German choc cake filling

[Abra]

I need a dessert for a 40th birthday party for 40-50 people, something easy to plate, doesn't require a walk-in, and seems special and delicious. I'm looking at the recipe in Butter Sugar Flour Eggs for German Chocolate Cake with Toasted Almond Coconut Goo. It looks not too hard to pull off, as a non-pastry chef, and as if two people in the kitchen could plate it up with one person to ferry it to the buffet table. Any experience with this recipe, or other suggestions, will be much appreciated.

[Abra]

Oh dear, I'm starting to worry. Does everyone else think this recipe is a dud? It looks so yummy in the picture, but if nobody's tried it....

[ariggsby]

I haven't tried the cake you mention (I don't have that book), but there's one in another of her books: _Just a Bite_ (I think that's the title) that would fit your needs.

It's a very chocolate cake with macadamia caramel sauce (so there's your goo factor). You cut little towers out of a fairly big cake, and top them with the sauce. On recipe serves a lot of people; you'd not need to do more that double it (if that).

I just checked over on Amazon, and the dish is called Chockablock Chocolate Cakes with Warm Macadamia Nut Caramel, and it's actually the item featured on the cover.

Andrew

[chefpeon]

Oh dear, I'm starting to worry. Does everyone else think this recipe is a dud? It looks so yummy in the picture, but if nobody's tried it....

The only reason I haven't tried it is that I don't have the book. I don't discount it's "yummability" at all! Sounds great to me too!

Do what I do when I want to try something new.....do a test run. Decide for yourself about it's ease and yummability (that's a cool word!), and in doing so, you'll find out where the "bugs" are

and you'll know how to do it perfectly the second time.

I may have years of experience as a PC, but I NEVER put a dessert out for service or for an order til I do a trial run first. In fact, I have my "little black box". It's my box of tried and trues, and no recipe goes in there til it's been kitchen tested by me. It's a great system. I'd be lost without my box. My box is ever expanding and so is my repertoire.......

[bakerkel]

I made this sometime last year, I recall it was popular (as most chocolate cakes are) at a gathering, I thought the cake itself wasn't anything special, just a regular devil's food type, but it was easy to plate up to the masses and the goo was good. I'd make a recipe and a half of the goo so you can top generously and not worry about running out. You just have to keep it warm or it'll harden up. Should be perfect for your party. K

[Abra]

Thanks for the feedback, bakerkel. More goo does sound like what to do.

And I confess, I often do make things for the first time for clients, even for big parties. Buit that habit doesn't translate well to baking, and thanks for the wrist-slap, chefpeon. The only think holding me back is not knowing what to do with the trial balloon except to eat it, which I really, really don't want to do.

[malarkey]

I'd like to make a german chocolate cake this weekend for a party I'm going to. The classic recipes I've found say to use the Baker's German's Sweet Baking Chocolate. Should I substitute? When I searched, I found a post here that talked about the Baker's German's Semi-sweet having a recipe on the back...

Will it be unbearably sweet if I use what the recipe calls for? Anyone made one of these recently? TIA!

[Becca Porter]

I would URGE you to try Cooks Illustrateds recipe. It is absolutely fantastic. It is the Jan & Feb 2005. It uses semi or Bittersweet choc + dutch cocoa. It would be well worth the $3.95/1 month fee if you are not a member.

[malarkey]

Here's the link: German Chocolate Cake.

However, you have to be a member to see the recipe.

The recipe sounds good to me, however, I've found another cake recipe that calls for separating the eggs and beating the whites till stiff. I really like how that lightens up a cake batter so I think I'll do that with this recipe.....

daring?! foolish?!?

[Jenikaye]

I concur with the Becca and the Cook's Illustrated recipe for German Chocolate Cake. I tested it a couple of months ago to see how well it worked and it was easy and delicious!

I brought half of it to work, as I don't need to eat a whole cake, and my co-workers devoured it!

Also, a co-worker asked me to make this same cake for his wifes birthday the following week.

Can't go wrong....

[JeanneCake]

I need to make a german choc cake for tomorrow - and tonight I need to make the filling. I have a few cans of dulche de leche from another project and wondered whether or not I can use those in place of having to boil sweetened condensed milk for hours. I need to fill an 11x15 cake (double layer of filling) so I'm going to need a lot of this!!

Any thoughts?

[baroness]

I've never heard of using sweetened condensed milk for this, let alone boiling it...

Here's a basic filling recipe (for 2 layers or a 9 x 13 pan):

Slightly beat 1 egg in a medium saucepan. Stir in 5 oz. (2/3 c) evaporated milk, 2/3 c sugar, and 1/4 c butter. Stir over med heat 12 minutes or til thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/3 c coconut and 1/2 c chopped pecans; cool before using.

[DCP]

I have a few cans of dulche de leche from another project and wondered whether or not I can use those in place of having to boil sweetened condensed milk for hours.

←

Yeah, they're interchangeable. Using the canned dulce de leche is a lot faster than waiting 4 hours to caramelize sweetened condensed milk on the stove - and less risky, too. (I've never had a can explode, but it could happen!) You're just exchanging cost for time savings.

OTOH, some prefer the texture of a more traditional caramel with cream and butter. You can do this in the microwave in under 10 minutes (stirring frequently). A good middle ground, in my opinion.

[mignardise]

I just made some the other day using....heavy cream. What's the taste difference using condensed milk or evaporated milk?

[sugarseattle]

I just made some the other day using....heavy cream. What's the taste difference using condensed milk or evaporated milk?

←

I prefer heavy cream. I find evaporated milk to often taste a little "canny". For example, when I'm making tres leches, I usually increase the heavy cream and add some milk (thus making it four leches to balance away the "canny" flavor. A bit of citrus zest works too. but back to your original inquiry...

The last time I made german choco filling, it tasted like over-rich pastry cream. I couldn't imagine eating more than a tablespoon of the stuff. Does anybody else find this to be true, or is that just how it's supposed to taste, perhaps as a sweet foil to the bittersweetness of the choco cake?

[JeanneCake]

Thanks everyone - I have been using the recipe from epicurious for the inside-out german choc cake which calls for boiling the sweetened condensed milk to caramelize it.

I looked around and found a recipe that calls for heavy cream, and used that - it was good - different because the boiled milk has a more assertive caramel taste - but it worked and that's what I was after!

Thanks again -

[pastrygirl]

I have a wedding order next weekend with multiple cakes and one of the flavors they want is German chocolate. I don't believe I've ever actually made one before!

 

A lot of recipes use egg yolks. Is the goo still safe at room temp with the cooking and all that sugar?  They are picking up the night before and heading to the woods with limited refrigeration. Would it be better to leave out the yolks and make a thicker caramel or substitute gelatin?  

 

I love coconut so ill so I'll be happy to experiment, but any pro tips on shelf stable GCC fillings would be appreciated. My plan is to do naked cakes with acetate wrapped around so they'll travel well. 

 

Thanks!

 

 

[RWood]

15 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

I have a wedding order next weekend with multiple cakes and one of the flavors they want is German chocolate. I don't believe I've ever actually made one before!

 

A lot of recipes use egg yolks. Is the goo still safe at room temp with the cooking and all that sugar?  They are picking up the night before and heading to the woods with limited refrigeration. Would it be better to leave out the yolks and make a thicker caramel or substitute gelatin?  

 

I love coconut so ill so I'll be happy to experiment, but any pro tips on shelf stable GCC fillings would be appreciated. My plan is to do naked cakes with acetate wrapped around so they'll travel well. 

 

Thanks!

 

 

It would need refrigeration, I wouldn't trust it. But, the recipe mentioned above for inside out German chocolate from Epicurious would work. It's made with dulce de leche, nuts and coconut, so no eggs to worry about. 

[Tri2Cook]

This won't qualify as scientific information but I never store my German chocolate cakes in the fridge. The last one I made was actually a thick layer of the filling on some super moist brownies and it spent almost a week on the counter before it was all eaten with no ill effects. I love the GCC filling, I don't even care if it has cake under it or not.

[pastrygirl]

Ok I think I'll skip the eggs and just use this 

 

it does say refrigerate after opening but it should be fine overnight, right?

[Lisa Shock]

Should be ok overnight, it's low liquid and sterile to start with.

 

Remember, if you are ever worried about eggs, you can buy the pasteurized ones.

[Tri2Cook]

15 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

Ok I think I'll skip the eggs and just use this 

 

it does say refrigerate after opening but it should be fine overnight, right?

Should be no less safe at room temp than the traditional filling (though I'm not convinced it would actually be any more safe either) so you should be fine. I'm not of the understanding why the egg version would be any more problem than any other egg-containing high sugar cooked item that's kept at room temp. But I'm not trying to convince you to use it, you should do what you feel most comfy with.

[pastrygirl]

@Tri2Cook I know, the traditional is probably just fine with the cooking and ton of sugar, Im sure I've left pecan pie out and not worried.  Just being cautious because it's a warm weekend & not something I normally make   

 

Thanks!

 

 

[pastrygirl]

Reporting back for future reference.  I did use the La Lechera dulce de leche, added a little salt, vanilla extract, pecans and unsweetened coconut shred.  The dulce de leche is super thick, would hold a swirl straight out of the can.  I could have thinned it more, would also consider using half dulce de leche and half regular sweetened condensed milk next time for a runnier texture.  So it might not be traditional, but it was easy and tastes good. 

 

Of course, then I put a glaze on top that is way less shelf stable, didn't really think that one through

 

One of the finished cakes, wrapped in acetate, candied coconut shreds on top.