German Chocolate Cake

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9 inch (24cm) springform pan and line the bottom of it with a circle of parchment paper cut to fit. While the oven is preheating, you can toast the coconut and nuts for the topping (see notes above).
2. Stir together the boiling water and chocolate chips. (I like to pour the boiling water into a one-cup glass measuring cup and add the chocolate chips.) Stir with a fork until the chocolate chips are melted. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
3. In a separate bowl, sieve the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. (The cocoa powder can have lumps, so it's best to put all the dry ingredients through a sieve - no need to use a flour sifter.) Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.
4. In the mixing bowl of an electric beater, combine the eggs and sugar and beat them until they are light coloured and fluffy. Gradually add the oil, then the buttermilk and vanilla, then the lukewarm chocolate water, scraping the glass to get all the bits of chocolate out.
5. Add the flour mixture, one heaped tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat the batter for a further minute until it is smooth. It will be quite a thin batter, but thickens a bit as the flour gets absorbed.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top springs back when touched. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan.
7. While the cake is baking, make the topping: In a small saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and cream or milk until they are well beaten. Add the sugar and butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbles start to form. Continue cooking for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, coconut, and pecans. (See how to toast coconut and nuts in the notes above the recipe.)
8. Allow to cool completely, then spread over the cooled cake.
9. If this cake is not eaten on the first day (unlikely), it is best to store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days.
10. Makes one 9-inch (24cm) single layer cake.
11. TO MAKE A 3-LAYER GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE:
12. Double the cake recipe above and double the topping recipe, too.
13. Divide the batter among three round layer cake pans, greased and lined as above.
14. If using 9-inch (23cm) cake pans, bake them for 25 - 30 minutes and if using 8-inch (20cm pans), bake them for 30 to 35 minutes. (I used 9-inch/23cm pans in my photos.)
15. Let the cakes cool, then divide the cooled topping into roughly thirds. This will be enough to spread between the layers and on top of the cake, leaving the sides bare so you can see the layers.
16. If desired, you can also fill the three layers with the coconut-pecan topping, then frost just the sides of the cake with regular chocolate icing, leaving the coconut/nut layer on top.