German Chocolate Cake

As requested, here is the german chocolate cake recipe. I don't have a picture yet, but will post one next time I make it. This is moist and delicious!

1 pkg (4 oz) german sweet chocolate
1/2 cup water
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
14 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, seperated
1 tsp vanilla (I used some vanilla nut extract I had from Watkins)
1 cup buttermilk (1 cup milk with lemon juice added)

Preheat oven to 350. Cover bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper, grease sids of pans. Microwave chocoalte and water in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 mins. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir intil chocolate is completely melted.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. Beat butter and sugar in larde bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in melted chocolate and the vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.

Beat egg whites in small bowl with mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Gently stir into batter. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

Bake 30 mins or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Immediately run small metal spatula (I used a dinner knife) around cake layers. Cool in pans 15 mins, remove layers from pans to wire racks. Discard wax paper. Cool layers completely. (I then placed them back in the cake pans and covered them with foil, and let stand overnight. They were so moist!)



Coconut-Pecan Frosting

4 egg yolks
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (I used my carmel extract here)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 pkg (7 oz) coconut (I actually used the larger bag because the frosting seemed runny. 14 oz was perfect)
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Beat egg yolks, milk, and vanilla in large saucepan with wire whisk until well blended. add sugar and butter, cook on medium heat 12 minutes or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Add coconut and nuts, mix well. Cool to desired consistency. To frost, spread on the top of the layers and stack them. Traditionally, german chocolate cake is not frosted on the sides.