German Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting

German Choccolate Cake decorated with Buttercream Frosting and toasted coconut.

German Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting

A luscious German chocolate cake with layers of cake and coconut frosting topped with a rum buttercream.

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Keyword buttercream, cake, chocolate, coconut, german

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 5

Servings Slices

Calories 1189kcal

Author Barb

Ingredients

For the Cake

¼ cup cocoa
½ cup water
1 tablespoon instant espresso
4 large eggs separated
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 cup buttermilk

For the Rum Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum

For the Coconut Pecan Frosting

1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups sugar
4 egg yolks slightly beaten
¾ cup butter
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon dark rum
2 cups shredded coconut
1 ½ cups chopped pecans

For the Rum Buttercream

½ cup of salted butter
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon rum
3 to 4 tablespoons half and half

For Garnish

¼ cup toasted coconut optional

Instructions

To Make the Cake

Heat oven to 350°F
Cover bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round pans with parchment; butter sides of pans and parchment and dust with cocoa.
Warm chocolate and water in a small pan on medium heat until chocolate is melted; stirring constantly. Add instant espresso and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
Beat egg whites in small bowl with mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form; set aside.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt.
Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each.
Blend in melted chocolate, vanilla and rum.
Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.
Fold in egg whites; stir gently until well blended. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Immediately run small knife around cakes in pans.
Cool cakes in pans 15 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely (See Notes).

Make the Syrup

In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the dark rum; allow to cool.

Make the Coconut Pecan Frosting

Combine heavy cream, sugar, slightly beaten egg yolks, butter, vanilla and rum in saucepan.
Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat.
Stir in shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
Cool until thick enough to spread.

Make the Rum Buttercream

Cream the butter in a mixer until fluffy using the paddle attachment.
Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined.
Add the rum and half and half and mix until smooth and spreadable (you might need to add more cream to get to the perfect consistency for you).

To Assemble

Put the first cake layer on a plate and brush with 1/4 cup syrup. Top with 1/3 of of the Coconut Frosting. Repeat for the next two layers; leaving a one inch edge on the outside of the top layer un-frosted.
Pipe the Rum Buttercream around the outside edge of the top layer. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Notes

This cake has the most delicate crumb; use caution when removing the cake layers from the pans to keep them from breaking apart. Allow to cool completely before assembly and use the same caution. I simply used a large spatula to help me support each layer as I put it on the plate.

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