German Chocolate Cake III

Recipe View Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. Sift together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. (5 minutes)

Recipe View In a small saucepan, combine the water and German sweet chocolate. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. (10 minutes)

Recipe View In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract. Gradually add the cooled chocolate mixture, mixing until well combined. (8 minutes)

Recipe View In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and set aside. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix. (7 minutes)

Recipe View In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold one-third of the beaten egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. (30 minutes)

Recipe View Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. (10 minutes)

Recipe View To make the frosting: In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and beaten egg yolks. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 10-12 minutes. (12 minutes)

Recipe View Remove from heat and stir in the flaked coconut, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract. Let the frosting cool until it reaches a spreadable consistency. (20 minutes)

Recipe View Once the cakes are completely cool, level the tops if necessary. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread with a generous layer of frosting. Repeat with the remaining cake layers, frosting the top and sides of the cake. (15 minutes)

Recipe View To make the chocolate drizzle: In a small saucepan, melt the vegetable shortening and semisweet chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top and down the sides of the cake. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Let the frosting and chocolate drizzle set before serving. Enjoy! (30 minutes)