German chocolate layer cake (Milk Bar)

Preheat the oven to 350F (176.7C).

Grease a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.

Mix butter and both sugars on medium speed for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy; scrape down the bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time; beat on high for four minutes.

Keep mixing while adding the buttermilk, vanilla and oil very slowly; mix another couple of minutes until the mixture is nearly white and doubled, with no streaks.

Whisk cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet on low just until combined, with no lumps of cocoa or flour; scrape down the sides.

Pour into the pan, spread evenly with a spatula, and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the sides bounce back slightly and the center does not jiggle.

Coconut crack filling: grease a baking dish (a loaf pan if available).

Mix both sugars, milk powder, salt and the corn powder on low until evenly blended; add melted butter until moist.

Add the vanilla and heavy cream and mix until the white streaks disappear; add the egg yolks and mix until homogenous and glossy.

Pour into the pan and bake in a preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes, until set around the edges and jiggly in the middle.

Mix the baked filling with shredded coconut.

Pecan crunch: toast chopped pecans on a baking tray in the oven.

Blend the toasted pecans with brown sugar and oil in a blender or food processor to a wet, sandy consistency; mix with cornflakes (in place of feuilletine).

Toast shredded coconut on a baking pan in the oven, for the top of the cake.

Chocolate frosting: mix softened butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt; on the lowest speed stream in whole milk until silky smooth.

Malt cake soak: mix whole milk with two tablespoons of Ovaltine.

Flip the cooled cake upside down; cut two circles with a six inch cake ring and keep the scraps for the bottom layer, pressed into the shape of the ring.

Set the cake ring on a plate and line it with acetate, taped.

Press the scraps in as the bottom layer and soak with the malt soak; sprinkle on coconut crack filling, then pecan crunch, then chocolate frosting.

Add a second cake layer and repeat; finish with the top cake layer, frosting and toasted coconut.

Set in the freezer overnight.