German Chocolate Cake

Marg (CaymanDesigns)'s Note:

This is the traditional light chocolate cake with the coconut and pecan icing that we remember from our childhood. Note: if you are making the 3 tiered version, I highly recommend you make more of the icing. (It also doesn't hurt to do that if you are making the 2 layered version. Ha ha!) Please use the ingredient amounts in parentheses to increase the yield by about 50%. In response to the one-star review: Yes, it *was* originally called German's Chocolate Cake but most of the mixes, recipes and ads for selling a cake like this, that I see, call it "German Chocolate Cake". That is also what everybody I know calls it and what I would search for if I was looking for the recipe. Therefore, that's what I'm calling mine.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• ½ cup boiling water
• 4 ounces sweet cooking German chocolate
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter , softened
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 egg whites , stiffly beaten

Coconut Pecan Frosting

• 1 cup sugar (1 1/2 cups)
• ½ cup butter (3/4 cups)
• 1 cup evaporated milk (12 oz. can)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (1 1/2 tsp)
• 3 egg yolks (4 egg yolks)
• 1 1⁄3; cups flaked coconut (2 cups)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (1 1/2 cups)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 9-inch square pans or 3 8-inch round pans. Line bottom of pans with wax paper.
2. Pour boiling water on chocolate, stirring until chocolate is melted; cool. Mix sugar and butter in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs yolk, one at a time. Beat in chocolate and vanilla on low speed.
3. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt alternately with buttermilk, beating after each addition until batter is smooth. Fold in egg whites.
4. Divide batter among pans. Bake square pans 40-45 minutes or round pans 35-40 minutes. Check for doneness with toothpick in center. Cool and top with Coconut-Pecan Frosting.
5. Coconut Pecan Frosting: Mix sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and egg yolks in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 12 minutes. Take off heat. Stir in coconut and pecans. Beat until spreading consistency. Allow to cool & thicken before icing cake.

Reviews

[Vada Marks]

Awesome cake! Couldn't eat enough of it. My family loved it also! So much better than mixes. Great with vanilla icecream served with it. Of couese, I can only splurge like this every once in a while.

[misscain]

This is the birthday cake that my mother made me every year. Now that we live in different states I have to make it myself - and I do. I can't say enough good things about this recipe.

[Happyisme]

My MILs favorite cake is German chocolate cake. So for her birthday I decided to make her a cake. Her son (my brother in law) and I debated whether or not we should include the cocunut and pecans (we're not fans) and decided, hey if the recipe calls for it then lets go all in! This was my first cake from scratch and it was a huge success! I kept it in the oven for 43 minutes in 2 square pans. I prepped it just as suggested and it was happily devoured by 8 people, sometimes picky father in law had seconds! I think its important to use the cake flour and make sure you really whip those egg whites to guaruntee a delicate, fluffy cake. Great Recipe. Thanks for sharing!