Lucy Recupero Cook grew up just a few miles from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where Groundhog Day is believed to have been started in the US. Lucy remembers her Grandmother baking a cake in a loaf pan on Groundhog Day - always German chocolate from a mix - frosting it with fluffy white frosting, and covering it with multi-colored sprinkles. And although most groundhogs aren’t really white, Lucy continues the tradition, relying on her children to use a bit of imagination as they eat the traditional Groundhog cake. Since it isn’t my family’s tradition, I’ve taken the liberty to go a bit further to make my cake look more like a real groundhog. I’ve divided my loaf into layers, sprinkled them with liqueur or coffee syrup to keep them moist, and filled them with coconut pecan filling. Once the layers are stacked, this Decadent Groundhog Cake is covered with fluffy chocolate buttercream and sprinkled with chocolate sprinkles. Craft stores carry eyes in all different sizes, so I’ve added some to give my cake a little personality.

Whether you choose to do it Lucy’s way with chocolate cake, white frosting, and sprinkles, or take a bit more time to make the following Decadent Groundhog Cake, you’ll have a perfect dessert to serve on February 2nd. It won’t matter whether the groundhog sees his shadow, since you’ll be in a warm kitchen eating yummy cake.

24 Servings

Cake:
1 18 1/4 ounce German chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water

1/2 cup chocolate liqueur, or chocolate flavored coffee syrup


Filling:
6 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup whipping cream
2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting:
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup sugar

4 egg yolks
1 cup softened butter

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Plastic Eyes from the craft store

1. Cake: Preheat oven to 350°.
2. 
   
3. Spray a 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan with Baker's Joy or grease and flour.


4. Mix the cake mix, eggs, oil, and water until smooth; pour into the prepared pan.


5. Bake 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


6. Let sit 5 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack; cool thoroughly.


7. Filling: Melt the butter in a saucepan; add the sugar and whipping cream and slowly bring to a simmer.


8. Stir until the sugar is dissolved; add the vanilla.


9. Add the coconut and nuts and stir.


10. Frosting: Place the sugar and water in a saucepan; cover and bring to a boil.


11. Boil, washing down the sides occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture starts to thicken.


12. Meanwhile, while the syrup is boiling, place the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and beat until thick and lemon-colored.


13. With the mixer on high, slowly pour the syrup into the egg yolks.


14. Continue beating at high speed until the mixture has cooled, scraping the sides occasionally.


15. Beat in the butter, one piece at a time, until the mixture is thick and smooth.


16. Fold in the cooled melted chocolate.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 337 Calories from Fat 243
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 72% Protein 3% Carb. 23%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 27 g
Saturated Fat 12 g
Cholesterol 98 mg
Sodium 131 mg
Total Carbohydrate 19 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 11 g
Protein 2 g

Vitamin A 12% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 3%