Chocolate German Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott, adapted from the Celebrity Edge
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Cake:
- 250ml/8.8flozs. boiling water
- 100g/3.5ozs. cocoa powder, sifted
- 225g/8ozs. cake flour*
- 500g/1.1lbs caster or superfine sugar
- 125g/4ozs. finely shaved or chopped dark chocolate
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 250ml/8.8flozs. buttermilk
- 230ml/8.1flozs. oil
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Coconut Pecan filling
- 185ml/6.5flozs. evaporated milk
- 185g/6.5ozs. white sugar
- 100g/3.5ozs. butter
- 4 egg yolks
- 255g/9ozs. moist coconut flakes, toasted
- 185g/6.5ozs. pecans, toasted and chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cake flour is plain flour where for every 1 cup, 2 tablespoons of flour has been replaced by cornflour/fine cornstarch.
Step 1 - Grease and line 3x20cm/8inch round cake tins and preheat oven to 170C/340F. Whisk the water and cocoa powder and set aside to cool. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, paddle the flour, sugar, baking powder, chocolate and salt until mixed.
Step 2 - In a jug whisk the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla until combined. Add the liquid to the dry and paddle on low speed for 2 minutes until incorporated. Divide evenly among the 3 tins and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the centre springs back when pressed. Cool.
Step 3 - To make the filling, whisk the milk, sugar, butter and egg yolks in a medium size saucepan and cook on medium heat stirring until it becomes slightly thickened. Add the coconut, pecans and vanilla and stir until it becomes a cohesive, spreadable mixture.
Step 4 - Place on cake layer and divide into the topping into thirds and spread on each layer.