Three-Layer German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting

What you need

• 115 g (4 oz) sweet baking chocolate, German-style, chopped
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) boiling water
• 225 g (1 cup) butter, softened, for the cake
• 350 g (1 3/4 cups) granulated sugar, for the cake
• 4 eggs, room temperature, separated
• 2 tsp vanilla extract, for the cake
• 250 g (2 1/2 cups) cake flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
• 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar, for the frosting
• 150 g (3/4 cup) brown sugar, packed
• 355 ml (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 170 g (3/4 cup) butter, for the frosting
• 5 large egg yolks, beaten
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract, for the frosting
• 240 g (3 cups) sweetened shredded coconut
• 170 g (1 1/2 cups) pecans, chopped

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Grease three 23 cm (9 in) round cake pans and line the bases with baking paper.

2. 2

   Put the chocolate in a bowl, pour the boiling water over it and stir until smooth. Let it cool a little.

3. 3

   Beat the butter and sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy, about 4 min, scraping the bowl halfway.

4. 4

   Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks into the butter mixture one by one, and keep the whites in a clean bowl.

5. 5

   Add the chocolate and vanilla and beat until evenly brown.

6. 6

   Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk, and mix only until no streaks remain.

7. 7

   Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, then fold them gently into the batter.

8. 8

   Spread the batter evenly across the pans and bake until a skewer in the centre comes out clean, 24-28 min.

9. 9

   Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 min, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.

10. 10

    For the frosting, combine the white sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, remaining butter and beaten yolks in a heavy saucepan. Set it on medium heat.

11. 11

    Stir without stopping until the mixture thickens and turns a light caramel colour, about 5-10 min. Keep the heat moderate so the yolks do not curdle.

12. 12

    Take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining vanilla, the coconut and the pecans.

13. 13

    Leave the frosting to cool for at least 30 min, stirring now and then. It firms up as it cools.

14. 14

    Set one cake layer on a plate and spread a third of the frosting over the top only. Repeat with the other two layers, leaving the sides bare.

Imported from anaffairfromtheheart.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.