Chocolate Layer Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting

Name: Chocolate Layer Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting
Yield: Serves 12
Ingredients: 1/4 cup, natural cocoa powder; 2 teaspoons, instant espresso powder, or instant coffee; 1/3 cup, boiling water; 2 teaspoons, vanilla extract; 1/3 cup, plain yogurt, nonfat, or buttermilk; 12 tablespoons, unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened; 1 1/4 cups, granulated sugar; 3 , large eggs, at room temperature; 1 1/4 cups, unbleached all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon, baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon, table salt; 4 , egg yolks; 1 cup, granulated sugar; 1/4 teaspoon, table salt; 8 tablespoons, unsalted butter (1 stick), softened; 1 cup, heavy cream; 1 teaspoon, vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups, pecans, toasted; 7 ounces (198 grams), sweetened flaked coconut, about 2 cups lightly packed

Desserts or Baked Goods
Chocolate
Cakes

Appears in Cook's Illustrated July/August 1994

Starting with a Velvet Devil's Food Cake, the author tests each ingredient to produce the best six chocolate cake recipes, from a sour cream layer cake to a low-fat, low-guilt variation.

SERVES 12

TIME 2 hours, plus 2 hours 40 minutes cooling

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