Favorite Recipes: German Chocolate Cake

SIX MINUTE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Homemade birthday cake in the woods?  Absolutely!  Shari celebrated her 50^th this year.  Her major wish, a German Chocolate Cake made over a fire by Hutch…with all 50 candles.  This recipe, adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook, will feed 8-10 chocolate lovers, so we shared with others in the campground. Talk about happy campers!

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Ingredients (makes 1 layer cake)

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup cold coffee
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Instructions

• Mix all dry ingredients together (you can pre-mix these ingredients at home and bring them in a food storage container).  
• Mix in all wet ingredients, adding the cider vinegar last.  Stirring in the vinegar will lighten the color of the cake batter and cause it to rise and bubble. 
• Pour into a greased Fry-Bake pan immediately.
• Cover and cook over a campfire for approximately 20 minutes, rotating occasionally.  Note:  Be sure to put coals on the top of the lid to cook from the top down as well.
• Let cool before frosting.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE FROSTING

While the cake is best made over a campfire, it's easiest to make the frosting on the camp stove. Vegan substitutions in parenthesis.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 4 ounces evaporated milk (or unsweetened almond or coconut milk)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup salted butter (or coconut oil + 1/8 tsp salt)
• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten (2-3 TBSP cornstarch whisk in during cooking)
• 2/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Toast pecans in a single layer on a griddle for 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, cook evaporated milk, sugar, butter, and egg yolks in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 3-4 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Cook, stirring constantly, 10-12 minutes or until mixture becomes a light caramel color, is bubbling, and reaches a pudding-like thickness.
• Remove pan from heat; stir in coconut, vanilla, and pecans. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Let stand, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until cooled and spreading consistency.