Yum, I say, yum. You are going to love this delicious cake recipe. My good friend
P.J. Beisswenger gave it to me a couple of weeks ago. P.J. (Pam) is my go to
cooking friend here in the Branson West area. When I describe what this cake
tastes like to someone I call it ‘The Almond Joy’ cake. As usual I took a bite of the
so-called icing that goes over the top of the cake at the end. The moment I tasted
it I said to myself, ‘Almond Joy’.
Now let’s get a bit more detailed about the cake. The most important thing is the
fantastic flavor, however the presentation is a bit lacking. I highly suggest a
dollop of whipped cream or ice cream over the top. One friend, a local chef, told
me just to put a layer of icing over the rather ‘rough’ top. After you taste this
cake you’ll understand that another icing layer is not the ticket.
I would like to address the adding of the ‘icing’ in this dish. When I made the cake
the first time I tried to smooth out the icing portion of the recipe. This is really
not necessary, just try to drop even dollops so each serving contains the yum-
yum.
When I was growing up I remember my mother making a cake that we kids called,
‘Crater Cake’. It contained Milky Way bars. OK, this is what I would call an ‘aside’
in theatre. I just called my mother. She said that you certainly know how old her
Milky Way cake was because it lists how many ten cent candy bars to purchase!
While we were talking she says: “I made a cake a couple of weeks ago called,
‘Earthquake Cake”. She starts telling me about it and it’s the same cake as what
I’m featuring as: Upside down German Chocolate Cake. Different regions,
different names.
I suppose in cooking this is one of my most amusing topics. Recipes that have the
same contents, just different names. Often I’ll be featuring a recipe in a class and
guests will say: ‘Oh we make that in North Dakota, but we call it ____ and we put
potatoes in the dish too.’
This weekend Silver Dollar City re-opens for the 2015 season. I am saddened to
find my ‘project’ time coming to an end. However it’s also exciting to look
forward to a new year and the possibilities that lie ahead. I enjoy meeting new
people and continuing my friendships with established guests.
You know that spring is about here because track season has begun at school and
the youth are busy securing summer jobs. The buds on our trees have been out
for quite some time and it appears the weather from the last two weeks has left
our plants and trees unscathed. I’m not holding my breath though, on opening
weekend last year, the park closed due to a snowstorm!
I enjoy all the seasons, but it’s always good to see the ‘rebirth’ of green plants
after the dark days of winter. Embrace the day, laugh more, and let the messy
house go for another day. Simply yours, The Covered Dish.
www.thecovereddish.com
Upside down German Chocolate Cake
1 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 German Chocolate Cake Mix
(Prepare with Box Directions)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter-slight melt
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 (1 pound) box powdered sugar
(3 3/4 cups unsifted powdered sugar)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
9 x 13 glass or metal baking dish
Vegetable spray
Spray baking dish and across the bottom evenly sprinkle the coconut and chopped
pecans. Prepare the cake mix exactly as the instructions state and pour over the
nuts and coconut. Note this doesn’t spread well, so do a good job placing batter.
Now soften the butter and cream cheese and whisk together to blend. Stir in the
powdered sugar until smooth. Now place dollops of the icing over the cake.
Take the chocolate chips and sprinkle them over the top. I chose a rather good
brand of chocolate instead of semi-sweet, and my hand was a bit over generous
with the chips. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-55 minutes.
There are no mistakes on the placement of the icing. It goes down through the
cake and it’s just amazing. The outcomes looks like a crater on top, but it’s
delicious.
From the archives of P.J. Beisswenger
I have decided that everyone should visit their friend’s kitchens more often. One
day while Pam was teaching me how to make her famous oil pie crust I spied this
recipe someplace in her kitchen. I said: ‘Oh I’ve been looking for a good German
Chocolate Cake recipe, and this looks extremely interesting.’ If we would spend
more time with our mothers and grandmothers we would find many good recipes
within an arm’s reach!
