German Chocolate Cake

First things first. German Chocolate Cake is not from Germany. It is called so because it uses a kind of chocolate called German's chocolate. This chocolate was developed by an American guy named Sam German as per wikipedia. Last week my husband saved me a piece of cake a lady -"known for her baking" brought to work. I normally don't like chocolate cake, or anything chocolate for that matter- weird! yes!, but it is what it is. And yes, I am about to say what you know I am about to say. I absolutely loved this cake and so of course I had to try to recreate it. So here is the recipe I used. It is pretty much the recipe from JoyofBaking with a couple of changes.

For the cake

Ingredients:-

Cake flour - 2 1/4 cup (270 grams)

Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup (70 grams), unsweetened

German's Chocolate - 4 ounces (115 grams), chopped

Baking Powder - 1 1/2 teaspoons

Baking Soda - 1/2 teaspoons

Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Coffee - 1 cup (240 ml), lukewarm

Buttermilk - 1 cup (240 ml)

Eggs - 5 large eggs (at room temperature)

Butter - 1 1/4 cup (280 grams), unsalted (at room temperature)

Sugar - 2 1/4 cup (450 grams), granulated

Vanilla Extract - 1 1/2 teaspoons

For the topping/icing(more like a topping)

Pecans - 1 cup

Coconut flakes - 1 1/2 cups 

Butter - 1/2 cup, unsalted

Evaporated milk/ Heavy cream - 1 cup, 240 ml (I used heavy cream, would not recommend it, too runny)

Sugar - 1 cup (200 grams), granulated white

Eggs - 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

Vanilla Extract - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:-

• Butter and flour the bottom of two 9 inch round cake pans (yes, one of mine is a square) and line with parchment paper.
• *Tip - Put cake pan on parchment paper, trace a circle around the pan, fold it in half and cut.

• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water.

• Sift all the dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside.

• Beat the butter until creamy, add sugar and beat until fluffy. Now add eggs, one at a time mixing well every time you add one. Finally add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate and beat until mixed well.

• Pour the coffee into the buttermilk and mix it with a spoon.
• Start pre-heating the oven at 350 degree fahrenheit (180 degree celsius) at this point.
• Mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk-coffee mixture and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Mix just until the batter comes together and everything is incorporated. Do not over mix.

• Divide the batter evenly into the pans. The best way to ensure evenness is to weigh the empty pans and then weigh them after putting the batter in. I just eyeballed the batter.

• Bake in a 350 degree fahrenheit (180 degree celsius) pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Now on to the coconut-pecan topping/frosting

• Preheat the oven to 350 degree fahrenheit, place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 8- 10 minutes. You will be met with a fragrance and thats when you know the pecans are ready. Chop them up and have them ready.
• Combine butter, sugar, evaporated milk, lightly beaten egg yolks and salt in a saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat while stirring constantly until it begins to boil and thicken, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.

• Stir in the pecans, coconut and vanilla extract. Let this mixture cool for about an hour.

Assembling the cake -

• If your cakes domed, just trim the tops with a bread knife or a cake leveler. 
• Put one of the cakes, top down and spread a little less than half of the frosting evenly on it.
• Put the second cake, bottom down on top of the first cake and spread the remaining frosting on the top to cover the cake.