Grandma's German Chocolate Cake

Last week I was visiting relatives in the Pittsburgh area when I received Colleen's text with the photos for her blog entry on German Chocolate Cake for Steve's birthday.

My cousin, Susan, said that German Chocolate Cake was her favorite birthday cake, too.  We said simultaneously "I guess it is a Hall thing."

German Chocolate Cake was a specialty of our Grandma Hall's.

When I got home, I looked through the big box of family recipes which is now in my care  -- it is a combination of Grandma's and Aunt Shirley's----and found this well-worn recipe --- a clipping from either a box or magazine.

How does it compare to Colleen's?  It's pretty much the same except Grandma's uses a little more flour (and it is cake flour), a little more salt and a teaspoon of soda.

German's Chocolate Cake

1 package Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter*
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks, unbeaten
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt
1 t. soda
2.5 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
1 cup buttermilk
4 egg whites

*or use margarine or other shortening

Melt chocolate in 1/2 cup of boiling water.  Cool.  Cream Butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, and beat well after each.  Add the melted chocolate and vanilla.  Mix well.

Sift together the salt, soda, and flour.  Then add alternately with buttermilk to chocolate mixture, beating well.  Beat until batter is smooth.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Fold into batter.  Pour into three 8 or 9 inch cake layer pans, line on bottoms with paper.  Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool.  Frost tops only with Coconut Pecan Frosting (below) or use any favorite frosting or whipped cream.

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

Combine 1 cup of evaporated milk, 1 cup of sugar, 3 egg yolks, 1/4 pound margarine, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in saucepan.  cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens -- take about 12 minutes.

Add about 1 1/3 cups Baker's Coconut and 1 cup of chopped pecans.  Beat until frosting is cool and thick enough to spread.  Make 2 2/3 cups.

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