German chocolate frosting

1 c. evaporated milk
1 c. sugar
3 egg yolks beaten with 1 tsp water
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. flaked coconut
1 Tbsp cornstarch

In large sauce pan combine evaporated milk and cornstarch
Add in sugar, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla
Cook over medium low heat until it reaches a slow boil stirring constantly until thick
(about 12 minutes)
Remove from heat and stir in pecans and coconut
Let cool 1 hour then spread on cooled cake

*Frosting will thicken upon cooling
**If layering a chocolate cake double the recipe. 

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth. Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat until smooth.

Marble Cake

My office does a pay it forward style of celebration for Birthdays.  After your Birthday, you treat the next person on the calendar.  Jenny was next on the calendar after me and said she was a sucker for a marble cake.  Yes I have heard of marble cake and recall it from my childhood, but I had never attempted it.  I remeber my grandma making it and thinking it was amazing ~ vanilla and chocolate all together all swirly.  Needless to say this was not my grandma's cake....

Here is the recipe I used:
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan.

Place flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter or margarine, eggs, vanilla, and milk into mixing bowl. Beat slowly to moisten, then beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth. Reserve 3/4 cup batter; pour the remainder into pan.

Stir cocoa into the 3/4 cup reserved batter. Drop by spoonfuls over top of white batter. Using a knife, swirl the cocoa batter into the white batter to incorporate it in a marble effect.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

I doubled the recipe and used a 9 X 13 glass pan because 1 cake wouldn't have been enough for the whole office.  It was not as moist as I would have liked but the girls from my office seemed to disagree.  I did top it with chocolate frosting because a birthday cake without frosting is like a birthday with no cake.  Why bother?   Below is my no fail, go to Chocolate frosting recipe.  It has never let me down!
 
              "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.