Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Partners in Crime!

That's what my husband calls my best friend and me! We aren't so much partners in crime, but we're definitely best of friends, confidants and especially shopping buddies. Whether it be craft shows, thrift stores, antique shops or even the grocery store...seems it's always more fun to shop with a friend. We have so much in common, but the most ironic thing we have in common is our husbands boast the very same birthday. Which happened to be today. And to top it off, German Chocolate is both their favorite cake. So today we decided to put away the cake mixes and leave those tubs of frosting on the shelf. Today we were making cake FROM SCRATCH! I've had this wonderful home made German Chocolate cake recipe for over 30 years now, and use to make it for my husband in our earlier years of marriage. It wasn't long, though, before the scratch cake made way for the easier, more convenient cake mixes. So when we decided to take on this task of making not one, but TWO of these cakes, I knew what we were in for! After a trip to the grocery store and shopping for all the ingredients we needed, we came back to my house and went to work mixing, and measuring, adding this and adding that. And I discovered something very fast...it's so much easier and a lot more fun to bake with someone else. It wasn't long before our cakes were done and she was out the door with hers in hand to enjoy with her hubby.

My friend went with the sheet cake....much easier to frost, at least! And this way she didn't have to wait before the frosting cooled completely before frosting the cake.

I went with the traditional two layers I always make. I just like them better this way.

This is the best cake....down to the home made frosting! The recipe is below if you're interested in trying it. It's a little time consuming, but if you grab a friend to bake along with you, you'll be amazed at how fast the time will fly by and how much fun you will have in the process!

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 cup butter
2-1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp. soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 full package German chocolate blocks
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs, SEPARATED
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar

Dissolve soda in buttermilk. Melt chocolate in boiling water. Beat butter and sugar until creamy; add egg yolks that have been slightly beaten. Add flour and buttermilk alternately. Add melted chocolate and then add egg whites that have been slightly beaten with salt. (I beat until frothy, not like a meringue.) Spray pans heavily or butter pans and flour. Bake at 350 degrees until layers spring back when touched in the center. It took our about 35 minutes. I also did the toothpick test.

FILLING:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 lg. can evaporated milk
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup coconut
1 stick butter
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla

Pour all ingredients into a heavy saucepan. Cook slowly until thickened. Remove from burner and let cool before frosting cake.

9 comments:

  1. That is my #6 son (Mark)s favorite cake too but I never made him one from scratch. I wish he wasn't 250 miles away...I might make one like that for him. His BD is Feb 12th so there is no way I will go North to see him on his BD :)
    You are right though about doing anything with a friend..I don't know why it is always more fun..It just is.
    Glad that you had so much fun and was just a cake (smile)

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  2. Double, double toil and trouble? Nope, not from what you've posted! I'll bet they were the best birthday cakes ever. Congrats to the birthday boys!

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  3. oh yumm! I love anything homemade and they both look so yummy...glad you had a great day and happy birthday to both of the guys..bet those cakes don't last long.;)have a great wednesday;)

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  4. My hubby's b'day is Sat. and that is his favorite cake too. Hope he had a great birthday and enjoys his cake.

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  5. Sure would be nice if I had a piece of that cake to go with my coffee this morning! Will you deliver? I'll keep the coffee on. . . .

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  6. homemade is always worth it in the end, people laugh because I still pick wild blackberries & make jelly etc. lol the cakes look fantastic!

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  7. My partner in crime is my daughter.. Not many of my friends enjoy old or rusty things as much as I do, teehee...Both cakes look so yummy.. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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  8. I will take a nice slice of that cake please!! Looks so yummy Annie, Happy Birthday to your hubby! I hope he has a wonderful day.
    Colleen

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  9. How lucky you are to have such a good friend to do things with! Thanks for sharing the cake recipe; I'll have to print it out so that I can try it later. Homemade is always best!

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