Author Notes
This cake is decadent! The chocolate cake layers are from Bobby Flay’s German Chocolate Cake recipe. It is the best recipe for chocolate cake I have ever tried. The layers are very rich and moist – almost like a brownie. The frosting is my own, but nothing fancy – just a vanilla cream frosting with a little cream cheese to cut the sweetness. —Justforlicks
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Ingredients
- For the Chocolate Cake
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2 1/4 cups
All Purpose Flour
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3 teaspoons
Baking Powder
-
3/4 teaspoon
Baking Soda
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3/4 teaspoon
Salt
-
12 tablespoons
Unsalted Butter, at room temperature (plus extra for the pans)
-
1 cup
Plus 2 Tablespoons good quality Dutch process cocoa powder (such as Valhrona or Cocoa Barry)
-
1 1/2 cups
Light Brown Sugar
-
1 1/2 cups
Granulated Sugar
-
1 1/2 cups
Strongly Brewed Black Coffee, at room temperature
-
1 1/2 cups
Buttermilk
-
3
Large Eggs
-
2 teaspoons
Pure Vanilla Extract
- Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting
-
1
lb. Box Powdered Sugar
-
8 tablespoons
Butter, softened
-
1
8 oz. package Cream Cheese
-
1 1/2 teaspoons
Pure Vanilla Extract
-
3/4 cup
Milk, aprrox.
-
3 cups
Sweetened Coconut Flakes
Directions
- For the Chocolate Cake
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter 2 (9-inch) cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
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Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
-
Melt the 12 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the sugars and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the coffee, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract and continue whisking until smooth and just combined.
-
Slowly add the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until combined.
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Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake on the middle rack until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes.
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Let cool in the pans on a baking rack for 20 minutes. Then invert the cakes onto the baking rack and let cool for at least 1 hour.
-
Slice each cake in half horizontally (if you are unsteady with a knife, use a piece of thread and pull it through the middle of the cake). Put 1 cake layer on a cake round or platter and spread 1/4 of the frosting evenly over the top. Sprinkle un-toasted coconut flakes on top of the frosting. Repeat to make 3 layers and top with the remaining cake layer with frosting and toasted coconut.
- Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting
-
For the Coconut - Toast 1 cup in toaster until lightly browned. Save the rest for the cake layers.
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For the Frosting - Mix all ingredients together and beat until smooth. Add the milk slowly, as you do not want the frosting too runny.
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