If you like separating eggs, spending your afternoon making cake, doing a plethora of dishes, and eating coconut and nuts, then this cake is for you!! I won’t even try to hide the fact that it will take over your life and your kitchen. But it’s amazing! Having said that, if you’re more a lazy-walks-and-afternoon-naps-and-despise-coconut-and-nuts-in-your-cake person, I owe you a post! Haha! Better yet, head on over to Marshmallow Popcorn or Rice Krispie Treats and you’ll have a great snack within minutes. And very minimal dishes. The trick to moist cake? Cook it just until that toothpick comes out clean. No more. Now set aside everything you were going to do today and make cake!!
Cake:
1 4-oz. pkg. German sweet chocolate
½ c water
4 eggs, separated
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
¼ t salt
1 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
1 t vanilla
1 c buttermilk
Frosting:
4 egg yolks
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
1½ t vanilla
1½ c sugar
¾ c butter or margarine
1 7-oz. pkg. angel flake coconut (2 2/3 cups)
1½ c chopped pecans
Drizzle (optional):
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 T shortening
To make cake, grease sides of three 9-inch round cake pans with shortening. Cover bottoms of cake pans with wax paper. Microwave chocolate and water for 1 minute on high. Stir. Heat an additional 30 seconds in microwave. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Set aside. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Sift flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, until incorporated. Blend in melted chocolate mixture and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Stir in egg whites until fully incorporated. Pour into cake pans, dividing evenly. Bake at 350°F for 24-27 minutes or just until toothpick comes out clean. (Start frosting while cake is cooking so it will have time to cool.) Remove from oven. Loosen edges with spatula. Cool in pans for 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool on wire racks.
Make frosting by whisking egg yolks, milk and vanilla in large saucepan. Add sugar and butter and stir over medium heat until mixture boils. Cook, stirring constantly, for 12 minutes or until mixture is thickened and golden brown. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut and nuts. Cool.
To assemble cake, place one cake on plate dusted with powdered sugar. Spread frosting between cake layers and on top of cake. If drizzling chocolate, melt semi-sweet chocolate and shortening in microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted and smooth. Drizzle down sides of cake.
Source: Baker’s
