German Chocolate - Happy Birthday Abbi!

Birthdays are one of the best excuses I have to practice my baking skills! Second birthday of the week, my sister! She requested a german chocolate cake; one we have made together a few times! I needed a new challenge and went on a recipe hunt to test! I also wanted to make it completely from scratch. This is what I found and devoured.

For the Cake:

4 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

2 1/4 cups cake flour (yes, cake flour - don't skimp out)

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup lukewarm coffee

1 cup buttermilk (the only buttermilk we had available was in powder form - 4 tbsp + 1 cup water)

1 1/4 cups butter, room temperature

2 1/4 cups granulated white sugar

5 large eggs, room temperature (in a rush, soak in WARM water for 5 minutes)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

For the Coconut Pecan Frosting:

1 cup  pecans - chopped

1 cup  granulated white sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/2 cup butter - cut into cubes

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups  sweetened, shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. The oven racks should be in the upper and lower third of the oven. Spray three round 9 inch baking pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, and then spray again.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the coffee and buttermilk.

Melt the semisweet chocolate and set aside. (I melted mine in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, however a double boiler would also work.

With an electric mixer, blend the butter until it is creamy. Add the sugar and mix until fluffy. This will take 3-5 minutes (yes, THAT long). Scrape the sides of the bowl one or two times during this process. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add the vanilla and melted chocolate and beat until mixed.

Add the flour mixture and coffee mixture next. I added 1/3 of the flour mix and 1/3 of the coffee mixture three separate times. Beat just until everything is incoorporated. You don't want to overbeat the cake, or the texture won't be right.

Divide equally between  the three cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. Cake will spring a little bit and toothpick will be clean.


When the cake is done, let them cool in their pans on a drying rack for 20 minutes. While the oven is still on, spread pecans on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly fragrant. Remove and let cool.

Then, it is time the make the frosting. (Don't worry if your cake is still hot, everything will get a chance to cool).

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, egg yolks, butter, and salt. Over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture has begun to boil and is thickening. Remove from heat and add pecans, coconut, and vanilla. Let this mixture cool for 30-60 minutes.

After the cake has cooled in its pan, flip upsidedown, remove parchment paper, and cool completely.

When both the cakes and frosting are cooled, it is time to put the cake together! Put one cake down on serving dish. Spread only the top with 1/3 of the frosting. Add another cake, and another third of the frosting. Repeat with the last cake and bit of frosting. Serve immediately, or my preference is to serve chilled.

I hope you enjoy this cake as much as my family did! My mother requested it again, a few times!

Adapted from Joy of Baking

Better than Sex Cake....well..maybe?

Classic recipe. Easy to make. Quick to be eaten.

Here goes it:

1 box german chocolate cake (yes, box - you'll see why I chose box vs homemade). Make according to directions. Let the cake cool..then use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake about an inch or so apart. Thenn....

Pour the following over the cake, letting each soak in before adding the next:

1 jar Chocolate fudge sauce (the icecream topping)
1/2 jar Caramel fudge sauce
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk.

Then sprinkle some heath pieces over the top (enough to satisfy your needs). Top with an ENTIRE tub of whipped cream (really no need to skimp out and buy the fat free stuff at this point - yes, that is my nutrition major speaking). Then sprinkle w/ a few more heath pieces and voila.

Refrigerate, or eatt it up!

I made this for my best friends birthday, per request! Normally, I choose to go the homemade rought, you know, experiment with it. But, with so much stuff added on top, it'll taste delicious no matter what! Enjoy!

First Weeks Projects

Banana Bread Flop
Everybody that knows me, knows that banana bread is my thing. When I was growing up, my mom and I always made banana bread. It's a certain family recipe..and I've never made a different kind. Never. This one time when I was probably 10, we ran out of chocolate chips. Although, they weren't in the original recipe, the chocolate lovers that we are couldn't leave them out. The only thing left in our freezer were butterscotch chips..and on a whim we put half a bag of those in instead of the chocolate. Who knew, it was DELISH!!

As I've grown up, and taken an interest in nutrition (turns out, that's also my major). I've made a few changes to this recipe, which I find make it even tastier. Whole wheat flour is just one.

Well, Presidents Day turned into a snowy/sleety/rainy mess outside. This crappy weather always puts me in the mood to cook and bake. Tonights attempt at banana bread (yes, attempt - even though I've made this recipe 1000 times) turned into a giant flop. An hour in the oven proved 3 clean toothpicks. After resting for a bit, I try to slide the loaf out of the pan....and it turns into a sloppy mess. Pissed and dissapointed, I scoop the mess into a round cake pan. Throw it back into the 350 degrees..and bake for another 15 minutes or so. Turns out, even banana bread flop cake is tastes just as nummy. Tummies satisfied for now. Hopefully the next loaf comes out a little more sturdy, gotta satisfy that perfectionist in me, don't I?

Busy week of baking coming up ahead. Tune in for:

Better than Sex Cake - My good friend Meg has requested this for her bday Tuesday!
Triple Layer German Chocolate Cake - My baking partner, my sister, also has a birthday coming up on Saturday. Although, together we have made this cake for others, I plan on trying a new, beautiful recipe. Pictures to come!