The Perfect German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

For Cake:

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

2 1/4 cups cake flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch processed)

1 1/2 teas. baking powder

1/2 teas. baking soda

1/2 tea salt

1 cup hot coffee or boiling water

1 cup buttermilk (you can substitute by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to one cu

1 1/4 cups (280 g) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/4 cups sugar

5 large eggs

1 1/2 teas vanilla extract

For Frosting:

4 egg yolks

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teas vanilla extract

cups sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted first on a baking sheet in 350 dgree oven until fragrant and brown (about

Preparation

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8" cake tins (or if you want your cake to have only two layers, you can use the extra batter to make cupcakes).

Melt the chocolate (in a double boiler or in the microwave) and let cool to room temperature.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the hot water (or coffee) and buttermilk.

In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla.

Add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternatively to the butter mixture. Beat only until the ingredients are incorporated.

Fold in melted chocolate.

Divide the batter evenly amongst your pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean. Place pans on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes before removing cakes from pans by inverting. Wait until the cakes are completely cool before you frost them.

For the Frosting:

Whisk egg yolks in a medium saucepan, gradually whisk in evaporated milk.

Add the sugars, butter and salt and then cook over med-high heat, whisking contantly until mixture is boiling, frothy and slighly thickened (about 6 minutes).

Transfer mixture to a bowl, whisk in vanilla and then stir in coconut. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate until cool (at least 2 hours and up to 3 days).

Just before assembling cake, stir in the pecans.