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German Chocolate Cake: Preheat
oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter,
or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray, and line with parchment paper, three -
8 x 2 inch
deep (20 x 5 cm)
round baking pans. Dust with flour.
In
a heatproof bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
In a
separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and
salt. Set aside.
In
a small bowl, combine the coffee and buttermilk.
In the bowl of
your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy (this will take
about 3-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each
addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and beat to
combine.
Add the
coffee/buttermilk mixture and flour mixtures in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour
mixture. Beat only until the ingredients are incorporated. Fold in the
melted chocolate.
Divide the
batter evenly among the three prepared pans and smooth the
tops. Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly
pressed. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 20
minutes. Butter or lightly spray a wire rack with a non stick vegetable
spray before
inverting the cakes onto the rack to prevent the cakes from sticking. Cool the
cakes completely before frosting.
Coconut Pecan Frosting: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177
degrees C). Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes
or until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from oven, let cool, and then
coarsely chop.
In
a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, egg yolks, butter, and salt. Cook over
medium heat, stirring constantly, and when the mixture begins to boil and
thicken, remove from heat. Stir in the chopped pecans, coconut, and vanilla
extract. Let cool until spreadable.
To Assemble: Place
one layer of cake, on your serving plate, and cover with one third of the frosting.
Place the second layer of cake, onto the first
cake layer and frost with another one-third of the frosting. Then add the third
cake layer and frost the top of the cake with the remaining frosting (the sides
of the cake are left bare). The finished cake can be stored at room temperature
for a couple of days or it can be refrigerated.
Serves
14 - 16 people.
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