German Chocolate Cake and what's with homecoming?

German Chocolate Cake is sort of an American tradition. It doesn't really show up anywhere in Germany and I have been there a lot. But that's not surprising because it is actually named after a man named Sam German and was originally called German's chocolate cake.  We have had this several times before but haven't seen one recently so it was a nice surprise to encounter at cake hour.

Bringing back a favorite!

It's the all American German Chocolate Cake

As you should know it s a layered chocolate cake filled and topped with a coconut-pecan frosting. The filling and/or topping is a caramel made with egg yolks and evaporated milk; once the caramel is cooked, coconut and pecans are stirred in. Usually a chocolate frosting is spread on the sides of the cake and piped around the circumference of the layers to hold in the filling. 

The classic caramel coconut pecan topping.!

Nice ridge of chocolate frosting to finish the top!

Today's offering fit the bill and was largely as expected however there was a variation that we had not encountered before which had crushed chocolate and shaved coconut added to the outside of the cake that gave it a speckled appearance different from the usual chocolate frosting.  This was creative and since it added more coconut to the cake a tasty addition.  This was a commercial cake but fresh and moist as it should be.  We did notice that it said it was made with Belgian chocolate so does that make this German Belgian Chocolate Cake.  Who cares?

Crumbled chocolate, coconut and nuts on the sides - a new twist!

Moist chocolate cake with frosting between the layers.

This is/was homecoming weekend for the University football team with all the celebration that ensues. Apparently it is not as festive as it is in some high schools and is to some extent mainly to get the alumni to show up to make donations.  In high schools there is the game and then the obligatory homecoming dance that some places take very seriously. This caused some to wonder out loud why the football team is showered with this homecoming tradition and not the other sports teams.  When they come back from the road is that also not a homecoming? If you have a crappy football team but a champion lacrosse team why wouldn't their homecoming be the featured event.  Could there also be a basketball or baseball homecoming especially since those sports play more games anyway.  And why is there only one designated homecoming when the team is back and forth.  This could be some basis for discussion but chances are it would go nowhere. It is just one of those ritual things that gets done with no questions asked..until cake hour that is!