German Chocolate Cake

I made this decadent cake several years ago and shared it at a church fellowship meal where only a few crumbs were left. It's three layers of deliciousness that will make any occasion - especially the holidays - that much more special. And it's all from scratch - the real thing.

Ingredients

Cake

• 4 ounces German sweet chocolate, chopped

• 1/2 c. water

• 1 c. butter, softened

• 2 c. sugar

• 4 large eggs, separated

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 1/2 c. cake flour

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 c. buttermilk

Frosting

• 1 1/2 c. sugar

• 1 1/2 c. evaporated milk

• 3/4 c. butter

• 5 large egg yolks, beaten

• 2 c. sweetened shredded coconut

• 1 1/2 c. chopped pecans

• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Icing

• 1 tsp. shortening

• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate

Directions

Line three greased 9-inch round baking pans with waxed paper. Grease the waxed paper and set aside. In small saucepan, melt the chocolate with water over low heat; cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 4 egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl with clean beaters, beat the 4 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in the egg whites.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 24-28 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans.

For the frosting, in a small saucepan, heat the sugar, milk, butter, and egg yolks over medium-low heat until the mixture is thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in the coconut, pecans, and vanilla. Cool until thick enough to spread. Spread a third of the frosting over each cake layer and stack the layers.

In a microwave, melt the chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

Yield: 12 servings