German Sweet Chocolate Cake & Frosting

Cookbook Category: Cakes & Frostings

German Chocolate Cake is actually Texan -- not German. The Baker's chocolate company bought a company called German's that made a mild dark chocolate. In the fifties, a Dallas newspaper printed a recipe for chocolate cake using "Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate," and the rest is history.

4 ounces Baker's German Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans, then line them with waxed paper, cut to fit. Grease and flour the waxed paper or spray with Bakers Joy. Redundant, but necessary.

Melt the chocolate in the boiling water. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form; refrigerate.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar, allowing mixer to run for 5 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Let mixer run an additional 2 minutes. With mixer running, add vanilla and chocolate/water mixture.

Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, combining well. Gently fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into cake batter.

Pour the batter into the three prepared cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on racks. Frost top and fill between layers with Coconut-Pecan Frosting.

Makes one, 9-inch three-layer cake.

Prep time: 30 minutes; Cooking time: 30 - 35 minutes; Total time: 1 hour - 1 hour 5 minutes

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

1-1/2 cups evaporated milk

1-1/3 cups sugar

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten

3/4 cup butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups shredded coconut

1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

Cake Recipes