Southern Living German Choc Cake Food

HOMEMADE GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease (with shortening) 3 (9-inch) round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper, and lightly grease paper with cooking spray. Dust pans with flour.
• Stir together chopped chocolate and hot coffee in a medium microwavable bowl; microwave on HIGH until melted and smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring mixture after 30 seconds. Set aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat butter and sugars with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate mixture and vanilla; beat on low speed until blended. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended after each addition.
• Place egg whites in a separate clean bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes; gently fold into batter. Divide batter among prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 24 to 28 minutes. Remove pans from oven; gently run a knife around outer edge of cake layers to loosen from sides of pans. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks; discard parchment paper. Cool completely, 1 hour.
• While the cake cools, prepare the Coconut-Pecan Frosting. Stir together evaporated milk, butter, granulated sugar, packed light brown sugar, and lightly beaten egg yolks in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts and sugars dissolve, 3 to 4 minutes. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbling and thick, 12 to 14 more minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in sweetened flaked coconut, chopped toasted pecans, and vanilla extract. Transfer to a bowl. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until slightly warm and spreadable, about 40 minutes.
• Spread slightly warm Coconut-Pecan Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake, if desired. Let stand until frosting is completely cool and set, about 15 minutes.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with oil and dust with flour. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
• Microwave the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl on high power for 45 seconds; remove and stir. Microwave again at high power in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted completely; set aside.
• Beat the granulated sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the milk, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just incorporated. Add half the milk, and mix until just incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and milk, making sure not to overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, run a thin spatula around the edges and then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. (They will have a sugary "crust" on the top. This is from the melted chocolate and is not a problem. It will soften once the cake is assembled or if the layers are baked the day before.)
• For the filling: While the cakes cool, spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake, tossing once, until toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Finely chop. Whisk together the milk and egg yolks in a medium saucepan until smooth. Add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 6 minutes. (It will be similar to the thickness of eggnog.) Pour the mixture into a large bowl. (Don't worry if it seems thin. The coconut and nuts will bind it.) Stir in the coconut and pecans; set aside to cool.
• For the frosting: Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat 1 cup of the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling, and pour over the chocolate. Let stand a few minutes, and then whisk until smooth; let stand at room temperature (or put in the refrigerator if your kitchen is hot) until thick but not set, 20 minutes to 1 hour. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cream to the chocolate mixture, and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy, about 1 minute (do not overbeat, or it will become hard and grainy). The frosting should hold medium peaks and will continue to firm up a bit as it stands. Spoon about 1 cup frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.
• To assemble: Put one cake layer right-side up on a serving plate, and top with half the filling. Top with the second cake layer and the remaining filling, spreading it to about 1/2 inch from the edge. Frost the sides, and decorate around the top edge of the cake with the frosting in the pastry bag.
• Loosely cover the cake with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight. Unwrap and serve.

MAMA'S GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 3 (9-inch) round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper, and lightly grease paper.
• Microwave chocolate baking bars and 1/2 cup water in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring once halfway through.
• Combine flour and next 2 ingredients in a medium bowl.
• Beat butter and sugars with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate mixture and vanilla; beat on low speed until blended. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended after each addition.
• Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form; gently fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven, and run a knife around outer edge of cake layers to loosen from sides of pans. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks; discard parchment paper. Cool completely (about 1 hour).
• Spread Coconut-Pecan Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired, with chocolate-dipped toasted pecan halves.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together chopped chocolate and hot coffee in a medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH until melted and smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring mixture after 30 seconds. Set aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugars with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate mixture and vanilla, and beat on low speed until blended. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended after each addition.
• Place egg whites in a separate clean bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold into batter. Divide batter among 3 9-inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper.
• Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 24 to 28 minutes. Remove pans from oven; gently run a knife around outer edge of cake layers to loosen from sides of pans. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans; transfer to wire racks. Discard parchment paper. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Press slightly warm Coconut-Pecan Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Let stand until frosting is completely cool and set, about 15 minutes.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch or two 9-inch round cake pans with the cooking spray. Cut three 8-inch or two 9-inch rounds of cooking parchment paper. Line bottoms of pans with the paper.
• Coarsely chop the chocolate. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat the chocolate and water over low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is completely melted; remove from heat and cool.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking soda and salt until mixed; set aside. In another medium bowl, beat 2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy; set aside.
• On medium speed, beat 1 egg yolk at a time into the sugar mixture until mixed. On low speed, beat in the melted chocolate and 1 teaspoon vanilla. On low speed, beat in 1/2 of the flour mixture just until smooth, then beat in 1/2 of the buttermilk just until smooth. Repeat beating in flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk just until smooth.
• Wash and dry mixer beaters. In a small bowl, beat the eggs whites on high speed until beaten eggs whites form stiff peaks when beaters are lifted. Add egg whites to the batter; to fold in, use a rubber spatula to cut down vertically through the batter, then slide the spatula across the bottom of the bowl and up the side, turning batter over. Rotate the bowl 1/4 turn, and repeat this down-across-up motion. Continue folding until batter and egg whites are blended.
• Pour batter into pans; use a rubber spatula to scrape batter from bowl, spread batter evenly in pans and smooth top of batter. (If batter is not divided evenly, spoon batter from one pan to another.) Refrigerate batter in third pan if not all pans will fit in oven at one time; bake third pan separately.
• Bake 8-inch pans 35 to 40 minutes, 9-inch pans 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. To remove cake from pan, invert onto cooling rack, then invert right side up on second cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In a 2-quart saucepan, stir the 3 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, the evaporated milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well mixed. Cook over medium heat about 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick and bubbly. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Cool about 30 minutes, beating occasionally with a spoon, until mixture is spreadable.
• Place 1 cake layer, rounded side down, on a cake plate; using a metal spatula, spread 1/3 of the filling over the layer. Add second layer, rounded side down; spread with 1/3 of the filling. Add third layer, rounded side up; spread with remaining filling, leaving side of cake unfrosted. Store cake covered in the refrigerator.

BAKER'S ORIGINAL GERMAN SWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Coconut-Pecan frosting (recipe follows).
• Oven at 350ºF.
• Melt chocolate in water, cool.
• Cream butter and sugar.
• Beat in egg yolks.
• Stir in vanilla and chocolate.
• Mix flour, soda, and salt.
• Beat in flour mixture, alternately with buttermilk.
• Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.
• Pour batter into three 9-inch layer pans, lined on bottoms with waxed paper.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until cake springs bake when lightly pressed in center.
• Cool 15 minutes; remove and cool on rack.
• Frost cake.
• COCONUT-PECAN FROSTING.
• Combine evaporated milk, sugar, slightly beaten egg yolks, butter or margarine and vanilla in saucepan.
• Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat.
• Stir in shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
• Cool until thick enough to spread.
• Makes 4-1/4 cups.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 9-inch round pans, using water, oil and eggs. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In 3-quart heavy saucepan, mix sugar, butter, milk and egg yolks. Heat to simmering over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook 9 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Cut each cake layer horizontally into 2 layers. On serving plate, place 1 layer, cut side up. Spread with about 1 1/3 cups filling. Repeat with second and third layers and 2 2/3 cups filling.
• With serrated knife, cut remaining cake layer into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips. Cut strips into irregular pieces. Place cake pieces randomly over filling to cover top of cake, pressing gently into cake and fitting snugly together. Refrigerate cake several hours before serving, if desired.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting 10 seconds on High until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over top of cake. Store covered in refrigerator.