German Chocolate Picnic Cake Recipes

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour three 8" round cake pans, tapping firmly to remove any excess flour once coated. Turn the oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, and oil until combined.
• Add milk, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
• Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder and whisk until combined.
• Slowly stir in hot coffee until batter is smooth.
• Divide evenly between prepared pans and bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out dry or with moist crumbs. Set aside to cool completely.
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together cream, sugar, and egg yolks.
• Add butter, and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in coconut, pecans, and vanilla.
• Let cool completely to room temperature (to a spreadable consistency) before frosting cooled cakes. If you need to cool quickly, pour into a clean bowl and place in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, stirring often.
• In a small pot, melt chocolate and cream together over low heat, stirring often. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Top with ⅓ of the coconut pecan frosting.
• Repeat with remaining two layers, spreading chocolate ganache on the top cake layer and letting set completely before topping with remaining frosting (optional: you can reverse the order, and spread remaining frosting on top cake layer, then spread and drip the ganache on top). Let chocolate cool completely before slicing.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE PICNIC CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 8- or 9-inch square pan with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into pan.
• In medium bowl, stir topping ingredients until crumbly, using hands if necessary. Sprinkle evenly over batter in pan.
• Bake 31 to 37 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm or cool. Store loosely covered.

CHOCOLATE PICNIC CAKE

Steps:

• In a microwave, melt chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool. In a large bowl, beat the egg, sugar, water and oil until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to egg mixture until blended. Stir in melted chocolate. , Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 32-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

CHOCOLATE PICNIC CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
• In a large saucepan, prepare the pudding according to the instructions on the box. Remove from heat. Mix cake mix into the hot pudding and stir until blended.
• Pour batter into prepared pan, and sprinkle with the chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with oil and dust with flour. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
• Microwave the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl on high power for 45 seconds; remove and stir. Microwave again at high power in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted completely; set aside.
• Beat the granulated sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the milk, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just incorporated. Add half the milk, and mix until just incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and milk, making sure not to overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, run a thin spatula around the edges and then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. (They will have a sugary "crust" on the top. This is from the melted chocolate and is not a problem. It will soften once the cake is assembled or if the layers are baked the day before.)
• For the filling: While the cakes cool, spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake, tossing once, until toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Finely chop. Whisk together the milk and egg yolks in a medium saucepan until smooth. Add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 6 minutes. (It will be similar to the thickness of eggnog.) Pour the mixture into a large bowl. (Don't worry if it seems thin. The coconut and nuts will bind it.) Stir in the coconut and pecans; set aside to cool.
• For the frosting: Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat 1 cup of the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling, and pour over the chocolate. Let stand a few minutes, and then whisk until smooth; let stand at room temperature (or put in the refrigerator if your kitchen is hot) until thick but not set, 20 minutes to 1 hour. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cream to the chocolate mixture, and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy, about 1 minute (do not overbeat, or it will become hard and grainy). The frosting should hold medium peaks and will continue to firm up a bit as it stands. Spoon about 1 cup frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.
• To assemble: Put one cake layer right-side up on a serving plate, and top with half the filling. Top with the second cake layer and the remaining filling, spreading it to about 1/2 inch from the edge. Frost the sides, and decorate around the top edge of the cake with the frosting in the pastry bag.
• Loosely cover the cake with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight. Unwrap and serve.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE III

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 3 - 9 inch round pans. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat water and 4 ounces chocolate until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 4 egg yolks one at a time. Blend in the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated.
• In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
• Pour into 3 - 9 inch pans Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto wire rack.
• To make the Filling: In a saucepan combine 1 cup sugar, evaporated milk, 1/2 cup butter, and 3 egg yolks. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool until thick enough to spread.
• Spread filling between layers and on top of cake. In a small saucepan, melt shortening and 1 ounce of chocolate. Stir until smooth and drizzle down the sides of the cake.

GRANDMA'S WONDERFUL PICNIC CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Whisk flour, white sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cloves together in a bowl. Beat eggs and vegetable oil in a separate large bowl until creamy; mix applesauce into egg mixture. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients; stir until batter is smooth. Fold 1/2 cup walnuts and raisins into batter. Pour into prepared baking pan.
• Mix brown sugar, 1 cup walnuts, and chocolate chips together in a bowl; spread over the cake.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.