German Chocolate Cake Recipe

Servings: 8
Prep time: 25 minutes
Total time: 2 hours

for the cake batter:
12 ounces|350 grams German chocolate or semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
2 cups|385 grams cake flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ cups|315 grams granulated sugar
½ cup|125 ml vegetable oil, plus some for greasing
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup|250 ml whole milk

for the filling:
4 large egg yolks
¾ cup|125 grams packed light brown sugar,
⅓ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 (14-ounce|397-gram) cans unsweetened condensed milk
4 cups|360 grams sweetened shredded coconut
2 ½ cups|260 grams salted and roasted pecans, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease 3 round (9-inch) cake pans with butter and line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and set the pans aside.
2. Place a medium heatproof bowl over a medium saucepan filled with 2-inches water. Place on the stove over medium heat. Add the chocolate to the bowl and cook until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
4. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and oil using a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the whole eggs and vanilla and beat until light, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add half of the flour and mix until combined, then half of the milk. Beat until incorporated, then mix in the remaining flour until smooth. Add the rest of the milk and beat until combined. Fold in the chocolate and set aside.
5. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter until incorporated, then divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the cake pans and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
6. Make the filling: Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and set aside. Heat the brown sugar, butter, and sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 2 minutes, then slowly whisk into the egg yolks. Transfer back to the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until a thermometer reads 145°F. Fold in the coconut, pecans, vanilla, and salt and set aside to cool.
7. To assemble the cake, cover one of the cakes with ⅓ of the filling mixture. Top with another layer of cake and top that with another ⅓ of the filling. Finish with the remaining cake layer and filling and serve.

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