German Chocolate Cake Plus Cupcakes with Sprinkles

We have a family birthday this weekend and today I thought I would get busy and make the cake.  German Chocolate is the requested flavor and I have a bar of German Chocolate on hand so we are good to go.  This makes a huge cake yielding 16 servings.  That is really more than I need and I am sure the grandchildren are not going to eat coconut and pecan frosting!!  My solution will is to dip enough batter out for 4- 5 cupcakes and still bake in three nine inch pans.  I will cut the baking time back 5 minutes or so for the cake.  I have a plan!!  I just adapt the recipe from the inside of the Baker's German Chocolate package.  I have made this many time and it is always good.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. German Sweet Chocolate (4 oz.)
1/2 c. water
2 C. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 C. butter at room temperature
2 C. sugar
4 eggs separated (at room temperature)
1 t. vanilla
1 C. buttermilk (at room temperature)
Coconut Pecan filling
Chocolate frosting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare pans.  I cut 3 circles of parchment paper and place each in the bottom of 3,  9" cake pan then butter and flour well.  Set these aside for now.

Microwave broken chocolate bar in water using a large microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on high for 30 second intervals, for 1 1/2 -2 minutes stirring between intervals.  Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.  Set aside.

Mix flour, soda, and salt then set aside.  Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy in a large bowl on medium speed.  Add the egg yolks one at a time beating after each addition.  Blend in the chocolate and vanilla.  Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.

Using another clean bowl and beaters, whip the egg whites at high speed until they form stiff peaks.  Fold the beaten whites gently into the batter.  Pour evenly into the prepared pans.

Note:  I spooned out batter to fill 4 cupcakes and set aside,  Then I filled the 3 cake pan and baked for 25 minutes until a tooth pick inserted in the center of each cake came out clean.  Then I baked the cupcakes for about 13-14 minutes.

Cool the cakes for 15 minutes then remove from the pans and finish cooling on racks.  Cool the layers completely.

Coconut Pecan Frosting:

4 egg yolks
1 can 12 oz. evaporated milk
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 C. sugar
3/4 C. butter
2 C. coarsely chopped pecans
2 C. sweetened flake coconut

Beat together the egg yolks, milk, and vanilla in a large saucepan using a slotted spoon.  Add the sugar and butter and cook over medium high heat stirring constantly for 12 minutes until thickened and golden.  Remove from the heat and add coconut and nuts.

Fill  between the layers and the top of the cake.  Frosting the sides of this cake is optional.

Yield 16 servings cake and 4 cupcakes with sprinkles today!!

Peach Berry Crisp

Peaches and Blueberries marry under this crispy sweet topping.

There was a box of blueberries languishing in my crisper drawer yearning to become something wonderful lest they shrivel or mold...

Then I received an exciting e-mail from a local grower, Joe Engelbrecht Fourth Generation Orchard offering a program to purchase in advance shares of the next seasons crop.  Well I thought that a wonderful idea.  This young gentleman grows possibly the very best sweet corn in Indiana!! The peaches and apples are out of this world and overall I have always been very pleased with them.. I have been buying from this family for over 30 years as it is!!

So....I had best get busy and use the fruits and vegetables I have preserved to make room for the anticipated new crop.  You know this is even more fun than a new seed catalog!!

Thawing a quart of peaches in the microwave gave me just what was necessary to throw together a delicious fruit crisp.

Fruit filling:

1 quart peaches thawed in the lemon laced sugared syrup they were frozen in (Or use fresh or canned adjusting the amount of sugar used.)
1 pint washed fresh blueberries
1/3-1/2  C. packed dark brown sugar (Aunt Virginia always added this to add that caramel touch.)
1/4 C. flour
1/4 t. cinnamon
pinch of salt
splash of vanilla  (about 1/8 t.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Stir all of these ingredients together and pour into a buttered baking dish (9" x 13").

Crisp topping:

1 1/2 C. flour
3/4 C. dark brown sugar
3/4 C. granulated sugar
1/2  t. cinnamon
1 /2 t. salt
1 C. old fashioned rolled oats
1 C. cold butter cut into dice

Combine all of these ingredients in a food processor and pulse until crumbly.  Do not over process.

Crumble over the fruit filling then lightly press down.  Bake 45 minutes until the fruit is bubbling up around the outside of the dish and the center is lightly browned.  Serve warm or at room temperature plain or with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.  I have whipped up a bit of cream!!  Yield 6 servings.

Happy Daze!! Liebster Award Winner!!

And yes, I find myself dazed!! I have been so pleasantly surprised to have recieved an e-mail from Amy Erickson telling me she has presented me with the Liebster award!!  It is awarded to five up-and-coming bloggers who then in turn award it to another five.

Amy has a terrific foodie blog at  http://ohbiteit.com/  where she shares many great recipes and tips.  I invite you to visit her for a real treat.

So thanks to all who visit and enjoy because I am sincerely delighted and this certainly has made my day.  Hey, maybe my week??

My five selections follow for the Liebster award are:

Tina at,   flourtrader.blogspot.com/

Eva at,   http://www.evatoneva.com/

Christine at,   http://texanaskitchen.com/

Lizzy at,   http://thatskinnychickcanbake.blogspot.com/

Christine at,  http://wwwchristinespantry.com

Please visit all of these terrific blogs as each and everyone of them  have wonderful things to share.

Thanks again to Amy and all of you.