German Double-Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• For the Cake
• Baking spray
• 4 ounce semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
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• For the Icing
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 8 1-tablespoon pieces
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut, toasted
• 1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. For the cake, move the oven rack to the center and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 2 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray, fit parchment rounds into the bottoms, and coat the parchment with baking spray too.
2. Put the semisweet chocolate, cocoa powder, and espresso powder in a medium bowl. Pour in the boiling water and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and fully blended, then set it aside.
3. In another medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set that aside as well.
4. Beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar at medium speed until the mixture looks pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each one goes in. Add the vanilla and beat only until it disappears into the batter.
5. Pour in the chocolate mixture and beat until combined, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as you need to. Beat for 1 more minute so everything is nicely incorporated.
6. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk.
7. Split the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until a tester inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
8. Set the cakes on a cooling rack and let them rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out directly onto cooling racks and let them cool completely, about 1 hour.
9. For the icing, once the cakes are cool, whisk the yolks, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large saucepan with a heavy bottom. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk and 6 tablespoons butter, then cook over medium-high heat, whisking the whole time, until the mixture boils and thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.
10. Stir in the chocolate and keep cooking until it has melted fully and blended into the icing. Take the pan off the heat, then stir in the vanilla and 1 cup coconut. Scrape the icing into a bowl and let it cool a little, about 10 minutes.
11. To assemble, set 1 cake layer on a cake stand or platter. Use an offset spatula or a dinner knife to spread half the icing over the cake, then scatter half the pecans on top. Add the 2nd cake layer. Spread the rest of the icing over the top, then finish with the remaining pecans and coconut. Serve.