Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour three 9” round cake pans or line with parchment paper for easy release. Set Aside.

To a medium sized bowl, add the chopped chocolate. Pour the boiling hot water over the chocolate and stir gently until it is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

Using your stand mixer or hand mixer, cream butter and sugar together for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl about halfway through.

Separate egg whites from yolks, reserving the egg whites. Add each of the yolks, one at a time, to the butter and sugar, mixing after each addition.

Add in the vanilla and the melted chocolate and mix until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt alternately with the buttermilk. Mixing until just combined. Scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. 

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold into the batter.

Divide the cake batter evenly between three prepared 9-inch round cake pans and bake for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool slightly before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting, heat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and beaten egg yolks in a saucepan over medium heat until thick and golden brown. Takes about 5 minutes. Make sure to stir constantly so as not to scramble the eggs. Remove from the heat and add in the vanilla, shredded coconut and chopped pecans. Cool for at least 30 minutes. The frosting will continue to thicken as it cools. 

To assemble the cake, set the first cake layer on a cake plate and frost just the top with ⅓ of the frosting. Repeating with the next two layers, leaving the sides of the cake bare.