My stepdad LOVES either Mrs. Crockers or Mr. Hines' German Chocolate Cake with Caramel Pecan Icing - and the poor thing only gets it once a year, on February 7th. So I decided this year, I'd make him a German Chocolate Cake from scratch.
WARNING 1: THIS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART, NOR FAINT OF WRIST!
WARNING 2: THIS IS A MONSTROSITY OF A CAKE!
SPECIAL NOTE: Pictures couldn't be taken at regular intervals due to baker being in the trenches separating whites from yolks, warming milk, further mincing shredded coconut to get a finer grate, and stiring, stirring, stirring.
For the cake, you will need:
4 oz. Bakers Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate Baking Squares
2 sticks Land O' Lakes Butter at room temp
1/4 cup warm milk
2 1/2 cups SIFTED cake flour (this means sift first, then measure)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
5 medium egg whites
2 cups sugar
5 medium egg yolks at room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk, well shaken
For the Coconut Frosting, you will need:
2 cups sugar
8 medium egg yolks
2 cups evaporated milk
2 sticks Land O' Lakes Butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
20 oz. grated coconut - you will have to run this through a food processor for finer grate
2 cups finely ground pecans
Prepare the chocolate by melting it in the top of a double boiler, stirring until it is smooth (or if you can be trusted to not walk around, melt it in the microve at 1 minute intervals on 30% power - stirring after each interval.) Add 1/2 stick of butter and stir until it is melted and blended. Add 1/4 cup warm milk and stir until smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease with Crisco (butter will not do here, neither will Pam spray) and flour 3 9-inch cake pans.
Sift together sifted flour, baking soda and salt.
Using electric mixer, whip the egg whites using wire beater attachment until stiff peaks form, transfer to another bowl and set aside. Wash mixing bowl.
In washed mixing bowl, cream remaining 1 1/2 sticks of butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time beating well after each addition. Add the melted and cooled chocolate and vanilla. Mix well.
With the mixer on very low, stir in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Do this by adding about a third of the flour and slowly stirring it in completely. Then add half the buttermilk and stir it in. Continue adding flour and buttermilk in this manner, ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir again. With a long-handled spoon or spatula, fold and stir beaten egg whites into the batter until the batter is smooth with no visible clumps of whites.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Bake on the middle rack of the oven, allowing at least 1/4 inch clearance between the pans and the oven walls. The cake will rise above the pan edges as it bakes, but will not spill over and will settle back down as it continues to bake. The cake is done when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pans and springs back to a light touch. Cool layers in the pans for about 8 minutes.
Run a knife around the edges of each pan and turn the layers out onto wire racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cool layers completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg yolks, and evaporated milk in the top of a double boiler (see note at bottom.) Stir with a wire whisk until the yolks are fully incorporated. Add the butter. Place over simmering water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 12 - 15 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Add the vanilla, coconut and nuts. Cool.
(At this point, it was 1:20am, so I layered my cakes on top of each other with buttered sheets of aluminum foil in between each layer (for lack of parchment or waxed paper) and then covered with the lid to keep the cake moist overnight.
To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand and spread with frosting. Frost each layer completely, tops and sides, as it is added to the cake.
Note: You can also make the frosting in a regular saucepan (large) being sure to stir constantly as it scorches easy.
No comments:
Post a Comment