Howdy! Its time to share our Food Holidays: June 10th, 2021. It’s National German Chocolate Cake Day. My all time favorite Caked. I just with my grandmother Dorie was here to make this Cake for me.
National German Chocolate Cake Day
Whether you’re running to the kitchen to bake a German Chocolate Cake or store to snag your German Chocolate Cake on National German Chocolate Cake Day, we know you’re celebrating.
The traditionally Chocolate Cake features rich Chocolate layers coated in a sweet Nutty Pecan Frosting. But the dessert isn’t actually German! German Chocolate cake was named after an English-American named Sam German, creator of a specific baking chocolate at the Baker’s Chocolate Company.
History of National German Chocolate Cake Day
German Chocolate Cake — the fudge-y, nutty, and oh-so-sweet dessert that we all thought was German! The treat is defined by its rich Chocolate Cake layers, which are stuck together with Coconut-Pecan Frosting and often topped with Maraschino cherries. While many Americans think German Chocolate originates from Germany, you’d be hard-pressed to find a German who knows of this Chocolate.
Sam German, an English-American Chocolate-maker for The Baker’s Chocolate Company, first created his distinct variety of dark baking Chocolate in 1852.
In his honor, the Baker’s Chocolate Company named the creation after him, dubbing it ‘Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate.’ This sets the stage for the culinary invention of German Chocolate Cake, and explains the origin misnomer!
German Chocolate Cake wasn’t actually born until around a century later, in 1957. In Dallas, Texas, housewife Mrs. George Clay sent in her cake recipe to be featured as ‘Recipe of the Day’ on “The Dallas Morning News.”
She had called her creation ‘German’s Chocolate Cake’ after the baking chocolate she used. Over time, however, the ‘s’ has been dropped from the recipe.
Unsurprisingly, the recipe took off, spreading mostly through word of mouth. Sales of Baker’s Chocolate reportedly increased 73% in a year as bakers scrambled to make more German Chocolate Cake.
The owner of Baker’s brand, General Foods, began to distribute the Cake recipe to other bakers nationwide. Today, many baking companies still make the decadent dessert!
Fact:
German Chocolate Cake isn’t German at all it’s named after the recipe on the German’s Chocolate box which was first published in June 3, 1957.
Facts about Cakes:
- The Celtics celebrate a festival by name Beltane festival. During the festival, they lit bonfires atop a hill and will roll down round Cakes from the hill. If the Cake doesn’t break, they believe it will bring good fortune.
- Cakes definitely play a major role during a Wedding, but how these Wedding ceremonies were completed during ancient times? They either break a big Bread loaf on top of the bride’s head or simply throw pieces of Bread on her.
- It is believed that these cakes are present since the bygone era. During the first Olympic Games, athletes were given Cheesecakes.
- During the 17th century, in England, people believed that keeping Fruitcakes under the pillow of those who are unmarried will give them sweet dreams about their fiancée. Wow…isn’t this really a sweet dream! I wonder if I should tell my sister that because she needs a man. Instead of always being by herself.
- Long ago, a women ate “Red Velvet Cake’ in a restaurant and she liked it very much. She asked for the recipe and the restaurant promptly sent the recipe to her. She got furious when she received the recipe that she asked for; do you know why? She was charged $100 for asking for this recipe. You know what she did? She sent this recipe as chain mail to hundreds and thousands of people she knew as revenge.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces German sweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, separated, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- FROSTING:
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 1-1/2 cups evaporated milk
- 3/4 cup butter
- 5 large egg yolks, room temperature, beaten
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ICING:
- 1 teaspoon shortening
- 2 ounces semisweet chocolate
- Line three greased 9-in. round baking pans with waxed paper. Grease waxed paper and set aside. In small saucepan, melt chocolate with water over low heat; cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in 4 egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
- In a small bowl and with clean beaters, beat the 4 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold a fourth of the egg whites into creamed mixture; fold in remaining whites.
- Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
- For frosting, in a small saucepan, heat sugar, milk, butter and egg yolks over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla extract. Cool until thick enough to spread. Spread a third of the frosting over each cake layer and stack the layers.
- In a microwave, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
