German Chocolate Cake

From start to finish, making this cake takes me 3 hours. That includes clean-up.

Cake Portion

4 oz German chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup buttermilk



Melt chocolate in boiling water. Then allow to cool. Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add yolks, one at the time, stirring well after each. Add melted chocolate and vanilla to the mixture. Stir. Alternately add dry ingredients (which have been sifted together: flour, powder, soda) with wet (the buttermilk). Fold in stiffly-beaten egg whites.

Pour into three 9 in prepared cake pans. Bake in an oven which has been preheated to 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Test doneness at 25 mins.

Cool just a few minutes on wire rack. Then loose around edges with a dull knife and turn out of pan. Cover with wet paper towel, while cake cools.

Frosting

1 sm can (6oz?)crushed pineapple
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 13 oz can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups butter
5 egg yolks
1 cup grated coconut

Mix all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan, cooking slowly over medium heat until thickened. Add 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla. Stir. Cool before icing cake.

This *frosting* does not go on the sides of the cake, only in between the layers and on top.