Well now I can't stop thinking about chocolate cake!
I'm intrigued about the frosting. Do you have a recipe for it you'd recommend? I had a quick search online, and the ones I looked at had condensed milk. Ian isn't meant to have dairy, but I can get coconut condensed milk which I think might work well here.
I actually have a recipe that uses unsweetened coconut milk. It still has butter in it, so it’s not dairy free. I’m guessing you could substitute margarine or a butter substitute. In the US butter substitutes vary in fat content. Some are 6g of fat per 14g of butter substitutes. Others are 11g fat per 14g of butter substitutes. The higher fat butter substitutes is better for applications such as frosting.
Since pecan frosting is quite rich it’s generally just used as a filling, with a layer on top. The sides of a traditional German chocolate cake is not frosted. If you want to frost the sides of the cake, depending on the size, you may need to double the batch.
Some bakers like to use a mixture of brown and white sugar for more caramel notes. Personally it makes it a bit too rich for my taste. One of these days though I may try it with some Lyles golden syrup.
Coconut Pecan Frosting
Adapted from Gramercy Tavern Cookbook
85g (4 large) egg yolks, whisked smooth
200g (1 cup) cane sugar
240g (1 cup) unsweetened coconut milk
113g (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed and slightly softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
140g (1 3/4 cups) sweetened shredded coconut, toasted to light golden brown
165g (1 1/2 cups) chopped pecans, toasted
- In medium bowl whisk egg yolks, set aside
- In saucepan on med-high heat bring sugar and coconut milk to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Temper yolks by slowly whisking 1/3 of the hot coconut milk mixture into them
- Slowly pour tempered yolks into the saucepan
- Cook over med-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 185°. (DO NOT BOIL)
- Stir in the butter, toasted coconut, pecans, and vanilla
- Transfer to a shallow heat proof container. Cover the surface with plastic wrap. Cool until it thickens to a spreadable consistency
