until well blended.
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7
Add egg yolks one at a time beating well after each addition.
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8
Combine flour and baking soda; stir well.
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9
Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
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10
Stir in pecans and extracts.
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11
Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixture until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat).
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12
Fold egg whites into batter; pour batter into prepared pans.
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13
Bake at 350 degrees for 23 minutes.
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14
Let cool in pans 5 minutes on a wire rack.
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15
Loosen cake layers from sides of pans using a narrow metal spatula; turn out onto wire racks.
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16
Peel off wax paper; let cool completely.
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17
Place 1 cake layer on a plate.
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18
Spread with 2/3 cup Cream Cheese Icing; top with another cake layer.
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19
Repeat with 2/3 cup icing and remaining layer, ending with cake layer.
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20
Spread remaining icing over sides and top of cake.
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21
Garnish with lemon rind, if desired.
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22
Cream Cheese Icing:.
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23
Beat butter and cheese at high speed of a mixer until fluffy.
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24
Gradually add sugar and vanilla; beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat or icing will become runny).
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25
Cover and chill.
