Food Network Kitchen Messes

I'm not embarrassed to say I'm a messy cook.  I keep trying to act like I'm Ree Drummond from The Pioneer Woman or Trisha Yearwood from her show but lets get real....Make one meal with dessert included can be messy and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's all part of the fun in the kitchen.....so cheers to my fellow Food Network women who make it look effortless.  I am determined to figure that they also have a clean up crew and someone who goes to the grocery store for them as well.  One hour isn't enough time to make the meal and appear as though the kitchen stays spotless.....

Here's to so many more meals and cakes to be made....Did I mention I'm on German Chocolate Cake #2....I think I will perfect a "heavy" frosting on my third or fourth try....I'm so lucky to have someone who is more than willing to try out my experimental cakes. I wonder what he will do when I perfect the frosting and don't need to further my perfection on coconut frosting LOL

German Chocolate Cake

Mary Jo’s German Chocolate Cake (Ali’s “Have Patience” Cake)

1 bar Baker’s Sweet Chocolate (German Chocolate) in a green box

½ cup boiling water

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

4 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Icing

2 ½ cups sugar

2 cups evaporated milk

1 tablespoon flour

½ cup butter

3 eggs, well beaten

2 cups coconut

2 cups pecan

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine cocoa and boiling water in a sauce pan.  Cook until chocolate melts.   Set aside to cool  Cream butter and 2 cups sugar until fluffy.  Add egg yolks one at a time while mixing.  Stir in vanilla and cocoa mixture.  Sift flour and baking soda and mix into sugar mixture alternating with buttermilk.  Fold in egg whites. Pour into greased and floured 9 inch pans.  Bake in moderate oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.  For icing, mix all ingredients together in sauce pan and cook until sugar dissolves and mixture has slightly thickened.