Char's Birthday Cake - AKA - Kathy’s German Sweet Chocolate Cake
1 (4ounce)package sweet baking chocolate (German's green box in baking aisle)
one half cup boiling water
1 cup butter or margarine softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 recipes Coconut-Pecan filling (recipe below)
Combine chocolate and boiling water; stirring until melted. Set aside. Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate mixture; beat well. Dissolve soda in buttermilk. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture; beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla. Beat egg whites (at room temperature) until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Pour batter into 3 waxed paper lined and greased 9 inch round cakepans. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely. Spread Coconut pecan filling between layers and on top.
Coconut Pecan Filling (Double this)
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine cream, sugar, egg yolks, and butter in a medium saucepan, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients and let cool completely.
In my opinion, this cake is a compete and utter pain in the ass to make, mostly because it is time consuming and you have to wash a lot of dishes. It is
WELL worth it though. I'm fortunate enough to have had my Aunt Kathy to make it for me when I was growing up, and now my husband makes it for my birthday every year. This cake is better the longer it sits. I never refrigerate it. It doesn't last more than a week.
Should also be named "For the love of all that is holy cake"

just sayin....
Funny story: I made it for myself once or twice for my own birthday... people who tried it said they wanted me to make them one, how much would I charge... I told them I wouldn't make them one, because they couldn't pay me enough, but I would show them how. I had two people actually take me up on it, and we had a little class at my house. So much fun!
Char