German's Sweet Chocolate Cake Frosting (Coconut-Pecan)

German’s Sweet Chocolate Cake Frosting (Coconut-Pecan)
4 egg yolks
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1½ tsp. vanilla
1½ cups sugar
¾ cup butter
1 pkg. (7 oz.) flaked coconut (about 2 2/3 cups)
1½ cups pecans, chopped

Blend egg yolks, milk, and vanilla until very well mixed; a blender works fine for this. Add sugar and butter to the egg mixture and cook on medium heat for about 12 minutes, or until thickened. Stir constantly. If the eggs are well mixed with the milk and you stir the frosting as you cook it, you shouldn’t get any lumps of cooked egg. Remove from heat and add coconut and nuts. Beat and cool until it is thick enough to spread. This makes about 4 1/2 cups of frosting.

Tiffany's Notes:  I love this frosting.  It is a great frosting for a German Chocolate Cake--of course you have to like coconut and nuts to enjoy it!  I made it recently for a baby shower for a little girl--the pink and brown cupcakes worked well with the color scheme. 

For the pictured cupcakes I actually made a close version of this frosting recipe.  I used the recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook--it is almost this exact recipe but it is a smaller batch.  (The egg count goes down to 3 egg yolks, 8 oz. milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, etc.  There is also less coconut called for.)  I was pleased to discover this recipe in the family cookbook.

I didn't use an electric mixer to incorporate the eggs and milk--I whisked the mixture for a while and it turned out just fine.  I probably should have beat the finished frosting a little more.  It might have made it a thicker consistency--cooling or even chilling the frosting will also help it to set up better.