Favorite Birthday Cake Recipe!!

Here is Pam and Vicki's birthday cake.  Charles usually requests it also.  I got the frosting recipe from Grandma as her frosting is always so good.  I think it's the unsweetened chocolate with the cream cheese.  Yum!!

                         German's Sweet Chocolate Cake

1 pkg. (4 oz.) Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate

1/2 c. Water

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. (2 sticks) butter softened, (Grandma uses 1 c. Crisco instead)

2 c. sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. buttermilk 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cover bottoms of 3 (9 inch) round cake pans with wax paper, grease sides of pans.  Microwave chocolate and water in large microwavable bowl on High 1 1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min.  Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.  Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Blend in melted chocolate and the vanilla.  Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.  

Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Gently stir into batter.  Pour evenly into prepared pans.

Bake 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Immediately run small metal spatula around cake layers. Cool in pans 15 min.; remove layers from pans to wire racks.  Discard wax paper.  Cool cake layers completely.  Makes 16 servings.  Spread frosting between cake layers and onto top of cake.

Substitute:  If you don't have buttermilk, just add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk; let stand 10 min.  

Frosting for Cake:

About 4 c. powdered sugar

6 oz. cream cheese

1/2 stick oleo

1 sq. unsweetened chocolate(melted)

milk as needed (heat in microwave)