Friday, December 6, 2013

German Chocolate Cake for a birthday


Have you ever gotten to the point where it is always going to be slightly awkward with someone?  Like you used to be friends, but the fact is now you will probably never be more than acquaintances?  Like you used to be friend who would hug to say hi, hug to say good bye, but now even if you were about to bump into each other there is some sort of force field that stops this from even happening.  Maybe this is totally just me, but I literally almost physically ran into an old friend the other day, like we should have collided, because lets be real I run into things all of the time/am only really paying attention to where I am walking about 60% of the time, and my friend just was not even looking up.  (First I know I should be paying more attention, but truthfully since I can almost remember I have a problem with cutting corners and running into door frames/walls fairly often.)  I am really not trying to go anywhere with this; it was more just an observation...or maybe the universe knows...doubtful though.  One of these days I will probably run into someone though while I am carrying a multi-layer cake.  It is kind of one of my fears that this will happen, or that for some terrible reason, my cake container will just break while I am carrying it to my car on the way to work with a cake like this one it.

Down to the subject of this cake though.  It was made for a co-worker, and shamefully I made it about two weeks after his birthday.  He just happened to be out over his birthday, then we were both back in Chicago for a meeting.  Any how, he asked for a German chocolate cake and here we are.  After an early morning trip to the grocery store right when it opened, I finished the frosting just in time to get to work.  (I had somehow run out of eggs, and started to make the frosting and was like while dang...off to the store I go.)  The cake came out perfectly.  Another co-worker even came to tell me it was his all time favorite of all of the desserts that he has tried that I made.  The cake came out moist and not too dense, with a nice chocolate flavor that is not as intense as a devil's food cake.  The frosting was rich, with fantastic texture from the coconut and pecans.  This is definitely a recipe I will be making the next time someone requests a German chocolate cake.  Enjoy!

Oh P.S. How is it already December?



I just love being in the city this time of year.


I didn't have cake flour so with a little cornstarch and a little less all-purpose flour and lots of sifting I made my own.



Wet and dry ingredients come together, then the egg whites get folded in.


German Chocolate cake, might be one of the original naked cakes...


Shots from the tops...It is the coconut and pecans that truly make this cake what it is.


German Chocolate Cake:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup water
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, seperated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups cake flour 
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (or one cup skim milk with 1 teaspoon white vinegar)

Frosting
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups evaporated milk
3/4 cup butter
5 egg yolks, beaten
2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.  Spray two 9-inch round baking pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. 

2.  In small saucepan, melt chocolate with water over low heat; let cool.

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Then beat in 4 egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

4.  Next, whish in the melted chocolate and vanilla. 

5.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing  well after each addition.

6.  In a small bowl and with clean beaters, beat the 4 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold a fourth of the egg whites into creamed mixture; then fold in remaining whites.

7.  Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.  While the cakes are cooling, prepare the frosting.

8.  For frosting, in a small saucepan, heat sugar, milk, butter and egg yolks over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened and golden, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla extract.  Cool until thick enough to spread. Spread half of the frosting over the bottom cake layer and the remaining on the top layer.  Serve and Enjoy!

*Notes: Store this cake at room temperature.

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