German Chocolate Cake

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Cut rounds of cooking parchment paper to fit each pan and then line the bottoms of the pans with the paper.
2. Coarsely chop the 4 ounces milk chocolate. Gently heat the ½ cup heavy cream on the stove over medium heat until almost boiling. Pour the heavy cream over the chopped chocolate and allow to sit, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. Stir to combine and melt the chocolate. If the chocolate hasn't melted completely, microwave the mixture in 30-second intervals, stirring well between heating.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the 2 cups granulated sugar and 1 cup room temperature unsalted butter with the paddle attachment on medium to high speed until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl down once to properly beat the mixture.
5. Reduce the speed to medium and add the 4 egg yolks, 1 egg yolk at a time, into the sugar mixture until mixed. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate mixture and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
6. With the speed still on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and 1 cup buttermilk until fully incorporated. Once all ingredients are mixed in, increase the speed to high for just a few seconds to whip it together. Transfer this batter to a large clean bowl and wash the stand mixer bowl.
7. Add the 4 egg whites to the cleaned stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Do not overmix. The whites should be light and fluffy; when you pull the whisk away, the peaks should hold a soft shape. Ff they are overmixed, they will break.
8. Add egg whites to the batter and gently fold in using a rubber spatula to turn the batter over the egg whites, continuing until all of the egg whites are fully mixed in. Be sure to be as gentle as possible using the least amount of mixing required to fully incorporate.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, using a rubber spatula to scrape the batter from the bowl. Smooth the tops of the batter with the spatula.
10. Ensure oven racks are adjusted so that cakes bake in the center of the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cakes should also start pulling away from the sides of the pans once baked.
11. Cool the cakes in the pans on a cooling rack. When the pans and cakes are still hot but cool enough to touch, flip cakes out of pan by placing your hand on the cake, inverting pan to release, then set back down on cooling rack with parchment round side down. Allow the cakes to cool fully on the cooling rack.

Coconut-Pecan Filling and Topping

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, stir the 3 egg yolks, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup evaporated milk, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract until well mixed. Cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick and bubbly.
2. Stir in the 1 cup flaked and unsweetened coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans. Cool for 30 minutes, beating occasionally with a spoon until the mixture is spreadable.

Chocolate Frosting

1. Add the ½ cup softened unsalted butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle or whisk attachment, whisk until light and fluffy.
2. Add the ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 3 cups powdered sugar and mix on low speed to combine. With the mixer running, add the ⅓ cup evaporated milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Once combined, increase the speed to high and blend until fully mixed and smooth. The frosting will be thick.

Assemble

1. Remove the parchment rounds from the cakes. Place 1 cake layer, rounded side down, on a cake plate. To keep the plate clean, you can slide strips of parchment paper under the edges of the cake while you frost and then remove them once the cake has been decorated.
2. Spread half of the coconut mixture over the top of the cake. Add second layer and spoon the rest of the coconut mixture on top. I left about an inch of space around the edge of the cake for the frosting.
3. Add the chocolate frosting to a pastry back with a star tip. Pipe stars around the top edge of the cake. Pipe remaining frosting around the sides to coat and then use a spatula to smooth, taking care not to touch the stars on the top.
4. Store cake in airtight container.