german chocolate cake.

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i mentioned last year in my cupcake version of this recipe that this is what my mom always has for her birthday in april. so i associate german chocolate with springtime and also

EASTER!

coconut flakes and those dangerous little cadbury mini eggs are the eastery-est!

i like the dark chocolate ones best, but i can hang with milk chocolate toooooo.

you can bruce bogtrotter that, no problem.

i only live with one person so a wee 4 inch layer cake is the perfect size. plus, it's very cute & petite.

if you have a bigger familia, i'd double the cake batter recipe and use two 8 inch round cake pans. 

this recipe is the exact same as my german chocolate cupcake version, but i altered the frosting recipe here since there's much more surface area to be covered with a layer cake. 

if you're into coconut, this cake is for you! i basically subbed every coconut ingredient possible here. coconut sugar, coconut oil, and then both unsweetened and sweetened coconut flakes in the frosting. 

what a sweet little cake baby.

and you can make it festive, too!

German Chocolate Cake

Yields (1) 4 inch round 2-layer cake

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake Layers

  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar (or granulated sugar)
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup boiling water
  • 2 oz. of a dark chocolate bar, chopped (I used Lindt 70% Dark Chocolate)

Coconut Pecan Frosting

  • 2/3 cup coconut sugar (or granulated sugar)
  • 3/4 cup evaporated milk
  • 5 TB. unsalted butter
  • 3 eggs, beaten in a separate small bowl
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
  • 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut flakes
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans, plus a handful of extra for cupcake toppings
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt

Instructions-

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients for the cake. In a smaller bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients for the cake, except the hot water.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Pour the boiling water into the mixture and stir. Lastly, fold in the chopped dark chocolate.

Line two 4" cake pans with parchment and add cooking spray. Fill the pans about 2/3 full with cake batter. Place the cake pan on top of a baking sheet when baking.

Bake for 26 minutes, testing the center at 24 minutes with a toothpick to see if it comes clean.

While the cake layers are baking, prepare the frosting.  In a sauce pan, combine the coconut sugar, evaporated milk, and butter on medium-high heat. In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Scoop 1/2 cup of the hot liquid from the pan into the bowl with the beaten eggs and whisk to temper. Add the egg mixture to the sauce pan.

Whisk continuously on medium-high until it begins to bubble. Once bubbling and thickened, remove from heat and add the vanilla & salt, chopped pecans and shredded coconuts. Mix well and let cool completely.

Remove cupcakes from oven once cooked through. When slightly cooled, transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool all the way through.

Gently level the cake layers with a serrated knife and discard (or eat) the extras. Scoop a 1/2 inch layer of frosting to the leveled side of one cake layer, and stack the other layer on top so that the flat-bottom surface from the cake pan is the top of the cake. 

Using a spatula or butter knife, graze a thin layer of the coconut frosting all around the cake to create a sticky base. You can then use a spatula and/or clean hands to pack the frosting all over the exterior of the cake.

Slice and serve! Enjoy within 3 days.

Chocolate Cake recipe slightly adapted from Molly Yeh!

happy easter!

 

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