Tags

, , ,

While I was home for the holidays I was lucky enough to see a lot of my family members. And while we were all together we decided to have an impromptu surprise birthday dinner for my grandfather. We’re rarely all in the same place for his birthday so when I was asked to make the cake I wanted something decadent, something extravagant, that no one was going to forget for a while. And thus, I started searching for the perfect German Chocolate Cake recipe. German Chocolate Cake is one the richest desserts I’ve had in a while. Whoever decided they wanted a moist, decadent chocolate cake, smothered in chocolate buttercream and topped with sweet, sticky coconut and pecans, was a genius.

Some people aren’t as big a fan of German Chocolate Cake, I think it may be due to the sugar overload, but somehow this recipe was loved by all, even the previous skeptics. My mouth is watering just looking at the photos and I am beyond disappointed I don’t have a slice hanging out in my fridge for me to nibble on. But, considering how much sugar is in it I think this is a once-a-year type cake.

This recipe takes some genius shortcuts, making the process a bit easier. Instead of having to splurge on those ridiculously expensive blocks of good quality chocolate this recipe calls for a box of Devil Food cake mix. I’m sure there are people out there with an aversion to cake mix but it’s really not the end of the world. And I swear no one will be able to tell there is boxed cake mix in there, if I hadn’t been careless and left the empty box on the top in the trash bin, instead of cleverly concealing it, none of my family would have believed it wasn’t completely from scratch.

So next time you have a big occasion coming up, or just feel like treating your friends to some insane chocolate-y goodness, I recommend trying this recipe out.

German Chocolate Cake
Yields 1 double layer cake or 24 cupcakes
Recipe from Your Cup of Cake

For the chocolate cake:
1 box Devil’s food cake
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream

For the German chocolate frosting:
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
For the chocolate buttercream:
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsn. milk or cream, if needed
Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease and line two cake pans, set aside. In a large bowl, combine the oil, eggs and vanilla. Sift about 1/3 of the cake mix and mix until combined. Add the buttermilk and stir until combined. Add another 1/3 of the cake mix, stir to combine. Add the sour cream, then the remaining cake mix and stir until combined. Fill the cake pans and bake for 18 – 22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  
To make the frosting, over medium heat in a saucepan, constantly stir the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks and butter until thickened (basically until it boils, about 15 minutes). Stir in the vanilla, pecans and coconut. Let cool. To make the chocolate buttercream, beat the cream cheese and butter for 4 minutes, add the cocoa, powdered sugar and vanilla. Let beat for 3 minutes. If it is too thick, add some milk. If it is too thin, add some more powdered sugar. Place one layer of cake on a plate and cover the top with 1/2 the frosting. Place the other layer on top and frost the sides of the cake with the chocolate buttercream. Cover the top of the cake with the rest of the frosting and pipe the remaining chocolate buttercream along the edges.

 

About these ads