German Chocolate Cake

I was watching ThrowDown with Bobby Flay on Sunday afternoon and was immediately inspired to make a German chocolate cake. He mentioned that this kind of cake actually has nothing to do with Germany at all! It originated from Texas where a woman use German's chocolate, which is named after a man called Sam German, to create a chocolaty cake with coconut and pecans! I had no idea!

Anyways, a few years ago, a friend of mine, Jessy, made this and everyone raved about it, so naturally I got the recipe from her and we've made it a few times since.

Here it is!

Cake
1 package (4 oz.) Baker's German's sweet chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter/margarine
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
4 egg whites

Melt choclate in boiling water. Cool. Mix flour, soda and salt. cream butter and sguar intil light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each. Blend in vanilla and chocolate. Alternatley add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating after each addition until smooth. BEat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter.

Pour into three 9-inch (greased and floured) layer pans. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted coems out clean. Immediately run spatula around pans between cakes and sides. Cool in pans 15 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks. Spread filling and frosting between layers and over top.

Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting
1 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
i cup sugar (I used only half a cup because I felt it would be too sweet)
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
1/2 cup butter/margarine
1 tsp vanilla
Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/3 cups coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans. Cool until of spreading consistency, beating occasionally. Makes 2 1/2 cups.