Happy Birthday Angela!

It was my sister, Angela's 21st birthday this week.  She wanted a German chocolate cake.  German chocolate is definitely one of my favorites, with its gooey caramel coconut pecan filling.  I did 3 layers of rich chocolate cake inside, and put the traditional filling between the layers, but on the outside, I decided to decorate it "filling deconstructed."  So, it is frosted with caramel Swiss buttercream, then I spread it with a caramel drizzle, added pecan halves around the bottom for a cute border, and shredded coconut on top.  The filling soaks into the cake layers a little bit, so you get an incredibly moist, rich cake.  So flavorful and delicious!  Happy birthday, my dear little sister!

German Chocolate Cake Filling

4 egg yolks

1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)

1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (1 3/4 ounces)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces

1/8 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans (6 1/2 ounces), toasted on baking sheet in 350-degree oven until fragrant and browned, about 8 minutes

Whisk yolks in medium saucepan; gradually whisk in evaporated milk. Add sugars, butter, and salt and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is boiling, frothy, and slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl, whisk in vanilla, then stir in coconut. Cool until just warm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool or cold, at least 2 hours. Stir in pecans just before cake assembly.