GERMAN CHOCOLATE PECAN CHIP CAKE

After being out of the kitchen aka not baking any goodies for 6 days, I think I spent most of yesterday making up for it. It looks like it is a simple cold that I have. Every day is a little better and tonight will be a week. Anyway, I made two batches of cookies, will be sharing those tomorrow, 1 and a half ice cream cakes to take to Hillcrest Thrift Shop for Volunteer Mark's birthday (that's a story for another day), and then this decadent cake that I decided to name German Chocolate Pecan Chip Cake. 

I used a German Chocolate cake mix, pecans, and chocolate chips to make it. It also has sour cream and chocolate pudding in it but that would have been the longest name I have ever seen for a cake if I had included those two ingredients.

After dinner last night, (and I was starting to "fade" by this time) I was trying to find a recipe for something my husband could take to the tax office at Fort Leavenworth this morning that had ingredients that I had in the pantry. I found a recipe thinking I had all of the ingredients but when I went to check, I didn't have a yellow cake mix without the pudding in it. So I decided to use ingredients that I had.

What a cake I came up with! Hope they like it at the Fort. He can just bring the leftovers back home and I will enjoy it if they don't.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE PECAN CHIP CAKE

1       package (18.25 oz) German Chocolate cake mix
1       package (3.4 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix (sugar free works great)
4       eggs
1       cup canola oil
1       cup (8-oz) sour cream (light works great)
1       cup chopped pecans
1       cup (6-oz) chocolate chips (I used Special Dark)
1       cup miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, and sour cream on stir (low speed) til all ingredients are wet.

Increase speed to 2 and beat for 2 minutes. Batter is a little thick.

Spread evenly about half of the batter in the pan.

Sprinkle batter with HALF of the pecans....

HALF of the chips...

and ALL of the marshmallows.

Carefully cover with the rest of the cake batter.

Sprinkle with the rest of the pecans....

and chips.

Bake for 55 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (In my oven, 55 minutes was enough.) You can see it makes a generous cake.

Cool on wire rack in pan for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

I will admit that removing the cake from the pan is the hardest part of this recipe. Just do it over a clean surface and it will be fine. You may need to loosen sides with a knife. Using another rack, invert the pan to remove the cake. Be prepared for some of the chips and nuts to fall off. I also had to tap the bottom of the pan to loosen it. Then immediately invert the cake onto platter. You can add the nuts and chips that fell off back on the top of the cake.

Store with a closed lid to keep the cake moist.

I cut myself a piece just in case they like it at the tax office and my husband doesn't bring any leftovers back home. 

Personally, I will be surprised if there are any leftovers.

I will be off in a hour to Hillcrest Thrift Shop with the ice cream cake. Here is the HALF I made for Mark to take home to enjoy with his wife. I made it in a loaf pan that the ice cream sandwiches would fit in ... if I cut one in half.

Everyone else will get to enjoy this one.