German Chocolate Cake

Photo: flickr user stu_spivack

Ingredients

3 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups unsalted butter, softened

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 large egg yolks

12 ounces evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups pecans, roughly chopped

7 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

4 ounces German's Sweet Chocolate, chopped

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk

4 large egg whites

Preparation

Frosting: Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup butter, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 4 egg yolks, and evaporated milk in a 2-quart pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick (about 12 minutes) Strain through a sieve into a bowl; stir in pecans and coconut; chill frosting until firm

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 9" round cake pans with butter, line bottoms with parchment circles. Grease parchment and set aside

Cake: Put chocolates into a small bowl and pour in 1/2 cup boiling water; let sit for 1 minute Stir until smooth and set aside

In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt and set aside

In a standing mixer, beat 1 1/4 cups sugar and remaining butter until fluffy. Add remaining egg yolks one at a time. Add chocolate mixture and remaining vanilla; beat until smooth

On low speed, alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk until just combined; set batter aside

Meanwhile, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Add remaining sugar; whip to soft peaks

Fold egg whites into batter; divide between pans and smooth batter.

Bake until cakes are set, 25-30 minutes

Let cakes cool, then frost the top of each cake and assemble, leaving the sides bare

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About

Most people think that German Chocolate Cake is a German treat, but in fact it is about as American as Apple Pie. It was created by a woman in Dallas, Texas named Mrs. George Clay who submitted her recipe for "German Sweet Chocolate Cake" to the Dallas Morning News in 1957. It became such a hit that newspapers around the country began printing the recipe. Many people thought it was German due to its name, but German desserts are usually filled with jam and/or cream, while coconut and pecans are typical in Southern American desserts.

So why the name German Chocolate Cake? Mrs. Clay's recipe called for a store-bought product named German's Sweet Chocolate, manufactured by Walter Baker & Co., and named after the man that created it in 1852 - Samuel German.

Traditional German Chocolate Cakes are not iced on the sides, but only on top and between layers.

This recipe was found in Saveur, Dec. 2009