FAVORITE GERMAN CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE WITH COCONUT-PECAN TOPPING

I love cooking and baking with nuts.  In fact, if a recipe calls for one cup of nuts, I usually double it.  When I bake birthday cakes for my parents, both of them always request my German Chocolate cake with it's wonderful coconut-pecan topping.  It's a recipe that has become a tradition in our family. Although most of our kids don't even like nuts, my husband and I do, so I still make it for us and the few that will eat nuts.  The cake is a classic German Chocolate cake recipe, but I have even substituted a boxed cake mix when in a hurry.  But, I never substitute anything but the homemade recipe for the coconut-pecan frosting--it makes the cake!  I make it in either two or three-layers.  The triple-layer is especially pretty, but when traveling with it, I like to make just two layers.  My dad's birthday was in October, and, as usual, I made the cake to take up to Brigham.  The cake stays moist for a long time, and the frosting, or really, topping, as I call it, is chuck-full of big, chopped pecans and moist coconut.  It also makes a pretty presentation on a nice cake plate.  If you try it, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

German Chocolate Cake

1/2 C boiling water

1 bar (4 oz) sweet cooking chocolate

1 C butter, softened

2 C sugar

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 C cake flour

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 C buttermilk

4 egg white, stiffly beaten

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line three 9-inch round pans with parchment (or two pans).  Pour boiling water water over chocolate and stir until melted.  Cool.  Cream butter and sugar until light.  Add egg yolks, one at a time.  Blend in chocolate and vanilla.  Mix in flour (I have even substituted regular flour and it works fine for me), soda, and salt alternately with the buttermilk until smooth (I have substituted 1 Tablespoon vinegar and enough milk to make 1 Cup).  Beat after each addition until batter is smooth.  Fold in beaten egg whites.  Divide batter in pans.  Bake until done, about 35 minutes, or until top springs back when touched lightly.  Remove from pans and cool.  Fill layers and top of cake, making sure layers are even before placing them on top of each other.

COCONUT-PECAN TOPPING 

1 C sugar

3 egg yolks

1 C evaporated milk

1/2 C butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 C flaked coconut 

2 C coarsely chopped pecans

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, egg yolks, and butter in medium saucepan.  Cook and stir on medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Add coconut, pecans and vanilla.  Stir until it thickens.  Cool slightly and fill cake.  Recipe fills three layers, or generously fills two.  Umm, good!