German's Sweet Chocolate Cake

A couple of weeks ago, it was my dad's birthday. His favorite cake is a German's Sweet Chocolate cake, so my mom and I made him one. This recipe is not German - German's Sweet Chocolate is the kind of chocolate you use. And the cake was actually invented in Dallas - where we live! If you love coconut, chocolate, and pecans, this cake is definitely for you!

Ingredients:

• Cake
• 4 oz. package German's Sweet Chocolate baking squares
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Coconut-Pecan Frosting
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups Baker's Angel Flake Coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Pecan halves

Melt the chocolate in the boiling water.

Cool.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add egg yolks, one at a time.

Beat well after each.

Add the melted chocolate and vanilla. 

Mix well.

Sift together salt, baking soda, and flour.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk.

Beat well until smooth.

Beat the egg whites.

Stiff peaks should form.

Fold in beaten egg whites. 

Line the bottom of three 9-inch layer cake pans with parchment paper or wax paper.

Pour the batter into the cake pans.

Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes.

Allow cake to cool.

To make the Coconut-Pecan frosting, combine the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla in a saucepan.

Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens.

It should take about 12 minutes.

Add the pecans and the coconut flakes.

Stir the mixture until it is thick enough to spread.

Frost the top of each layer with the frosting. 

Arrange the layers to that the the tops and bottoms meet (which means your middle layer will be upside down and your bottom and top layers will be right-side up).

Frost the top of the cake and decorate it with extra pecan halves.

Enjoy!