German Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 ounces German sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands®, All Natural, No Corn Syrup Added, Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2-1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 
  FROSTING:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 1-1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands®, All Natural, No Corn Syrup Added, Pure Vanilla Extract
• 
  ICING:
• 1/2 teaspoon shortening
• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate

Directions

• Line three greased 9-in. round baking pans with waxed paper. Grease waxed paper and set aside. In small saucepan, melt chocolate with water over low heat; cool.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 4 egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
• 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 the creamed mixture; fold in remaining whites.
• Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• For frosting, in a small saucepan, heat the sugar, milk, butter and egg yolks over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Stir in the coconut, pecans and vanilla extract. Cool until thick enough to spread. Spread a third of the frosting over each cake layer and stack the layers.
• In a microwave, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth; drizzle down sides of cake. Yield: 12 servings.