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Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen

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 Copyright © 2008 by Trisha Yearwood
Photographs copyright © 2008 by Ben Fink
dedication
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers,
an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com

Clarkson N. Potter is a trademark and Potter and colophon

are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

All photographs are by Ben Fink with the exception of those appearing on
pages 8 and 167 by Bev Parker and those appearing on pages 5, 47, 51, 75,
86, 96, 103, 106 (bottom), 117, 126, 153, 166, 175, 179, 193, and 205 from the
author’s collection.
In memory of
Jack Howard Yearwood,
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Yearwood, Trisha. a wonderful husband, father, friend,
Georgia cooking in an Oklahoma kitchen : recipes from my
and one hell of a good cook.
family to yours / Trisha Yearwood, with Gwen Yearwood
and Beth Bernard. — 1st ed. We miss you every second of every minute
p. cm.
Includes index. of every day.
1. Cookery, American—Southern style. 2. Cookery—Georgia.
I. Yearwood, Gwen. II. Bernard, Beth. III. Title.
TX715.2.S69Y43 2008 Love,
641.5975—dc22 2007024753
your girls,
Gwen, Beth, and Patricia
ISBN 978-0-307-38137-8

Printed in Japan

DESIGN BY JENNIFER K. BEAL

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition

4
 Copyright © 2008 by Trisha Yearwood
Photographs copyright © 2008 by Ben Fink
dedication
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers,
an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com

Clarkson N. Potter is a trademark and Potter and colophon

are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

All photographs are by Ben Fink with the exception of those appearing on
pages 8 and 167 by Bev Parker and those appearing on pages 5, 47, 51, 75,
86, 96, 103, 106 (bottom), 117, 126, 153, 166, 175, 179, 193, and 205 from the
author’s collection.
In memory of
Jack Howard Yearwood,
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Yearwood, Trisha. a wonderful husband, father, friend,
Georgia cooking in an Oklahoma kitchen : recipes from my
and one hell of a good cook.
family to yours / Trisha Yearwood, with Gwen Yearwood
and Beth Bernard. — 1st ed. We miss you every second of every minute
p. cm.
Includes index. of every day.
1. Cookery, American—Southern style. 2. Cookery—Georgia.
I. Yearwood, Gwen. II. Bernard, Beth. III. Title.
TX715.2.S69Y43 2008 Love,
641.5975—dc22 2007024753
your girls,
Gwen, Beth, and Patricia
ISBN 978-0-307-38137-8

Printed in Japan

DESIGN BY JENNIFER K. BEAL

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition

4
 German Chocolate
Cake with Coconut
Frosting
Every February, when Garth’s birthday rolls around, I make this
Serves 12
beautiful and delicious cake for him. Last fall, he made some sad
statement like, “Only three more months until you make me that
awesome German chocolate cake again!” I made the cake the
next day. (I know, I’m a sucker.) I double the frosting recipe to frost
the entire cake, because my husband likes extra frosting, but one
recipe will frost the tops of the layers and do the trick just fine—
unless you’re Garth, of course!

From Gwen:
If you have some left over, the frosting is also good spread on a
Refrigerate the
graham cracker or on brownies (page 198). Okay, it’s also good cake after it’s
right off a spoon! frosted. Before
serving, touch up
4 ounces sweet dark chocolate (see Shopping Hint, page 173) any frosting that
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature may have run
down the sides.
1⁄ 4 cup warm milk
21⁄ 2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄ 2 teaspoon salt
5 medium egg whites
2 cups sugar
5 medium egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3⁄ 4 cup buttermilk, well shaken

continued . . .

Cakes, Pies, and Puddings 171

 German Chocolate
Cake with Coconut
Frosting
Every February, when Garth’s birthday rolls around, I make this
Serves 12
beautiful and delicious cake for him. Last fall, he made some sad
statement like, “Only three more months until you make me that
awesome German chocolate cake again!” I made the cake the
next day. (I know, I’m a sucker.) I double the frosting recipe to frost
the entire cake, because my husband likes extra frosting, but one
recipe will frost the tops of the layers and do the trick just fine—
unless you’re Garth, of course!

From Gwen:
If you have some left over, the frosting is also good spread on a
Refrigerate the
graham cracker or on brownies (page 198). Okay, it’s also good cake after it’s
right off a spoon! frosted. Before
serving, touch up
4 ounces sweet dark chocolate (see Shopping Hint, page 173) any frosting that
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature may have run
down the sides.
1⁄ 4 cup warm milk
21⁄ 2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄ 2 teaspoon salt
5 medium egg whites
2 cups sugar
5 medium egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3⁄ 4 cup buttermilk, well shaken

continued . . .

Cakes, Pies, and Puddings 171

 Coconut Frosting
1 cup sugar
4 medium egg yolks
1 cup evaporated milk
1⁄ 2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces fresh or frozen and thawed grated coconut
11⁄ 2 cups finely ground pecans, walnuts, or almonds
Prepare the chocolate by melting it in the top of a double boiler, stir-
ring until it is smooth. Add 1⁄4 cup ( 1⁄2 stick) of the butter and stir
until it is melted and blended. Add 1⁄4 cup of warm milk and stir until
smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line the bottoms only of 3 9-inch cake pans with circles of parch-
ment paper, or grease each pan bottom only with solid shortening and
dust lightly with flour. Sift together the sifted and measured flour,
baking soda, and salt.
Whip the egg whites until stiff using the wire beater of the mixer.
Transfer the beaten whites to a separate bowl and set aside.
In the mixer bowl, cream the remaining 11⁄2 sticks of butter and sugar
together until fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well
after each addition (see “From Trisha,” opposite). Add the melted,
cooled chocolate and the vanilla. Mix well.
With the mixer on very low, stir in the flour mixture alternately with
the buttermilk. Do this by adding about a third of the flour and slowly
stirring it in completely. Then add about half the buttermilk and stir
it in. Continue adding flour and buttermilk in this manner, ending
with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir again.
With a long-handled spoon or spatula, fold and stir the beaten egg
whites into the batter until the batter is smooth with no visible
clumps of whites.
172
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for
30 to 40 minutes. Bake on the middle rack of the oven, allowing at
least 1⁄4-inch clearance between the pans and the oven walls. The
cake will rise above the pan edges as it bakes but will not spill over
and will settle back down as it continues to bake. The cake is done
when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pans and springs
From Trisha:
back to a light touch. Cool layers in the pans for about 8 minutes.
Separated egg
yolks will slide
Run a knife around the edges of each pan and turn the layers out onto
easily and
wire racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cool layers individually from
completely before frosting. a small bowl if
the bowl is rinsed
To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg yolks, and evaporated with water first.
milk in the top of a double boiler. Stir with a wire whisk until the
yolks are fully incorporated. Add the butter. Place over simmering
water and bring to a boil (see Note). Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes
longer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add the
vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Cool.
To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand and spread with
frosting. Frost each layer completely, top and sides, as it is added to
the cake.
Note: You can also make the frosting in a regular saucepan, but be sure to stir it
constantly, as it scorches quite easily. Also, you must use the finely grated fresh or
frozen coconut, not canned or shredded, to be able to spread the frosting on the
sides of the cake easily.
Shopping Hint: For those cooks who use a lot of sweet baking chocolate, the choc-
olate used in this recipe can be purchased in bulk online at www.cocoasupply.com.
Choose La Equatoriale—Dark Chocolate Coverture. The cost, including postage, is
half what you would probably pay in grocery stores. Share the large bar with your
friends who bake.
Cakes, Pies, and Puddings 173
 Coconut Frosting
1 cup sugar
4 medium egg yolks
1 cup evaporated milk
1⁄ 2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces fresh or frozen and thawed grated coconut
11⁄ 2 cups finely ground pecans, walnuts, or almonds
Prepare the chocolate by melting it in the top of a double boiler, stir-
ring until it is smooth. Add 1⁄4 cup ( 1⁄2 stick) of the butter and stir
until it is melted and blended. Add 1⁄4 cup of warm milk and stir until
smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line the bottoms only of 3 9-inch cake pans with circles of parch-
ment paper, or grease each pan bottom only with solid shortening and
dust lightly with flour. Sift together the sifted and measured flour,
baking soda, and salt.
Whip the egg whites until stiff using the wire beater of the mixer.
Transfer the beaten whites to a separate bowl and set aside.
In the mixer bowl, cream the remaining 11⁄2 sticks of butter and sugar
together until fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well
after each addition (see “From Trisha,” opposite). Add the melted,
cooled chocolate and the vanilla. Mix well.
With the mixer on very low, stir in the flour mixture alternately with
the buttermilk. Do this by adding about a third of the flour and slowly
stirring it in completely. Then add about half the buttermilk and stir
it in. Continue adding flour and buttermilk in this manner, ending
with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir again.
With a long-handled spoon or spatula, fold and stir the beaten egg
whites into the batter until the batter is smooth with no visible
clumps of whites.
172
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for
30 to 40 minutes. Bake on the middle rack of the oven, allowing at
least 1⁄4-inch clearance between the pans and the oven walls. The
cake will rise above the pan edges as it bakes but will not spill over
and will settle back down as it continues to bake. The cake is done
when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pans and springs
From Trisha:
back to a light touch. Cool layers in the pans for about 8 minutes.
Separated egg
yolks will slide
Run a knife around the edges of each pan and turn the layers out onto
easily and
wire racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cool layers individually from
completely before frosting. a small bowl if
the bowl is rinsed
To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg yolks, and evaporated with water first.
milk in the top of a double boiler. Stir with a wire whisk until the
yolks are fully incorporated. Add the butter. Place over simmering
water and bring to a boil (see Note). Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes
longer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add the
vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Cool.
To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand and spread with
frosting. Frost each layer completely, top and sides, as it is added to
the cake.
Note: You can also make the frosting in a regular saucepan, but be sure to stir it
constantly, as it scorches quite easily. Also, you must use the finely grated fresh or
frozen coconut, not canned or shredded, to be able to spread the frosting on the
sides of the cake easily.
Shopping Hint: For those cooks who use a lot of sweet baking chocolate, the choc-
olate used in this recipe can be purchased in bulk online at www.cocoasupply.com.
Choose La Equatoriale—Dark Chocolate Coverture. The cost, including postage, is
half what you would probably pay in grocery stores. Share the large bar with your
friends who bake.
Cakes, Pies, and Puddings 173
 To purchase a copy of
Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen
visit one of these online retailers:

file:///T|/Lyman_Emily/Scribd/Retailer%20Pages/georgia%20cooking%20buyonline.html[11/16/2010 2:18:10 PM]