Recipe: Mexican Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting (Bundt pan)

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE



"This cake is my twist on the classic German chocolate cake, which isn't actually German. Nope, it's rumored to hail from East Texas and was known as such because of the brand of chocolate used, not the country of origin. For my Mexican chocolate cake, I took my family's German chocolate cake recipe and then added lots of cinnamon and vanilla with a pinch of cayenne, too. The cake itself is tender and sweet, but it's the frosting that takes this cake over the top. The frosting is made with pecans, cream, and coconut, and as it cools, it becomes a little crisp and tastes like Mexican coconut candy."

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
4 eggs, at room temperature, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate (not chocolate chips), chopped

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt or tube pan.

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and cayenne; set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together the granulated sugar and butter. Stir in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture until well combined; set aside.

Put the chocolate in the top of a double boiler and melt over simmering water while stirring, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir the melted chocolate into the batter until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes, and then invert the pan onto a platter, sticking a knife between the cake and the edges of the pan to help remove it, if necessary. Continue to let it cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.

After the cake has cooled, spread the still warm frosting on top of the cake.

COCONUT-PECAN FROSTING

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk or half-and-half
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

In a dry skillet on low heat, toast the coconut, occasionally stirring, until lightly colored, about 2 minutes. Transfer the coconut to a bowl and add the pecans to the skillet. Toast until a little darker in color and fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the pecans to the same bowl as the coconut; set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the butter, milk, brown sugar, and confectioners' sugar. Cook over low heat, occasionally stirring, until the butter is melted and the frosting has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and salt, then stir in the coconut and pecans. While still warm, spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake.

Makes 1 tube cake, 16 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Ten Speed Press
Adapted from source: The Homesick Texan's Family Table by Lisa Fain