German Chocolate Cake

Where did German chocolate cake get its name?  Is it really German?  I should google that, shouldn't I?  I am making this for a birthday in a few weeks and needed to do a trial run.  Never, have I made this particular flavor of cake and it seems MANY of you love it!  I find I am bad about that.  I don't make things I wouldn't like to eat, usually.  Sometimes I do. 

(I am still an angel food cake with seven minute icing girl)

Anyhoodle, just wanted to share this with you since, well, you know, it turned out, the first time!  I admittedly researched many different recipes.  I wanted an easy one, but I wanted it to be good.  I combined a couple, and it worked like a charm.  A mix between the more labor intensive variety and the easy peasy variety.  I don't even like coconut, and I love this.  Why?  Because you can hardly taste the coconut! HA!

I did learn one important fact.  Oh wait, did you see I made it heart shaped?  Aww, love is already in the air!  Anyway, what I learned was, it seems you should traditionally ice your cake while the cake and frosting are hot.  Not when you are making a 2 layer cake.  Don't ask me how I know, just trust that I am leading you down the right path!

German chocolate cake mix  (use 2, 9inch pans or a 13x19)
Prepare according to package directions.  I always add a tsp of vanilla into my mix as well.  Let cool COMPLETELY before icing if doing a 2 layer cake, otherwise, feel free to frost it as soon as your frosting is done!

German Chocolate Cake Frosting:
2- 14oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
6 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups coconut (sweetened)
1 2/3 cup pecans (chopped or smashed into smallish pieces
2 tsp vanilla extract

In a COLD medium sauce pan, add condensed milk, egg yolks, butter, and brown sugar.  Turn heat on to medium and stir, almost continuously until mixture begins to bubble slightly and thicken.  This could take 5 minutes or more.  Do not walk away from it, because when you do, you are basically putting out to the frosting gods "please allow my frosting to BURN".  They listen ya know.  And it WILL happen. 
When the mixture is thickened considerably, add in coconut,  pecans and vanilla extract.  Stir until all ingredients are well combined and then let sit for 1 hour.  (after it gets to room temp put in the fridge for the rest of the hour! Remember this is ONLY if you are making a 2 layer cake)

Make a thin layer between the layers and then frost it up buttercup!

I am told by a German Chocolate Expert, this was by far, the best frosting of its kind he had ever eaten.  I mean different strokes for different folks but, just sayin....

Your "advisor to the frosting Gods" Chefwannabe