German Chocolate Cake with Pecan-Coconut Frosting AND Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Pecan-Coconut Frosting

4 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and brought to room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups (7 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 c. cocoa
8 oz. package cream cheese
1 lb. confectioners sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1 t. vanilla


Let cream cheese and butter warm to room temperature, then cream thoroughly and add vanilla. Add cocoa. Gradually beat in sugar. For good spreading consistency, frosting can be thickened by adding additional sugar or thinned by adding milk.

Cake:
Solid vegetable shortening, for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pans
1 pkg. (18.25 oz) plain German chocolate cake mix
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. veg. oil
3 large eggs
1 t. vanilla

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350.
For the pecan-coconut frosting, spread the pecans and coconut on baking sheet, and toast in oven for 7 minutes, or until the pecans deepen in color and the coconut turns golden brown. Remove baking sheet from oven and set aside.

Place evaporated milk, sugar butter, egg yolks, and vanilla in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until thickenev and golden brown in color, 10-12 minutes. Stir in the toasted pecans and coconut. Cool to room remperature and spreading consistency.

Generously grease 2 9-inch round cake pans with solid veg. shortening, then dust with flour. Set pans aside.

Place cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in mixing bowl. Blend with mixer on low speec for 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down sides if needed. The batter should look well combined. Divide the batter equally into the prepared pans, smoothing it outh with rubber spatula. Place pans in oven side by side.

Bake cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with finger, 32-34 minutes. Remove pans from oven and place on wire reacks to cool for 10 min. Run a dinner kinife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto rack, then invert again so that cakes are cooling right side up. Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

Place one cake layer, right side up, on serving platter. Spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top of first layer and frost the top with remaining frosting.

Then frost sides with chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Can't wait!