Coconut Pecan Cake -- Celebrating the Builder Who Built Everything

The Bryants flew home Monday. Mama drove home Tuesday. The apartment is quiet again. Brayden is one hundred and sixty-six weeks old. Eden is twenty-four weeks old. The coconut pecan cake (German-chocolate-style) was the small thank-you cake I made for the Holcomb-Brothers crew on Saturday.

The coconut pecan cake is the small German-chocolate-style cake — a chocolate cake-layer, a coconut-and-pecan-and-condensed-milk topping (the German-chocolate frosting), no traditional buttercream. The cake is the small Sunday-celebration-cake that the small Sapulpa-cafe-construction crew had earned.

The technique on a German-chocolate topping is the cooked-frosting. The egg-yolks, condensed milk, butter, and sugar are cooked together on the stove until thickened (about twelve minutes), then the coconut and pecans are stirred in off-heat. The cooked-frosting is the small distinguishing element of the German-chocolate cake style.

Saturday I made the cake and drove it down to Sapulpa with Brayden and Eden in the car. The Holcomb-Brothers crew was at the cafe for a small final-walkthrough. Mama and I gave them the cake at the small kitchen-counter. They were appropriately surprised.

Aunt Linda’s small twice-weekly Tulsa-visits continue. She arrives. She holds Eden. She plays with Brayden. She drinks the small coffee. We talk for two hours. The small Aunt-Linda-and-Roy small post-retirement rhythm has settled into the small comfortable-pace they have been building since Roy stopped driving.

Dustin’s small Tulsa-shop work continues. The small shop-manager-and-eventually-owner trajectory is in its small mid-phase. Bobby is moving toward the small retirement-handoff. The small five-year-buyout-structure is in its small operational-rhythm.

Coconut Pecan Cake

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, softened (divided)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut (divided)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (divided)
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for frosting)

Instructions

1. Preheat & prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and set aside.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
3. Combine wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat 1/2 cup of the softened butter with the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined—do not overmix.
4. Fold in mix-ins. Gently fold in 3/4 cup of the shredded coconut and 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans into the batter.
5. Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let layers cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
6. Make the frosting. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining 1/2 cup butter, evaporated milk, brown sugar, and egg yolks. Cook, stirring constantly, for 10–12 minutes until the mixture thickens and turns golden. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 3/4 cup coconut, 1/2 cup pecans, and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Let cool until spreadable, about 20 minutes.
7. Assemble & frost. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread a generous layer of frosting over the top. Set the second layer on top and frost the top and sides of the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Let set before slicing.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 620 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 32g | Carbs: 79g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 320mg