What sets this chocolate cake apart from others is that it is prepared with honey, not sugar. The German Coconut Frosting makes this cake irresistible!
INGREDIENTS:
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 2 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups honey
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
GERMAN COCONUT FROSTING
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
INSTRUCTIONS:
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Combine dry ingredients. Mix well with a fork or sift so that the cocoa is well incorporated with the flour (it tends to clump together).
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until they are light. Add honey and mix well. Add the oil and vanilla, and beat until combined.
- Add the buttermilk, a little at a time, to the cooled chocolate, stirring well after each addition.
- Add the buttermilk-chocolate mixture to the honey-egg mixture, beating well. Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined. Do not beat.
- Pour into 2 buttered and floured 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes. Cake is done when a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool before taking out of pans.
- Let cake cool completely before frosting.
GERMAN COCONUT FROSTING
- Combine butter, maple syrup, honey, eggs, and heavy cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a whisk until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, coconut, and walnuts.
- Cool to room temperature before filling and frosting cake.
- Makes enough to frost and fill one 9-inch, double-layer cake.
