German Chocolate Cupcakes {Recipe}

I'm not usually a cake person.  Given the choice, I'd take a cookie or a piece of pie.  German Chocolate Cake is the one great exception.  I looooove it.  If I had to marry a food, this would be the one.
My mom always made this cake for our birthdays, which meant that between March and July I'd get to eat this 6 times. It was fantastic!
I recently discovered that my boss also loves German Chocolate Cake, so when her birthday came around, I decided I'd try my hand at making it... but since I didn't have round cake pans, I thought cupcakes would be a fun alternative.


To make German Chocolate Cupcakes, you'll start with the cakes, and while they're baking, move over and make the frosting.  So that's how I'll lay out the recipe.


For the cake, here's what you'll need:


1/2 cup Nestle Semisweet Morsels (or 4oz. of another sweet baking chocolate)
1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk


Preheat the oven to 350.  Then heat chocolate and water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is completely melted. Set aside to cool.

Beat sugar and butter in a medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.

Separate your eggs into two custard cups, you'll need both parts of the egg separately.

Then beat the yolks, one at a time, into sugar mixture.

Beat in chocolate and vanilla on low speed.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.  Beat flour mixture into sugar mixture alternatively with buttermilk on low speed, beating just until smooth after each addition.

Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff; fold gently into the batter.

Grease your muffin tins with butter, then spoon the batter into the pan.

To avoid any bubbles in the batter, which will make your cupcakes lopsided, hold the pan and each end and hit it against the counter a few times.  This will smooth out the batter.

Bake the cupcakes for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Now to start on the Coconut Pecan Frosting (mmm my favorite part!!); here's what you'll need:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 large egg yolks

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

Mix sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick.

Stir in coconut and pecans.

Cool about 30 minutes, beating occasionally with a spoon.

Once the frosting and cupcakes are completely cooled, grab a serrated knife and cut your cupcakes in half.

Then frost the bottom layer, add the top half of the cupcake, and frost the top as well.  

Sit down and enjoy your decadent hard work.

Mmm.... 

*This recipe can be found in the Betty Crocker's Cookbook.

Here is a copy-and-pasteable version of the recipe:

German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Nestle Semisweet Morsels (or 4oz. of another sweet baking chocolate)

1/2 cup water

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (not self-rising)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  Then heat chocolate and water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is completely melted. Set aside to cool.

2. Beat sugar and butter in a medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Separate your eggs into two custard cups, you'll need both parts of the egg separately. Then beat the yolks, one at a time, into sugar mixture. Beat in chocolate and vanilla on low speed. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.  Beat flour mixture into sugar mixture alternatively with buttermilk on low speed, beating just until smooth after each addition.

3. Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff; fold gently into the batter. Grease your muffin tins with butter, then spoon the batter into the pan. To avoid any bubbles in the batter making your cupcake lopsided, hold the pan and each end and hit it against the counter a few times.  This will smooth out the batter.

4. Bake the cupcakes for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Coconut Pecan Frosting 

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 large egg yolks

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1. Mix sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick.

2. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool about 30 minutes, beating occasionally with a spoon.

Once the frosting and cupcakes are completely cooled, grab a serrated knife and cut your cupcakes in half. Then frost the bottom layer, add the top half of the cupcake, and frost the top as well.