German Chocolate Cake

By Peggie

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 4 eggs, separated
• 4 oz sweet baking chocolate (semi-sweet chocolate squares may be substituted when sweet German chocolate is not available)
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• Topping:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light cream or whole milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups coconut, flaked
• 2 cups pecans, chopped
• 2 tsp vanilla

Preparation

Step 1

Cake: Heat oven to 350. Grease three 9” layer pans and line with parchment paper; butter parchment and lightly flour, shaking out excess. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and 1 ¼ cup sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in egg yolks. In a separate bowl, pour boiling water over chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Mix into sugar mixture, beating until well-blended. Add combined dry ingredients alternately with sour cream. Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually beating in remaining ½ cup sugar. Fold into cake mixture, mixing until well-blended. Divide batter among the prepared pans and spread evenly. Bake layers for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove cake layers from pans and parchment; cool before layering with topping.

Topping: In a saucepan, melt butter; add brown sugar, cream and eggs. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool for 10 minutes; spread each cake layer with one-third of the topping and stack layers one on top of the other. Cover and serve at room temperature or refrigerate overnight. Makes 12 servings.