German-ish Chocolate Cake

Last weekend Family D. came to visit from Ohio. My father-in-law's birthday was Saturday and I wanted to make him his favorite cake: German chocolate cake without the coconut icing part. So it was only kind of German chocolate cake.

German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

4 oz. sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cups water

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened

4 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease 3 8-inch or 9-inch pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper circles.

2. In 1-quart saucepan, heat chocolate and water over low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted; cool.

3. In medium blow, mix flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In another medium bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Separate eggs; reserve egg whites. Beat egg yolks, one at a time, into sugar mixture. Beat in chocolate and vanilla on low speed. Beat flour mixture into sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk on low speed, beating just until smooth after each addition.

4. In small bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff; fold into batter. Pour into pans. Refrigerate batter in third pan if not all pans will fit in oven at one time; bake third pan separately. (I only have two cake pans, so I made two, cooled a pan, and then made a third)

5. Bake 8-inch pans for 35-40 minutes, 9-inch pans 30-35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Remove waxed paper. Cool for one hour.

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 to 2 tbs. milk

1. In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tbs. milk.

2. Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. (We had to use quite a bit more milk than 2 tbs. to make this icing...but it turned out awesome)

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