Bobby Flay's German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting

Last night was my first attempt at making a cake. It wasn't a wedding cake - it's a recipe in Bar Americain by Bobby Flay. I have been (and still am) working my way through that cook book, which is why that recipe was chosen.
The thing was, because I will be leaving for Asia on Monday (and for two weeks), I had no intention of buying new ingredients. I modified the recipe using what was in my pantry. In the end, I had only the ingredients for, and so only made, only the cake and the coconut/pecan frosting. Also, because I was not going to make the Ganache nor the whipped cream, I didn't bother making a proper layered cake. The purpose really was just to make a cake and try it -- nothing more.

So this is how it came out. I had one massive piece of 13" cake that I cut up into smaller pieces and just scooped the frosting on top. When I tried it last night I thought it was ok only. I found the cake a bit thick and thought perhaps it was not cooked (even though the tooth pick came out clean). I also found that the outer shell of the cake was really thick and dry while the inside was yummy and moist.
I put it in the fridge overnight and tried it again this morning. It was delicious! The cake itself settled really well! The frosting thickened and was a touch sweeter. The density was not as moist and so it was clear the cake was cooked through. The morning tasting reminded me of a brownie. I will try to make it again properly next time but I'll need to serve it relatively fresh to make the Ganache and whipped cream that is meant to be served with.
I'm also experimenting with freezing so I froze the majority of the cake. We'll see how it turns out when I give it away to people (will ask for their feedback).