Cake Tuesday: Bobby Flays Awesome German Chocolate Cake

A special cake for celebrations and the holidays! Recipe and video.

From Denny: We love the Food Network at our house and often watch Bobby Flay on his show "Throwdown!" You get to find out what other people are cooking throughout the country as well as view a trained chef figure out how to match their recipes. It's a friendly "show-off cook-off" and always entertaining. Chef Bobby Flay has compiled his best - and most popular - recipes from the show into a new cookbook called "Throwdown!"

Here's a bit of cake trivia: Did you know that German Chocolate Cake is not from Germany? It's actually named after Sam German because he was the guy who created the type of distinctive chocolate baked into the cake. Technically, says Chef Flay, it should be called German's Chocolate Cake. Well, oops, too late, Bobby. America calls it German Chocolate Cake.

This recipe is a great idea to serve for the upcoming holidays. OK, since it's chocolate I'd serve it year 'round since chocolate seems to make the most mundane suddenly special... :)







Bobby Flay's German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Cajeta Frosting

Makes: one 4-layer cake

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the cake pans
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutchprocess cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light muscovado sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups strong brewed black coffee, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Frosting:

1 3/4 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup goat's milk or additional whole milk
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, cold
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1⁄8 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons coconut rum (optional)
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 1/4 cups sweetened shredded coconut


Ganache:

1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Coconut Whipped Cream (recipe follows), for serving
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, for garnish
1/4 finely chopped pecans, toasted, for garnish


Directions:

To bake the cake, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to
325°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the muscovado and granulated sugars, and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add the coffee, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract, and continue whisking until smooth and just combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared cake pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then invert the cakes onto the wire rack and let cool for at least 1 hour before frosting.

To make the frosting, combine the milk, coconut milk, and goat's milk in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Keep warm while you prepare the caramel.

Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat, and cook without stirring until a deep amber color, 8-10 minutes. Slowly and carefully whisk in the warm milk mixture, and continue whisking until smooth. Add the vanilla seeds and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is reduced by half and has the consistency of a caramel sauce, about 55 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla extract, salt, and rum (if using). Transfer the sauce to a medium bowl and stir in the pecans and shredded coconut. Let the frosting cool to room temperature, stirring it occasionally, before frosting the cake.

To assemble the cake, slice each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer on a cake round, and spread one-third of the frosting evenly over the top. Repeat to make 3 layers, and then top with the remaining cake layer, top side up.


Coconut Whipped Cream:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, very cold
1/4 cup cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon coconut rum
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whisk until soft peaks form.


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