David's Best Desserts

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
1 4 oz package German Sweet chocolate
1/2 cup water
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk

Line bottoms of 3 nine inch round cake pans with wax paper; grease
sides of pans microwave chocolate and water in large bowl on high 1 1/2
2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after each
minute.  Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.  Beat butter and sugar in
large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. 
Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 
chocolate
mixture and vanilla.  Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk,
beating until well blended after each addition.

Beat egg whites in another large bowl with electric mixer on high speed
until stiff peaks form.  Gently stir into batter.  Pur evenly into
prepared pans.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers
comes out clean.  Immediatly run spatula between cakes and sides of
pans.  Cool 15 minutes.  Remove cake layers from pans.  Remove wax
paper.  Cool completely on wire racks.  Spread coconut pecan filling
and frosting between layers and onto top of cake.


Coconut Pecan filling and frosting
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
4 egg yolks slightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 pkg (7 oz) fresh flaked coconut (about 2 2/3 cups)
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Mix milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla in large suacepan.  Cook
on medium heat 12 minutes or until thickened and golden brown stirring
constantly.  Remove from heat.

Add coconut and pecans and mix well.  Cool to room termperature and of
desired spreading consistency.  Makes about 4 1/2 cups or enough to
fill and frost top of 3 layer cake or frost tops of 2 13x9 cakes or 24
cupcakes.