Directions (continued)
- water over low heat; cool.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat
- in 4 egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking
- soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with
- buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
- In a small bowl and with clean beaters, beat the 4 egg whites until
- stiff peaks form. Fold a fourth of the egg whites into the creamed
- mixture; fold in remaining whites.
- Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 24-28 minutes or
- until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for
- 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool
- completely.
- For frosting, in a small saucepan, heat the sugar, milk, butter and
- egg yolks over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened and golden
- brown, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Stir in the
- coconut, pecans and vanilla extract. Cool until thick enough to
- spread. Spread a third of the frosting over each cake layer and
- stack the layers.
- In a microwave, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth;
- drizzle over cake. Yield: 12 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 slice equals 910 calories, 53 g fat (28 g saturated fat), 237 mg cholesterol, 511 mg sodium, 103 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 11 g protein.