Best Cake Ever.

For as long as Jeff and I have been married, I have made him a German Chocolate Cake for his birthday. I'm not really sure why we started this little tradition, but now I always just make this cake for him, without even bothering to ask if he wants it. Because I know he does. (Jeff can back me up here.) It also doesn't hurt that I, too, love this cake. This is the one my grandmother and mom always made growing up. If I remember correctly, mostly this cake was made for Andrew for his birthday. I always got the Texas Sheet Cake (still do, in fact). Austin usually got something strawberry. And I don't remember if Abram had a cake. He and Austin often shared, since their birthdays are only 3 days apart. But he did call this one the "snot cake" - as you can see, it wasn't one of his favorites. (There is no accounting for taste, but he did have a way with words.)
Without further ado, here is our not-so-secret family recipe. Not secret because my grandma always used the recipe right inside the German's chocolate box. And there are lots of steps, but they are totally worth it as this is the most moist (moistest??) chocolate cake around.


For the Cake:
1 4oz. box German's chocolate
1/2 cup Water, boiling
1 cup Butter or margarine
2 cup Sugar
4 Eggs, separated
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 cups Flour, all-purpose
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Buttermilk

1. Melt chocolate in water and cool.

2. Cream butter and Sugar.

3. Beat in egg yolks.

4. Stir in vanilla and chocolate.

5. Mix flour, soda and salt. beat in flour mixture, alternately with buttermilk.

6. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter into three 9-inch layer pans, lined on bottoms with waxed paper.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed in
center Cool 15 minutes; remove and cool on rack.

For the Coconut-Pecan filling and frosting:

1 12-oz can evaporated milk

1.5 cup sugar

3/4 c. butter

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1.5 tsp vanilla

7 oz flaked coconut

1.5 c. chopped pecans.

Heat the first five ingredients in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat 12 min. or until thick and golden brown. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool to room temperature and then spread between the layers.

Eat and Enjoy.