Directions

• CakeWhile the cakes are baking and cooling, make the filling, syrup, and icing.
• Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans and add parchment paper with more butter.
• Melt chocolate in water in microwave or double boiler. Stir until smooth and set aside.
• In a stand mixer, beat the butter and 1 1/4 cups of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add chocolate and mix well. Add egg yolks one at time.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
• Add half the dry ingredients to the stand mixer, then the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until you get soft peaks. Add 1/4 cup sugar and continue until you have stiff peaks.
• Fold about a third of the egg whites into the cake batter. Then fold the rest of the egg whites into the cake batter until you can't see the white of the eggs anymore.
• Place the cake batter into the two separate cake pans and bake about 45 minutes or until the cakes pass the toothpick test.
• Cool cake layers.
• FillingMix the cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan.
• Add the butter, salt, toasted coconut, and toasted pecans to a large bowl; set aside.
• Cook the cream mixture, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spoon or until the temperature reaches 170F.
• Pour the hot mixture immediately into the pecan-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted. Cool completely to room temperature (it will thicken as it cools).
• SyrupIn a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil until sugar dissolves in water.
• Remove from heat and add rum.
• IcingPlace the chopped chocolate in a bowl with the corn syrup and butter.
• Heat the cream until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate mixture. Let stand one minute, then stir until smooth. Let sit until mixture reaches room temperature.
• If your room is a little warm, you may have to put it in the fridge for a few minutes to get the frosting to thicken up.
• Assembly of the CakeRemove cake layers from the pans and cut both cake layers in half horizontally using a serrated bread knife.
• Set the first cake layer on a cake plate. Brush with syrup. Spread 1/4 of the coconut filling over the cake layer. Set another cake layer on top.
• Repeat, using the syrup to brush each cake layer and then spreading 1/4 of the coconut filling over each layer.
• Ice the sides and top with the chocolate icing. Top with the last 1/4 of the filling.