German Chocolate Cake

Last week was my friend Jimmy's birthday. He is obsessed with everything German, and although I would have liked to find a more traditional German birthday cake recipe, according to my internet searches on that, apparently there is no real traditional cake served in Germany for birthdays. So I did the next best thing: German Chocolate Cake. Okay, okay: I know "German Chocolate Cake" isn't a German recipe, but as I said, it was the next best thing.

Only wanting to use ingredients I already had around, I put together three different pieces to create this cake and hoped for the best: I used David Lebovitz's German Chocolate Cake recipe for the cake layers, a chocolate buttercream frosting to coat the whole thing, and in order to make it as German-Chocolatey I could without going out and buying some traditional pecans and coconut, I was lucky and found some Coconut-Pecan ice cream at my university's convenience store.

I made the cake layers a day ahead, put them in the fridge overnight and froze the ice cream layer overnight, then assembled it and made the frosting the next day.

German Chocolate Cake

Adapted from David Levobitz

2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I used 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa mixed with 2 tbsp melted butter)
6 tablespoons water
8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

For the cake, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter the bottom and sides of two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and set aside.

Using a double boiler or a heat proof bowl over simmering water, melt the two chocolates together with the 6 Tablespoons of water. Stir until smooth, then set aside and cool to room temperature.

While waiting for the chocolate to cool, beat the butter and 1 1/4 cup of the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the melted chocolate. Add the egg yolks, one at a time.

In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture, then add the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Stir in the rest of the dry ingredients.

In a separate metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, droopy peaks. Beat in the 1/4 cup of sugar until stiff peaks form. To lighten the cake batter, gently fold in one-third of the beaten egg whites, using a rubber spatula. Fold in remaining egg whites until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly into the two cake pans. Lightly tap the bottom of pans on counter top to smooth the tops. Bake for about 45 minutes, until they pass the toothpick test.

Remove from oven and cool in the pans. After about 10 minutes, remove from pans and allow to cool the rest of the way on wire racks.

Center

I used 1-2 pints coconut-pecan ice cream. You can use any kind of ice cream for this.

Wait for ice cream to thaw for a while. Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Using a rubber spatula, remove the ice cream from the carton and flatten it in the cake pan. Chill until firm.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from Recipezaar

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/3 cup half-and-half cream or milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

Cream the butter in a small bowl.

Blend in the cocoa powder, vanilla, confectioners sugar, alternately with the cream.

Beat with an electric mixer, until the desired texture is achieved.

**NOTE** because of the additional cocoa powder more cream may have to be added in to reach desired consistency.

Assembly

Before removing the ice cream layer from the freezer, frost the top of one of the cake layers.

Take the ice cream layer out of the cake. Run a knife along the edges of the ice cream inside the pan and turn it over onto the layer of unfrosted cake. Remove the parchment paper from the top of the ice cream, and then place the frosted layer of cake on top. Using a rubber spatula, frost the sides of the cake, then chill until you're ready to serve.

Let the cake thaw for 15-30 minutes after being in the fridge before serving it, covered with plastic wrap.

Yum!!