German Chocolate Sheet Cake

Name: German Chocolate Sheet Cake
Yield: Serves 12 to 16
Ingredients: 4 , egg yolks; 1 can, evaporated milk (12 ounces); 1 cup, granulated sugar (7 ounces); 1/4 cup, packed light brown sugar (1 3/4 ounces); 6 tablespoons, unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces; 1/8 teaspoon, table salt; 2 teaspoons, vanilla extract; 2 1/3 cups, sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces); 1 1/2 cups, finely chopped pecans (6 1/2 ounces), toasted on baking sheet in 350-degree oven until fragrant and browned, about 8 minutes; 4 ounces, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine; 1/4 cup, Dutch-processed cocoa, sifted; 1/2 cup, boiling water; 2 cups, unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus additional for dusting pan; 3/4 teaspoon, baking soda; 12 tablespoons, unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened; 1 cup, granulated sugar (7 ounces); 2/3 cup, packed light brown sugar (about 4 3/4 ounces); 3/4 teaspoon, table salt; 4 , large eggs, room temperature; 1 teaspoon, vanilla extract; 3/4 cup, sour cream, room temperature

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated July/August 2006

Desserts or Baked Goods

Chocolate

Cakes

This cake has made it into the dessert hall of fame, but a closer look reveals shortcomings: faint chocolate flavor, microsuede-like texture, and a complicated mixing process.

SERVES12 to 16

TIME2 hours, plus 2 hours chilling and 2 hours cooling

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