Cooking 101 - German Chocolate Cake from Scratch

It's BIRTHDAY WEEK!  Woohoo!  

My oldest boy is the 4th, my younger boy is the 6th, and I am the 8th.  We celebrate "Birthday Week" and usually nosh on the same cake all week long!  Parrrtay.

**Nostalgic Back Story** 

{cue the beautiful orchestra music}

Ever since I was a kid, I absolutely HAD to have German Chocolate cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting.  I would look forward to it as much as, if not more so, than birthday gifts!  { my foodie nerdiness started early!}  My mom would ask what kind of cake I would want each year, knowing what the answer would be, but she would ask just in case.  And for whatever reason, she would only make this cake one time per year - ONLY on my birthday - and I literally tried to savor every. bite. of my birthday cake.  I would wonder with amazement how something so delicious could be made with human hands.  (My mom wasn't human, though, she was an angelic SuperMom!)

And then my amazing BFF Kadie improved upon the German Chocolate Cake.  {gasp!!}  I know…I know what you're thinking…."you can't mess with the purity and perfection of the German Chocolate Cake thing"…however, with her love and reverence for all things dessert, she did it and it's now the ultimate beloved favorite in my house.  

The secret?  Kadie's chocolate buttercream frosting (recipe below or link to her blog).  It ups the richness factor and adds some serious depth to this already-perfect pairing.  You absolutely HAVE to try it!   {{Thanks, Kadie!!!}}

Kadie's German Chocolate Cupcakes link

{aren't they GORGEOUS?!}

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE {from scratch}
with CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM & COCONUT PECAN FROSTING

{that, my friend, is a mouthful…and so is the cake…}

CAKE:

1 pkg. (4 oz) Baker's German Sweet Chocolate

½ c. water

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 c. sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease & cover bottoms of two  8" or  9" cake pans with parchment paper.  Butter the sides of the pans, as well.  Microwave chocolate and water in large microwavable bowl until melted, stirring every 30 seconds or so.

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.  Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, one-at-a-time, beating well after each one.  Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla.  Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go along.  

Beat egg whites in a small bowl until stiff peaks form; gently fold into cake mixture.  Pour evenly into cake pans.  Bake 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Immediately run small metal spatula around cake.  Let cool for a few minutes and remove cake from pans and let cool on a wire rack until completely cooled off before frosting.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

1 stick (1/ 2 c.) butter

3 c. powdered sugar

4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

2 heaping Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 t. vanilla

pinch of salt

3-4 T. of milk or heavy cream

Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in a double-broiler on the stove until melted.  If using a microwave, stir every 15-30 seconds to avoid scorching.  Let completely cool.

Beat together all ingredients until frosting is smooth and whipped.  Start with the least amount of milk/cream and add more as needed to desired consistancy. (I usually use milk, but sometimes heavy cream adds more richness)

COCONUT PECAN FROSTING:

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

1 c. sugar

3 egg yolks

1 stick (½ c.) butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ⅓ c. shredded, sweetened coconut flakes

1 c. (or more) chopped pecans

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, sugar, yolks, butter, and vanilla.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.  DO NOT BOIL.  It should coat the back of a spoon.  Set aside; add coconut and pecans and let cool for about 20-30 minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE LAYER CAKE:

First, scoop out some chocolate buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with whatever frosting tip you want.   You only need about ½ c. - ¾ c. of frosting in your bag, depending on how much buttercream you want to pipe onto the cake.  

Place one layer of cake on your cake plate and spread a layer of chocolate buttercream on top, make sure it's not too thick. Then carefully spread a thick layer of coconut pecan frosting on top of that.  Place 2nd layer on top of cake; repeat with a layer of buttercream and coconut pecan frosting, coating the cake all the way around the sides, as well.  

Pipe your buttercream frosting designs around the cake - have fun with it! And enjoy.  I am positive that you are going to LOVE this.

Pure.  Heaven.  

Bye for now!!