St. Francis Inn's German Chocolate Cake

St. Francis Inn

'Tis the season to indulge and this recipe for German Chocolate Cake fits the trend. It comes from Margaret and Joe Finnegan, innkeepers of St. Francis Inn in St. Augustine, the nation's oldest city.

St. Francis Inn's German Chocolate Cake

Cake
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 TBS. plus 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease and flour 2 9-inch round pans.

Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.

Pour batter into prepared pans, bake for 20-35 minutes, until set.  Let cool on wire racks.


Coconut Pecan Frosting
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup of white sugar
3 egg yolks (mixed with one tsp of water)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups shredded coconut
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine milk, sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla in a sauce pan, bring to a boil stirring constantly.  Boil for about 5 minutes, remove from heat them mix in the coconut and pecans.

Spread on top of cake.