German Chocolate Cake from Anne Byrn

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Ingredients

  • Makes: 12 To 16 Servings

Cake

  • Butter And Flour For Prepping The Pans
  • 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Package 4 Ounces German’s Sweet Chocolate
  • ½ Cup Boiling Water
  • 1 Cup 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter (See Cake Notes), At Room Temperature
  • 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 4 Large Eggs Separated
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Cup Buttermilk

Coconut And Pecan Filling

  • 1½ Cups 12-Ounce Can Evaporated Milk
  • 1½ Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 4 Egg Yolks Slightly Beaten
  • ¾ Cup 1½ Sticks Unsalted Butter, Cut Into 12 Tablespoons
  • 1½ Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • ¼ Teaspoon Salt
  • 2⅓ Cups About 7 Ounces Unsweetened Flaked Coconut (See Cake Notes)
  • 1½ Cups Chopped Toasted Pecans See Cake Notes

Instructions

  • For The Cake, Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 350°F.
  • Lightly Grease And Flour Three 9″ Cake Pans, And Shake Out The Excess Flour.
  • Set The Pans Aside.
  • Place The Flour, Baking Soda, And Salt Into A Large Mixing Bowl, And Sift To Combine.
  • Set Aside.
  • Chop The Chocolate Into ½” Pieces, And Place In A Small Bowl.
  • Pour The Boiling Water Over It, And Stir To Melt The Chocolate.
  • Set Aside.
  • Place The Butter And Sugar In A Large Bowl, And Beat With An Electric Mixer On Medium Speed Until Light And Fluffy, 2 Minutes.
  • Add The Egg Yolks, One At A Time, Beating After Each Addition.
  • Add The Vanilla.
  • Alternately Add The Flour Mixture And Buttermilk To The Batter, Blending On Low Speed, Beginning And Ending With The Dry Ingredients.
  • Set Aside.
  • Place The Egg Whites In A Large Mixing Bowl, And Beat With Clean Beaters On High Speed Until Almost-Stiff Peaks Form, About 4 Minutes.
  • Fold The Egg Whites Into The Batter.
  • Divide The Batter Between The 3 Prepared Pans.
  • Place The Pans In The Oven.
  • Bake The Cakes Until They Spring Back When Lightly Pressed In The Center, 28 To 32 Minutes.
  • Remove The Cakes From The Oven, And Place On A Wire Rack To Cool For 15 Minutes.
  • Run A Knife Around The Edges Of Each Pan, And Gently Shake Them To Loosen The Cakes.
  • Invert The Cakes Once And Then Again Onto The Racks To Cool Completely, Right Side Up, 45 Minutes.
  • Meanwhile, Prepare The Filling.
  • Place The Milk, Sugar, Egg Yolks, Butter, Vanilla, And Salt In A Large Saucepan Over Medium Heat.
  • Cook And Stir Constantly, Until The Mixture Thickens And Is Caramel In Color, About 15 Minutes.
  • Remove The Pan From The Heat And Stir In The Coconut And Pecans.
  • Let The Mixture Cool Until It Is Thick Enough To Spread.
  • You Can Refrigerate The Filling While The Cake Layers Cool.
  • (Or To Speed The Process Along, You Can Make The Filling Before You Bake The Cake.)
  • To Assemble, Place 1 Cake Layer On A Serving Plate And Cover With 1 Cup Of Filling, Spreading It To The Edges.
  • Top With The Second Layer And Repeat.
  • Top With The Third Layer, And Pile The Remaining Filling On Top, Leaving The Sides Bare.
  • Chill For 1 Hour For Easier Slicing.

Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:

Cake Notes:

If You Use Lightly Salted Butter, Reduce The Salt In The Cake To ¼ Teaspoon, And You Can Omit Salt From The Filling. Use Unsweetened Coconut, But If You Cannot Find It, Sweetened Will Do. Pecans Are Much More Delicious If Toasted First. Place Them On A Baking Pan In The Turned-Off Oven While You Are Preparing The Filling. When They Are Medium Brown And Fragrant, 3 To 5 Minutes, Remove From The Oven.
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Course Cake / Chocolate
Cuisine European / German