German’s Chocolate Cake

Name: German’s Chocolate Cake
Yield: Makes 1 (9-inch) layer cake
Ingredients: 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans; 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 3 teaspoons baking powder; 3/4 teaspoon baking soda; 3/4 teaspoon fine salt; 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder; 1 1/2 cups packed light muscovado sugar; 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1 1/2 cups strong brewed black coffee, at room temperature; 1 1/2 cups buttermilk; 3 large eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 3/4 cups whole milk; 1 3/4 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk; 1 cup goat’s milk or additional whole milk; 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar; Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean; 2 tablespoons light corn syrup; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, chilled; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/8 teaspoon fine salt; 2 teaspoons coconut rum (optional); 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted (see page 250); 1 1/4 cups sweetened shredded coconut; 1 cup heavy cream; 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons light corn syrup; 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (see page 250), for garnish; Coconut Whipped Cream (page 203), for serving; 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, very cold

December 14, 2011

German’s Chocolate Cake is every bit as American as apple pie. German refers not to the country but rather to the last name of the originator of the type of chocolate used in the original recipe—Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate. I’ve kept the essentials of the classic recipe in place—chocolate cake layered with caramel, coconut, and pecans—but tweaked them just enough to proudly call this version my own. The cake itself is dark, moist, and truly chocolaty, and a glaze of chocolate ganache heightens the chocolate flavor without the overpowering sweetness of a traditional buttercream frosting. The real twist is found in the cake’s inner layers: my caramel of choice is cajeta, a liquid dulce de leche Mexican treat of sweetened goat’s milk cooked into a rich, syrupy caramel with smooth coconut milk. And forget a scoop of vanilla ice cream; fluffy coconut whipped cream is the last touch in this to-die-for dessert.

Recipe notes

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