German chocolate torte

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
  
       Title: German Chocolate Torte
  Categories: Cakes, Chocolate
       Yield: 12 servings
  
       6 oz Sweet chocolate
     1/2 c  Unsalted butter
   1 1/2 c  Sugar
       6    Eggs; room temp
       1 ts Vanilla
   1 1/4 c  Flour; sifted
       1 c  Pecans; ground
       1 ts Salt
     3/4 c  Buttermilk
            Topping:
       4 oz Sweet chocolate
       1 c  Heavy cream
       1 ts Vanilla
       8 oz Shred coconut; light toasted
       1 c  Pecans; chopped
      14    Pecans; whole
  
   Preheat oven 350~. Grease and flour a 10 1/4x 15" baking
   pan. For the cake, melt chocolate and butter together over
   hot water. Set aside to cool. Place sugar, eggs, and
   vanilla in the bowl of a mixer and beat at med speed for 12
   minutes. The eggs should be very pale and should form wide
   ribbons when the beaters are raised. While eggs are
   beating, sift together flour, pecans, salt, and soda.
   Alternately add buttermilk and the chocolate mixture to dry
   ingredients, then carefully fold in the beaten eggs until
   everything is just mixed. Pour batter into pan and bake for
   around 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
   Cool on cake rack.
   
   When completely cold, cut in half across the width and turn
   out the 2 halves. Place 1 layer on your cake platter. Set
   the other aside. To make topping, melt the chocolate over
   warm water. Let cool somewhat then, using an electric hand
   mixer, slowly add the cream. Beat continuously until
   mixture is as thick as whipped cream. Flavor with vanilla.
   Spread some of the filling on the bottom layer of the cake.
   Sprinkle on some toasted coconut and half the chopped
   pecans. Top with remaining cake layer (trim top to flatten
   it if necessary). Coat cake with chocolate cream mixture.
   Arrange 1 1/2" wide border of toasted coconut around the
   top edge. Place the whole pecans in a row around the inside
   coconut border. Leave the center of the cake plain. Press
   the remaining toasted coconut and chopped pecans into the
   sides of the cake. Place cake in the refrigerator to chill
   until served.
  
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