Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting

Every once in a while I make a filling or frosting for somebody and think that I would never utilize it again and be completely won over. This one definitely falls into that category.

Back before my boss was my boss, he ordered a batch of German Chocolate cupcakes with Coconut-Pecan Frosting for his wife’s birthday which they would be celebrating at a homeless shelter they volunteer at frequently. Yes, she celebrated her birthday by volunteering. Must be why they just got the Volunteers of the Year Award last weekend. Anyway, there were a couple leftover and so I sampled them. Now, the thing is I like chocolate. A lot. And so the thought of making anything but chocolate ganache to go with a chocolate cake seemed like blasphemy. However, I went online, referenced a cookbook, tweaked everything to match my tastes and came up with an excellent frosting even coconut haters have delighted in.

Cory’s Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting
4 egg yolks
1 can evaporated milk (12 ounce)
½ cup heavy cream
1½ cups dark brown sugar
2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 package (12-14 ounce) sweetened coconut
2 cups pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

Have all ingredients at room temperature. If using salted butter, omit the salt. In a saucepan whisk together the yolks and sugar until completely combined to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Turn the heat on medium and add the evaporated milk, heavy cream and butter. Stir constantly until thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Or, if you get impatient rather easily, bring mixture to a boil, lower it to a simmer for a minute or two then check for lumpies. If lumps are present, strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Otherwise, add the vanilla, coconut and pecans and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to cool completely, about an hour or two, stirring occasionally. Stir before using.

To frost a German Chocolate Cake, you can either fill and top your cake layers or fill, top and completely frost the sides. If you opt not to frost the sides, be generous in your filling layers. This recipe makes a lot of frosting, so don’t skimp. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days.

Substitutions:
Don’t have evaporated milk? Use all heavy cream (2 cups.)