As much as I welcome fall, there’s still unfinished business to close out from summer—the birthday celebration of the Leos.
I often experience my NY food adventures with my culinary posse, Jackie & Margaret. It just so happens that our birthdays occur during the summer months. We celebrate not with gifts but dinner together, with each of us selecting a restaurant that we want to visit and dine out in true foodie-style.
We only managed to recentlycelebrate Margaret’s birthday because of everyone’s summer travels. This actually worked out for Jackie and me since we both feel that fall weather brings an increased appetite, which lets us to enjoy and sample more dishes.
Every March, I make a German Chocolate Cake for my friend’s birthday, it’s his absolute favorite., but it seems right for the Leos and everyone else. So here it is, a celebratory double chocolate tea cake with a German chocolate topping.
Coconut Pecan Topping
Chocolate-Chocolate Loaf
1. Whisk yolks in medium saucepan; gradually whisk in coconut milk. Add sugars, butter, and salt and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is boiling, frothy, and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla, rum then stir in shredded coconut. Transfer mixture to bowl and cool until just warm. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Just before cake assembly, reserve 2 tablespoons of pecans and stirred the rest into topping.
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350℉. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan, set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together pastry flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and both sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, add eggs one at a time until combined, scrape down side of bowl if needed.
3. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture in two additions, alternating with coffee mixture until just combined. Fold in both melted chocolate and chopped chocolate until evenly distributed. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until skewer comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes. Let loaf cool in pan completely, about 60 minutes.
4. Remove cake from loaf pan and place teacake on serving platter, right side up. Spoon topping on top of cake and sprinkle coconut flakes (if use) and reserved toasted pecans. Serve.
adapted from Huckberry
