Hershey's German Chocolate Cake

Description
Makes 1 cake and about 2⅔ cups frosting

Ingredients

 * ¼ cup Hershey's cocoa
 * ½ cup boiling water
 * 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
 * 2¼ cups sugar
 * 1 tsp vanilla extract
 * 4 eggs
 * 2 cups all-purpose flour
 * 1 tsp baking soda
 * ½ tsp salt
 * 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
 * pecan halves (optional)
 * Coconut pecan frosting (recipe follows)

Coconut pecan frosting

 * 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
 * 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
 * ½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
 * 1 tsp vanilla extract
 * 1⅓ cups mounds sweetened coconut flakes
 * 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

 * 1) Heat oven to 350°F.
 * 2) Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans.
 * 3) Stir together cocoa and water in small bowl until smooth; set aside.
 * 4) Beat butter, Sugar and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy.
 * 5) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
 * 6) Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with chocolate mixture and buttermilk, beating just enough to blend.
 * 7) Pour batter into prepared pans.
 * 8) Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly.
 * 9) Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.
 * 10) Cool completely.
 * 11) Prepare Coconut pecan frosting; spread between layers and over top.

Coconut pecan frosting

 * 1) Stir together sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and butter in medium saucepan.
 * 2) Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.
 * 3) Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, coconut and pecans.
 * 4) Cool to room temperature.