This moist, tall German Chocolate Cake is my irresistible version of the original recipe. It's simpler in that it uses melted butter and skips separating the eggs. The frosting uses sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk for a stiffer, caramel candy-like coating.
2 packages (8 ounces) Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate, broken up
1 pound (4 sticks) butter, sliced
1 cup water
4 cups cake flour or White Lily All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups sugar
2 cups whole buttermilk
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare Old Country Kitchenware square tube pan by brushing with chocolate pan coat and lining the bottom with parchment paper (if using two piece pan, also fit with a parchment paper square between the two pieces first). In a medium saucepan or microwaveable bowl, melt chocolate and butter in water. In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. Pour in melted chocolate mixture and stir until combined. Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla and stir together until ingredients are fully incorporated. Pour batter into prepared tube pan and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out nearly clean. Let cool until the pan is comfortable enough to handle, then use a thin spatula to release the sides of the cake. Transfer the cake to a wire rack in two steps: first, turn the cake up on its side, then invert fully. (If using two-piece pan, invert the entire cake without separating the pieces). Let cool completely.
Coconut Pecan Frosting
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
6 large egg yolks
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
In a medium saucepan, mix sugars, butter, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk until well blended. Set heat to medium low and stir frequently, scraping the bottom and sides, until it begins to bubble, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, pecans, and coconut. Let cool until lukewarm then apply to cake, using the back of the spoon to apply down the tube hole.
