Moist chocolate cake slathered with gooey coconut pecan frosting and wrapped with decadent chocolate frosting.
Guess what? It’s Birch Tree Baking’s 1st Birthday!! I started this blog one year ago when I was twiddling my thumbs in high school. I know it’s cheesy but this year has truly flown by. Since then I’ve graduated from high school, started college, began a club, finished a successful semester, bought a fancy/slightly terrifying camera, and made a whole-lotta baked goods! I have posted 43 recipes, 2 skill work posts, and 2 goofy posts. I was talking with my mom the other day about how ironic it is that I am writing voluntarily and for fun when I used to sit at the kitchen table and have meltdowns over English essays.
So to wish my website a happy birthday, I made a cake … is that weird?
This is my favorite cake…I usually can’t make up my mind about what is my favorite cookie, brownie, cake, etc., but I can definitely say this is my favorite cake. Red Velvet and these Almond Joy Cupcakes are probably close seconds. I made this cake while I was at home a month ago so this post has been painful to write … writing about the cake from heaven and looking at pictures of the cake from heaven without having a slice of the cake from heaven sitting next to my computer was a unpleasant experience.
This cake is light, moist, and chocolatey all at the same time. Then you slather coconut pecan frosting on top, circle it with rich chocolate frosting and you have yumminess. Chocolate cake is good but this coconut pecan frosting adds another layer of awesomeness. It’s gooey and sweet and has the coconut texture and the pecan crunch…I’m drooling.
Ok now that I have my chin wiped off.
I’m going to be completely honest… this was me at one point in time…
I’m not proud of it, but this scene in Sleeping Beauty makes me feel better…even fairies make cakes that fall over sometimes. I made this cake for my friend’s birthday, but I was a wimp when greasing and flouring the pans … and let’s just say the cake fell apart a little.
Don’t be afraid of this recipe, it was completely baker error. Just generously grease and flour your pans and you’ll have this beauty to plant your face in!
I originally didn’t plan on putting the ring of chocolate frosting around the outside, but the coconut pecan frosting isn’t extremely thick so it helps to keep it glued together. It’s also much prettier and who doesn’t need more chocolate in their life?
You could definitely make this cake look prettier by piping around the edges but ….
1) I don’t have the patience for that
2) I don’t have the skill for that
3) I like the rustic look…it may not work on a more delicate cake, but it works here especially when you throw it on a pretty cake platter.
Enjoy cake eatin’!
… and voilà!
Too much drool!!!
- 4 oz. German Chocolate
- ½ cup milk
- 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ salt
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup sour cream
- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup water
- 3 eggs yolks
- ½ cup salted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4-5 Tablespoons milk
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Generously grease and flour three 9 inch cake pans.*
- Microwave the chocolate and milk for 1½ minutes. Stir until until completely melted. Set aside.
- In another bowl, sift flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until there are no lumps.
- Add eggs one at a time. Beat well.
- Add half of the flour mixture.
- Add vanilla and the chocolate mixture.
- Add the rest of the flour mixture.
- Add the sour cream.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat again.
- Divide the batter between the three pans.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.*
- Run a knife around the edges and let the cakes sit for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, flip the cakes onto cooling racks.
- Whisk condensed milk, water, and egg yolks together in a saucepan.
- Add butter and cook over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes stirring constantly and alternating between spatula and whisk. If the eggs start to curdle, remove from heat and whisk until they stop.
- Turn the heat down to low and cook for another 5 minutes stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and add the vanilla, pecans, and coconut.
- Let sit for 5 minutes in a clean bowl (so the eggs don't curdle).
- Put the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes or until a spreadable consistency.
- Beat butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and cocoa.
- Add vanilla and 4 T. milk. If it's too thick add the extra Tablespoon of milk.
- Put one cake layer on a platter and spread some coconut pecan frosting on top.
- Repeat with the other 2 layers.
- Put in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Spread the chocolate frosting around the side with a straight edged spatula or a knife until completely smooth.
* To make a sheet cake: Bake in a 9 x 13 in pan for 15 minutes at 350ºF and then drop the temperature to 325ºF and bake for another 22-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I dropped the temperature so that the edges of the cake don't burn as easily.
Adapted from Sweet Eats by Rose Dunnington
Happy Birthday! Keep blogging!
Thanks!