Nostalgic German Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake & April's Give-Away Apron

This week I've been Spring cleaning and painting--getting ready to put our home for sale.  We love the Pacific Northwest, but as our oldest daughter prepares to leave on Tuesday for China to bring our granddaughter home, the heartstrings have pulled us to make this life changing decision.

While packing up some of my many cookbooks, I found a recipe box, full of my mother's recipes, that Kelly had "absconded" with and is back in my possession.  In it was a recipe for German Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake; one my mother baked several times.  I don't know where she got the recipe, but I do know it is delicious.  My mother was German and Irish and I bet this really appealed to her German side!  How sauerkraut found it's way into a cake is a mystery; was someone out of coconut and thought rinsing off sauerkraut might be a good substitute:-D  Moreover, I think like zucchini or carrot cake, it made sense, why not sauerkraut!  After all, it is a veggie with a high water content and with the addition of coconut, no one will ever notice.

In addition to the recipe from my childhood, nostalgia swept over me while cleaning and I was wishing I still had my Ginny Doll to show my granddaughters.  Thanks to the internet...I found one!
Vogue Dolls made them and she's just as I remember mine, dark hair and all.  I still have her in the box, but I'm now hunting down patterns to make her clothes, just like my mom did for mine.

German Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup sauerkraut, rinsed thoroughly

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.  I also used my Magic Baking Strips to keep my cakes from rising in the middle.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together thoroughly, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the sauerkraut and mix again.

In a separate bowl, place all the dry ingredients together and whisk.  Add to the batter, alternatively with the water, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Stir in the coconut and pecans.

Spoon batter into the prepared pans and bake about 24 minutes, testing with a wooden skewer to check if the cakes are done.  Allow to cool in the pans about 10 minutes then, invert one onto a serving platter and the other on a wax-papered lined rack to cool completely.

While the cakes cool...I made my favorite Chocolate Buttercream. 

Chocolate Buttercream:
10 oz. chocolate, chopped or use chips
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
18 T (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
Place the chocolate in the food processor.  On the stove, in a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream, light corn syrup, and salt to a low boil.  Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and process the mixture until smooth.
Add the sugar and vanilla and pulse several times to combine (about 30 seconds).  With the machine running, add the butter, one tablespoon at a time and combine until smooth and no butter chunks remain.  Transfer frosting to a medium glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until thick and spreadable, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

To assemble:
Spread a generous amount on the top of the bottom layer and spread to cover.

Place the top layer on and frost the top and sides.  I decided to decorate mine with addition chopped pecans on the sides and then, I made some chocolate curls to place around the circumference of the top of the cake.

 It's just a delectable cake and NO ONE would even guess that it had sauerkraut in it...something my brothers, to this day, probably still don't know:-D

Finally, I've actually had April's Apron made since last Monday, but haven't had the time to bake or blog to show it off.  The rules are...comment on any of the recipes I post this month and you're entered.  This month, I went bright and cheerful for all my friends and family who are sick of Winter:-((

Have a lovely week and do try this cake--it's a winner, Enjoy!