• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Grease 3 6-inch cake pans (or 2 8-inch pans), then add a circle of parchment paper cut to fit the bottoms.
• Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy .
• Beat in eggs.
• In another bowl, blend together unsweetened cocoa powder with cold water until smooth and no lumps remain.
• In a third bowl, whisk or sift together flour, with baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
• Blend everything together with the creamed mixture.
• Pour into prepared pans (I use a kitchen scale to get the pans the same weight).
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through. A toothpick in the middle should come out clean and tops should spring back if pressed with a finger.
• Cool completely on wire racks, then remove from pans, and frost as you wish.

German Chocolate Frosting

• Toast the coconut and pecans over low heat in a large nonstick sauté pan, stirring often.
• Whisk egg egg yolks and evaporated milk together in a bowl, then strain to remove egg clumps.
• In a nonstick saucepan melt the butter with the sugars over low-medium heat.
• Whisk the egg yolk mixture in slowly to temper the eggs. Cook at a low boil for 3 minutes until thickened.
• Whisk in vanilla, then stir in the toasted coconut and pecans.
• Allow the frosting to cool a bit before frosting the cake. Put more in between the two bottom layers than you think you need.