Ingredients: |
Ingredients: For the Chocolate Cake:
2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp . baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup soured milk (just add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk)
1 cup brewed black coffee, (or prepare a single cup of instant coffee)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Caramel Coconut Pecan Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup evaporated milk (undiluted, straight from the can)
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp vanilla
2 cups dried coconut, toasted
1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and rightly chopped (or walnuts)
For the Chocolate Frosting (optional):
1 cup chocolate chips
4 cups icing sugar powdered sugar
4 tbsp cocoa
1 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk (approximately)
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Directions: |
Directions:To prepare the Chocolate Cake
This cake can be baked in 2 nine inch round pans or in a 9x13 rectangular pan. The 9x13 will get cut in half lengthwise and the layers stacked if you want to make it as a bar cake.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.
Pour into 2 greased and floured 8 or 9 inch cake pans (or one 9x13 baking pan)
Bake at 350ºF for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
NOTE
I've added this note because so many people ask about the coffee in this chocolate cake recipe. The recipe calls for a cup of brewed coffee, meaning prepared as you would drink it. It does NOT mean a cup of ground coffee or a cup of instant coffee granules either; although I always smile when someone asks that because my late friend Anne did that once, bless her soul. Let's just say her husband wasn't impressed!
A little coffee accentuates the flavour of chocolate but if you like, you can just substitute and additional cup of milk for the coffee. It's not a problem.
To prepare the Caramel Coconut Pecan Filling
First toast the coconut and pecans so they can cool before using them. I toast pecans at 350 degrees on an aluminum baking sheet for about 8 minutes or so, turning them once during the toasting time.
I toast the coconut the same way, but toss it about every 3 minutes, so that it toasts evenly. Just keep doing that until the toasted coconut reaches a nice brown colour.
Meanwhile add the brown sugar, evaporated milk, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla extract to a medium sized saucepan.
Cook over medium low heat stirring constantly until the mixture begins to boil and thicken. I cooked it for about 2-3 minutes after it started boiling well.
It is very important to stir this constantly or it WILL stick to the bottom and burn. I use a silicone spatula to stir and constantly scrape the entire surface of the bottom of the pot to make sure it does not stick in any one place.
Once thickened and bubbling add the toasted coconut and pecans.
Cool the filling to room temperature, stirring occasionally before using it to fill the layers of the cake.
To prepare the Chocolate Frosting
Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler and let cool back to almost room temperature.
Mix the butter, cocoa and icing sugar together until the butter is broken up well into small pieces and distributed throughout the sugar. It may still look powdery at this point.
Add the melted chocolate chips, vanilla extract and 3 tbsp milk.
Beat together well until smooth, fluffy and creamy. You can add more milk if you want a softer textured frosting or a little more icing sugar if you want a stiffer frosting.
To Construct the Cake
Spread the filling over the centre and top of the cake.
Frost the sides of the cake with the chocolate buttercream icing if adding that option.
Notes
This is quite a rich cake, so I serve it as half slices, usually getting 12 full slices x 2 to get 24 servings in total. |
This recipe for German Chocolate Cake is from