In a large bowl (not the mixing bowl) whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Microwave the chopped chocolate in a small bowl on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir, then repeat until it’s melted – maybe 2 more times. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, oil and eggs until smooth – about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate just until blended. Alternate adding the flour mixture with the milk, starting and ending with the flour. Beat until blended – about 2 minutes. Do not overbeat – it makes cakes tough.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.

Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out almost clean – just a few sticky crumbs clinging to it (see example below). Mine took 35 minutes.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes. I ran a thin knife just around the edges of the pan, then inverted them on a cooling rack and they released perfectly. Cool completely.

Chop the pecans and roast then in a 350 F oven for about 8 minutes, stirring once. Put them in a large bowl with the coconut and let cool while you make the custard.

In a medium saucepan, whisk the milk and egg yolks until smooth. Add the brown sugar, butter, golden syrup, vanilla and salt. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, just until it starts to form swells (see photo). Do not overcook!

Add the custard to the bowl of pecans and coconut and stir to coat. Let cool completely.

Beat the softened butter until smooth. Add sugar and cocoa and blend slightly. Add vanilla and slowly add the milk until you reach a spreadable texture. You want a fairly stiff frosting for this cake.

Place one layer cake right-side up on serving plate. Top with half the filling, to about 1/2 inch from the edge. Place the second layer right-side up on top of the filling and secure. Top the second layer with the rest of the filling, again to about 1/2 inch from the edge.

I then coated the outside edge with the chocolate buttercream, sealing it well. Then I came in with a pastry bag and dotted the top rim with chocolate stars. Or you could scallop the top edge.

Cover and let the cake sit for at least a few hours, preferably overnight. This will soften the sugary layer of the chocolate cake and make it easier to cut and serve.