german chocolate cake, vanilla version.

I just assembled the cake about five minutes ago. I do not have the slightest idea of what I will write about in this post to you all (well that's not so unusual), and there are walnut skin things all over the place.

But after a little of the frosting got on the back of my hand and I absentmindedly licked it off, I had to share my love with the world. I am aware the world does not read my blog, but let me pretend it does for this time, okay?


This frosting. This caramel, walnut, coconut frosting has blown my mind. German chocolate cake has been my favorite cake ever since my surprise sixteenth birthday party, when my mom (moms know all, srsly) arranged for a 1/4 sheet cake of German Chocolate Cake to be my birthday cake.

Despite it being my favorite cake (or maybe because it is), I have not really made it that often at all. I try to not make things that are really rich at home because I realize just how much fat & sugar is in them, and then the moment isn't as enjoyable when I eat it at a restaurant or elsewhere.

This is an edited version of German Chocolate Cake. Not being the hugest chocolate cake (don't kill me) fan, I made vanilla cake instead.


Now that you all sufficiently hate me, let me tell you that this cake was amazing. It might look weird .. I mean, it's a blond cake with dark blond frosting and very light highlights from the wreath of toasted shredded coconut on top. But trust me, it delivers on all regards.

The vanilla cake is one I turn to a lot. It was featured in a previous blogpost, so if you want to go the vanilla route like I did, just click here!



Caramel, Coconut, Walnut Frosting
from this site. the only thing I changed was that I replaced walnuts for pecans and toasted the coconut.

• 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to solidity
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
• 1/2 tspn vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 cups walnuts

1. Whisk the butter, yolks, and sugar together in a saucepan.

2. Whisk in evaporated milk, until evenly combined.
3. Heat over stovetop over low-medium heat, stirring frequently.
4. As the mixture begins to bubble, heat, and thicken, stir constantly. Don't forget to scrape the sides.
5. Once the mixture has sufficiently thickened (it will thicken even more as it cools), after about five minutes, remove the saucepan from heat. Let the mixture come to room temperature.

6. In the meanwhile, toast the coconut and walnuts till golden.
7. Let both cool. Finely chop the walnuts.

8. Mix the vanilla, nuts, and coconut into the cooled caramel mixture. Spread atop cake that is the flavor of your choice, and flutter your eyelids in delight. This is the one of the best frostings you will ever experience.

If anyone is interested in my continued ramblings, here is the order in which I did err thing:

1) Put the butter outside to soften. Forgot about it and it completely melted. Let it solidify again inside the house.

2) Baked the cakes.

3) Started the frosting.

4) Tried to take one of the two layers out of the pan about five minutes after it came out of the oven - too fast. Already inherently fragile cake flew onto the edge of the cooling rack. Scooped it so that it was all on the rack ... surprisingly in one piece. Not a total fail.

5) Put other cake in fridge to cool. LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES.

6) Put coconut on top, broiler rack in the turned-off, but already really hot oven to toast.

7) Finished the caramel part of the frosting. Set walnuts to toast on the stovetop.

8) Took lots of pictures, running back and forth, because the lighting outside is really nice. Avoided stepping on the ants invading a corner of my kitchen on my way in and out.

9) Forgot about the coconut. freaked. saw its golden crispiness and smelled its delicious scent and found that it was perfectly toasted. win.

10) Walnuts toasted nicely. Put them all together after shaking off their annoying skins.

11) Cleaned the whole kitchen.

12) 4:01pm. Late for Oprah Winfrey's last show. Took my bowl of walnuts and broke them into little pieces with my [clean] fingers as I watched Oprah and became extremely inspired.

13) Brother gave me half a popcorn chicken in this new Jalapeno Creamy Sauce sold by Taco Bell. so good.

14) Show over, fingers raw. Chopped the remainder of the walnuts with a large knife like an intelligent person.

15) Mixed the nuts & coconut into the now beautifully thick caramel mixture.

16) Got some on my hand. Licked it. Came here to write this blogpost.

And it all comes back in full circle. THE CIRCLE OF LIFE.