• Preheat oven to 350℉ and place oven rack in center of oven.
• Grease and flour cake pans. I usually bake mine in three 9” pans but not because it is the magic size…because I don’t have any 8” pans.
• Melt the butter in saucepan over medium heat.
• Whisk in cocoa powder a bit at a time so it does not clump up.
• Add coffee and milk, whisking until incorporated.
• Add in both sugars, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until combined.
• Divide batter between pans and bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the sponge comes out clean. About 20-22 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Frosting

• Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a medium size saucepan.
• Stir in cocoa powder and vanilla extract.
• Stir in powdered sugar, a half a cup at a time, alternating with the milk until desired consistency is reached.

Coconut Frosting

• Combine the brown sugar, evaporated milk, butter and egg yolk in a medium size saucepan over medium heat whisking constantly until mixture has bubbled and thickened.
• Remove from heat and add in the vanilla, coconut, and pecans.
• Allow to cool before using.

Assembly

• Place one cooled cake round on a cake plate and top with ⅓ of the coconut frosting. Repeat with additional cake layers until the top layer is covered with the last remaining ⅓ of the coconut frosting.
• Frost the sides with the chocolate frosting.
• Enjoy!