[Food Stop] Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake

Hi there!

I try to bake a homemade cake for our family birthdays, so my daughter's request this year for her 16th birthday was a German Chocolate Cake.  I found an Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake recipe on Epicurious, and it turned out great!

Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake (Serves 12)

Ingredients

For cake layers

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup boiling-hot water

For filling (you can double this recipe, if desired, because it could have used more filling)

7 ounces sweetened (I used unsweetened) flaked coconut
4 ounces coarsely chopped pecans (1 cup)
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla

For glaze

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
10 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Special equipment: 3 (9-inch) round cake pans

Preparation

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 350F and oil cake pans.  Line bottoms of pans with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.  Whisk together whole milk, butter, whole egg, yolk, vanilla, and almond extract in another large bowl until just combined.  Beat egg mixture into flour mixture with an electric mixer on low speed, then beat on high speed 1 minute.  Reduce speed to low and beat in water until just combined (batter will be thin).  Divide batter among cake pans (about 1 1/2 cups per pan) and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans and rotating them 180 degrees halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, 20 - 25 minutes total (I would err on less time, even checking it after 15 minutes total, since cakes are thin).

Cool layers in pans on racks 15 minutes.  Turn a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove parchment or wax paper and cool layers completely.

Make filling:
Reduce oven temperature to 325F.

Spread coconut in a large shallow baking pan and pecans in another.  Bake pecans in upper third of oven and coconut in lower third, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 - 18 minutes (again, watch carefully as my first batch of pecans burned).  Remove pans from oven.

Two options for caramelizing the sweetened condensed milk---
1.  Increase oven temperature to 425F.  Pour condensed milk into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and cover tightly with foil.  Bake milk in a water bath in middle of oven 45 minutes.  Refill baking pan with water to reach halfway up pie plate and bake milk until thick and brown, about 45 minutes more.  Remove pie plate from water bath.
2.  As an alternative to the directions for caramelizing the sweetened condensed milk, I placed an unopened can of the milk covered in a bath of water, slowly boiling it over the stove for 2 hours.  (NOTE:  Be careful when you remove the can because it will be hot, as well as when you open it, so let it cool because the milk is under pressure and will shoot out!)

Stir in coconut, pecans, and vanilla and keep warm, covered with foil.

Make glaze while milk is baking or boiling:
Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan.  Remove pan from heat and add chocolate and corn syrup, whisking until chocolate is melted.  Transfer 1 cup glaze to a bowl, reserving remaining glaze at room temperature in pan.

Chill glaze in bowl, stirring occasionally, until thickened and spreadable, about 1 hour.

Assemble cake:
Put 1 cake layer (I first placed layer on a cardboard round) on a rack set over a baking pan (to catch excess glaze).  Drop half of coconut filling by spoonfuls evenly over layer and gently spread with a wet spatula.  Top with another cake layer and spread with remaining filling in same manner.  Top with remaining cake layer and spread chilled glaze evenly over top and side of cake.  Heat reserved glaze in pan over low heat, stirring, until glossy and pourable, about 1 minute.  Pour glaze evenly over top of cake, making sure it coats sides. Shake rack gently to smooth glaze.

Chill cake until firm, about 1 hour.  Transfer cake to a plate.

Cooks' notes:  

• Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days.  Bring to room temperature before serving.
• For easier handling when assembling cake, place bottom layer on a cardboard round or the removable bottom of a tart or cake pan.

The youngest is 16 and she still makes this expression that she made as a toddler!

Do you have any family birthday traditions?  Let me know because I love traditions and think traditions are important & special!  Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl