Chocolate Funk - German Chocolate

German Chocolate Cake -- Where Is It From?

Where Does German Chocolate Cake Come From?

German cooking is famous for its complexity and extravagance in choosing the ingredients. Therefore such a rich dish as German Chocolate Cake might perfectly fit into German cuisine. Yet it was not brought (as is sometimes reported) to the American Midwest by German immigrants. The cake took its name from an American with the last name of "German." In 1852, Sam German created the mild dark baking chocolate bar for Baker's Chocolate Co. The product was named in his honor - "Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate." In most recipes and products today, the apostrophe and the "s" have been dropped, thus giving the false hint as for the chocolate's origin.

The first published recipe for German's chocolate cake showed up in a Dallas newspaper in 1957 and came from a Texas homemaker. The cake quickly gained popularity and its recipe together with the mouth-watering photos were spread all over the country. America fell in love with German Chocolate Cake. No wonder: its superb chocolate taste conquers you at first bite!

German chocolate cake recipe:

1/4 cup chopped unsweetened chocolate

1/4 cup chopped semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup water

1 cup unsalted soft butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

4 large egg yolks

4 large egg whites

2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Melt both chocolates with 1/4 cup of water over simmering water. Cream together butter and 1 1/4 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add the melted chocolate. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/chocolate mixture, alternately with milk and vanilla extract. Beat egg whites, whip in the 1/4 cup sugar until stiff, and fold it into the dough. Put the dough into a buttered and floured cake pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool before filling and icing.

Enjoy this delicious dessert. Next time you have a dinner party impress your friends and make your own German chocolate cake. Get a taste of sweet happiness with your very own German chocolatecake.