By ERIN TURNER
Easy German Chocolate Cake Frosting.
We love to celebrate birthdays in our house and this past week we celebrated my husband’s big day. Years ago my mom bought an “It’s Your Special Day” red plate which is only brought out for birthdays and extra special occasions. She passed it on to me a few years ago so our family has continued the tradition. Yes, my husband received the royal treatment on his day with the red plate and a platter full of his beloved Elk Stroganoff.
I love baking cakes so birthdays always allow me the opportunity to play around with different ideas. My husband loves a good German Chocolate cake so every May that is what I make. But this year I wanted to try something different. I have been anxious to try out the coconut milk frosting recipe that I found online. With that in mind, a decadent new creation was in order for my hubby!
Usually frosting involves a lot of butter and powdered sugar or if you’re in a real rush, a container of it off the shelf at the grocery store. While those are all feasible options, I liked the sound of this coconut milk frosting which only uses one can of coconut milk and some chocolate chips. To ramp up the yumminess on this recipe, I decided to add in the coconut and pecans which are characteristic of the classic German Chocolate cake frosting. The result? One very happy husband and one very empty cake pan!
Make sure to drain the liquid from your coconut milk.
Here is my recipe:
- 1 can of full fat coconut milk, refrigerated over night
- 1 ½ cup of dark semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 2/3 cup chopped pecans
Open the can of coconut milk and drain off the liquid (reserve for smoothies, stir fry, etc). Scoop out the coconut cream in a small saucepan. Add the chocolate chips and begin melting. (I place my pan inside another pan filled with water so there is little chance of burning the chocolate). Once the mixture is melted, remove from heat and chill in refrigerator for a few hours. Once it is set up, add the powdered sugar and slowly blend it until it is smooth and creamy. Finally, add in the coconut and pecans and fold until well mixed. Spread onto a cooled cake or eat it by the spoonful!
Melt the chocolate and coconut cream.
For the birthday celebration, I made a German Chocolate cake from scratch and used this over-the-top frosting on it. It was a perfect compliment to the cake and really made it extra special and unique! According to my father, who is the family chocolate expert and a specialized connoisseur of German Chocolate cakes, this was the best German chocolate cake he has ever had! Quite the compliment from someone who knows his chocolate cakes!
TIPS: the frosting will melt on a warm day so it is best to keep it chilled until serving. Also, if your can of coconut milk doesn’t produce any liquid (which happens but very rarely) you’ll need to use a different can.
Price wise, this recipe cost me about the same as a standard, homemade version of chocolate frosting made with butter. That price is around $2.00 for enough frosting to frost one cake. The canned version from the grocery store shelf is still the cheapest. When it is on sale and you use a coupon, you can usually expect to spend around 75 cents. But I do have to say the taste of this Chocolate Coconut Pecan Frosting doesn’t even compare to the commercial canned frosting. Plus, they don’t have this heavenly variety!
Using a hand mixer whip the mixture into a frosting.
This is an easy recipe and if you are really creative, you can develop your own flavors based on your tastes. How fun is that?! I’m thinking a Mint Chocolate would be perfect for my middle son’s birthday. I may even play around with a Cookies and Cream frosting–doesn’t that sound awesome? All with one can of coconut milk!
Show your loved ones how special they are on their birthday by making them an extraordinary dessert that they will remember for a long time. In fact, they will be requesting it year after year!
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Erin’s got tons of tips for saving money, couponing, sticking to a budget, and living sustainably in her blog archive.
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Erin Eisenman-Turner is proud to be a native Missoulian. Along with her husband and three sons, they raise chickens, pigs, rabbits, and vegetables at Turner Family Farms in the Orchard Homes area. When the farm chores are done, the coupons clipped, and the blog written, you can find Erin exploring Montana, collecting antiques, and trying to maintain a well-run, happy, and organized home for her family.
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