German Chocolate Cake

Rating: 5 of 5

Tips: So, like a lot of people, I have trouble frosting cakes. However, I discovered that if you use the bottom of the cake as the top, not only does the cake turn out more flat, but the cake is drier and less likely to tear off.


Ingredients:

• 4 oz. semisweet baking chocolate
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks/8 oz./226g) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 egg whites
• Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting (see recipe below)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour bottoms of three round 9-inch cake pans with waxed paper.
2. Heatchocolate and water in a small saucepan until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
3. Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in chocolate and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating after each addition until smooth.
4. Beat egg whites in another large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently stir into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center.
6. Remove from oven; immediately run spatula between cakes and sides of pans. Cool in pans 15 minutes. Remove from pans; peel off waxed paper. Cool on wire racks.
7. Spread Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting between layers and over top of cake.

Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks/6 oz./170g) unsalted butter or margarine
• 4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups finely shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions

1. Stir milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla in saucepan. Cook on medium heat 12 minutes or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool to room temperature and spreading consistency.