3 layer German Chocolate Cake w/ Rum sauce

It was my dad's 60th birthday party last weekend and he requested a german chocolate cake.  Once again, I attempted to make something for a special occasion that I had never made before. I know..I'm a sucker for the unexpected..good or bad!  I was pleased with the outcome. yay me!  There is a rum sauce on each cake layer that created a very moist cake, and the ganache frosting mellowed the sweetness of the filing. A great balance all around.  This is one I will definitely be making again. 

I made some chocolate decorations for the top.  Just melt semisweet chocolate and place in a squeeze bottle or ziplock baggie.  Draw your designs, numbers, monograms etc on some wax paper and place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes until hardened.

I made a '60th' to stick on the top but my 5 year old daughter ate it before I could get a picture. ha!

Makes me want another piece.....

For the cake

I used my Chocolate espresso Cupcake mix for the cake

For the filling

2 cups of heavy cream

2 cups of sugar

6 large egg yokes

6oz unsalted butter cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of  pecans toasted and finely chopped

2 2/3 cups of toasted coconut (sweet or unsweetened)

For the syrup

1 cup of water

3/4 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of dark rum or rum extract

For the chocolate frosting

8oz of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped. (I used both)

2 tablespoons of light corn syrup

1 1/2oz of unsalted butter

1 cup of heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 Butter 3 8-inch pans and line with parchment paper.

CAKE

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  

Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  

Stir in boiling water.  Batter will be thin.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 22-28 minutes.  (every oven cooks so differently so keep a close eye the first time you make this one) Cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes then remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely. 

While the cake is cooling make the filling, syrup and frosting

FILLING                                                                                                             Mix the cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Put the 6 ounces of butter, salt, toasted coconut, and pecan pieces in a large bowl.       Heat the cream mixture on medium high and cook, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture begins to thicken.  Bring the heat down to medium heat halfway through process (about 15 minutes total) Filling will thicken once cooled.                                                                                                Pour the hot custard immediately into the pecan-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted. Cool completely to room temperature.                                                                                                                              

SYRUP                                                                                                                   In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the dark rum. This is more syrup than you will need so you can save it or reduce the recipe.

FROSTING                                                                                                            Place the 8 ounces of chopped chocolate in a bowl with the corn syrup and 1 ½ ounces of butter.    Heat the cream until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand one minute, then stir until smooth.  Cool completely.   To speed up this process you can place in the fridge and stir every 10-15 minutes until desired consistency is reached.  Don't go too long without stirring or it will harden and not be spreadable. 

ASSEMBLE                                                                                                        Remove parchment paper from first layer of cake and place on a cake stand.  Using a pastry brush, spread the rum syrup over the entire cake.  Use 1/3 of the filling on the cake layer and spread to the edges.  Repeat process with the next two layers.  Using an offset spatula, frost the sides of the cake until covered.  Use any remaining frosting to pipe on cake top.    I refrigerated this cake overnight and let it set out appromimently 15 minutes before I served it.  It is good served cooled or at room temperature.  It is easier to slice when it has been chilled.

The filling, syrup and frosting came from David lebovitz