Almond Bliss German Chocolate Cake

By AzWench

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• Custard Icing:
• 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 5 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• Garnish:
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries, optional

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

To Make the Cake: Place one baking rack one-third from the bottom of the oven and the second two-thirds from the bottom. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds, grease with butter, and dust with flour (or spray the paper with Baker's Joy).

Place the chocolate in a small saucepan, pour the boiling water over, and stir until the chocolate has dissolved completely. (If it doesn't completely dissolve, put the pan on the stovetop over low heat and stir until it does. Do not leave it unattended; chocolate burns easily.) Remove from the heat to cool.

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and beat on medium-high for 1 minute. Stir the baking soda in the buttermilk until it dissolves. Add half the buttermilk mixture alternately with half of the flour, mixing on low speed after each addition. Repeat with the remaining buttermilk mixture and flour. Stir in the salt, chocolate mixture, and vanilla. Stir in the chocolate chips.

In a clean medium bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed, using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate batter using a large rubber spatula, which makes for lighter and easier folding.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Set two layers on one rack and the third on the other. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Monitor the layers carefully for doneness; each one may be done at a different time. Cool the cakes in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto racks and cool completely.

To Make the Icing: Arrange the almond slices on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown and aromaticup Cool the nuts completely.

Heat the milk, cream of coconut, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter has completely melted. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth. Slowly pour 3 tablespoons of the hot milk mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, unto the yolk mixture, whisking briskly until the yolks have absorbed the hot liquid. (Pouring in a little of the hot liquid helps to temper the eggs, which keeps them from curdling.) Slowly pour the tempered yolk mixture into the hot milk mixture still over the medium heat, whisking constantly. Continue whisking about 7 to 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens, takes on the consistency of custard, and seems thick enough to spread. Stir in the coconut and almonds. Let the icing cool at least 15 minutes.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter and cover the top generously with frosting. Add the second and third layers, frosting the top of each. Do not frost the sides of the cake, but it's okay if some of the icing oozes out. Decorate the top of the cake with sliced fresh strawberries.

To serve, cut the cake with a serrated knife, dipping it into a tall glass of hot water between each cut. Wrap the cake well if you do not plan to serve it within a few hours. It can be refrigerated up to 3 days.