Here's a recipe from Betty Crocker cookbook. German Chocolate Cake (Betty Crocker) ½ cup boiling water 1 bar (4 ounces) sweet cooking chocolate 2 cups sugar 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 4 egg yolks 1 tsp vanilla 2½ cups cake flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 cup buttermilk 4 egg whites, stiffly beaten Coconut-Pecan Frosting (below) Heat oven to 350F. Grease 2 square pans, 8x8 inches or 9x9 inches, or 3 round layer pans, 8 or 9 inches. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper. Pour boiling water on chocolate in small bowl, stirring until chocolate is melted; cool. Beat egg whites until stiff. Mix sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in chocolate and vanilla on low speed. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt alternately with buttermilk, beating after each addition until batter is smooth. Fold in egg whites. Divide batter among pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes for 8-inch square layers, 40 to 45 minutes for 9-inch square layers, 35 to 40 minutes for 8-inch round layers, 30 to 35 minutes for 9-inch round layers. Cool. Fill layers and frost top of cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting. Coconut-Pecan Frosting 1 cup sugar 1 cup evaporated milk ½ cup butter 3 egg yolks 1 tsp vanilla 1-1/3 cups flaked coconut 1 cup chopped pecans Mix sugar, milk, butter, egg yolks and vanilla in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 12 minutes. Stir in coconut and pecans. Beat until frosting is of spreading consistency.

I made this oatmeal cake a couple of days ago, and the topping is pretty darn close to what you'd get out of a can. I plan to use it the next time I make a German Chocolate cake. Becky * Exported from MasterCook * Oatmeal Cake With Coconut Topping Recipe By : Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 1/4 cups boiling water 1 cup quick-cooking oats 1/2 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour ***Topping*** 1/2 cup butter 1 cup packed brown sugar 4 tablespoons evaporated milk 1 cup coconut flakes 1 cup chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan. Pour boiling water over oats. Set aside. Sift together flour, salt, soda and cinnamon. Set aside. Cream 1/2 cup butter, sugar, 1 cup brown sugar and eggs until fluffy. Add flour mixture and mix in. Add softened oats. Pour batter into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove cake from oven. Set oven temperature to broil. In a saucepan, combine milk, 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar. Heat until melted, then add coconut and chopped nuts. Spread on warm cake. Place cake under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. www.allrecipes.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Here's one that sounds good although I'm not real sure how they are melting their chocolate. I would bet a little while in the microwave may do the trick too! Here is a link that might be useful: Chocolate Delights

Trisha Yearwood was on Rachael Ray on Tuesday and here is her recipe and Garth's favorite cake. It will be in her; Trisha's new cook book Trisha Yearwood's German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Frosting Ingredients 4 ounces sweet dark chocolate (see Shopping Hint below) 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature 1/4 cup warm milk 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 medium egg whites 2 cups sugar 5 medium egg yolks, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup buttermilk, well shaken For the coconut frosting: 1 cup sugar 4 medium egg yolks 1 cup evaporated milk 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 10 ounces fresh or frozen and thawed grated coconut 1 1/2 cups finely ground pecans, walnuts, or almonds Yields: 12 servings Preparation Prepare the chocolate by melting it in the top of a double boiler, stirring until it is smooth. Add 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of the butter and stir until it is melted and blended. Add 1/4 cup of warm milk and stir until smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the bottoms only of three 9-inch cake pans with circles of parchment paper, or grease each pan bottom only with solid shortening and dust lightly with flour. Sift together the sifted and measured flour, baking soda, and salt. Whip the egg whites until stiff using the wire beater of the mixer. Transfer the beaten whites to a separate bowl and set aside. In the mixer bowl, cream the remaining 1 1/2 sticks of butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the melted, cooled chocolate and the vanilla. Mix well. With the mixer on very low, stir in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Do this by adding about a third of the flour and slowly stirring it in completely. Then add about half the buttermilk and stir it in. Continue adding flour and buttermilk in this manner, ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir again. With a long-handled spoon or spatula, fold and stir the beaten egg whites into the batter until the batter is smooth with no visible clumps of whites. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. Bake on the middle rack of the oven, allowing at least 1/4-inch clearance between the pans and the oven walls. The cake will rise above the pan edges as it bakes but will not spill over and will settle back down as it continues to bake. The cake is done when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pans and springs back to a light touch. Cool layers in the pans for about 8 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of each pan and turn the layers out onto wire racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cool layers completely before frosting. To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg yolks, and evaporated milk in the top of a double boiler. Stir with a wire whisk until the yolks are fully incorporated. Add the butter. Place over simmering water and bring to a boil (see Note below). Simmer for 12-15 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add the vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Cool. To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand and spread with frosting. Frost each layer completely, top and sides, as it is added to the cake. Note: You can also make the frosting in a regular saucepan, but be sure to stir it constantly, as it scorches quite easily. Also, you must use the finely grated fresh or frozen coconut, not canned or shredded, to be able to spread the frosting on the sides of the cake easily. Shopping Hint: For those cooks who use a lot of sweet baking chocolate, the chocolate used in this recipe can be purchased in bulk online at www.cocoasupply.com. Choose La Equatoriale  Dark Chocolate Coverture. The cost, including postage, is half what you would probably pay in grocery stores. Share the large bar with your friends who bake.