German Chocolate Cake Recipe
Everyone can taste the time and love that is put into this rich, classic German Chocolate Cake, filled with chocolate, pecans, and coconut!
Why We Love German Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate is always a crowd favorite and is irresistible when pecans and coconut are added!
- This cake is pure comfort food and is perfect for special occasions like holidays and birthdays.
- Make this cake two ways- just with the pecan-coconut frosting or covering the cake with a great chocolate buttercream and then topping that with a layer of the pecan-coconut frosting! You can’t go wrong with these options.
- Both the chocolate buttercream and the pecan-coconut frosting can be made ahead of time if you don’t have time to make everything at once.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make the Best German Chocolate Cake Recipe
GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
DRY INGREDIENTS: Typical pantry items are needed for this recipe, such as all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. vegetable oil and vanilla extract. For this recipe, you will need German baking chocolate, which can be found in the baking aisle of the grocery store. If you can’t find German then semi-sweet or even dark baking chocolate are good substitutions.
WET INGREDIENTS: You will also need eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, buttermilk, and boiling water.
GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE FROSTING
PECAN COCONUT FROSTING: You will need egg yolks, butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract. Also, pick up a bag of sweetened coconut flakes and a bag of chopped pecans.
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING: For a good buttercream you need unsalted butter and a little whole milk. Pick up semi-sweet chocolate chips, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract too.
DECORATION: If you’d like to decorate your cake with pecan halves then grab those as well.
How to Make German Chocolate Cake
Jump to RecipeSTEP 1 To start, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and spray two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick spray. Line each cake pan with parchment paper and spray the paper as well. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Once smooth, stir in the melted chocolate until everything is mixed well.
STEP 2 Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir, mixing well. Add the boiling water and whisk to mix. Pour an even amount of batter into each cake pan and bake for 23-28 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely.
STEP 3 To make the pecan-coconut frosting, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, egg yolks and evaporated milk in a medium saucepan and whisk to mix. Heat the mix on medium until it comes to a low boil, whisking constantly until it thickens. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, coconut flakes, and pecans. Allow the frosting to cool to room temperature before using.
STEP 4 To make the chocolate buttercream, cream the butter and the melted chocolate in a stand mixer, until smooth. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, making sure it’s all mixed in, and then add the vanilla extract and milk. Turn the mixer up and whip the frosting for a few minutes, until fluffy.
STEP 5 To assemble the cake, trim any uneven areas of each cake first. Place one of the cakes on a plate or cake server and cover it with a layer of chocolate buttercream. Then spread a layer of pecan-coconut frosting over the first layer. For the top cake layer, flip the second cake over so the bottom of the cake is now the top of the cake. (This will give you a nice flat top.) Apply a thin layer of the chocolate buttercream to the top of the cake and then frost the sides of the cake.
STEP 6 Add a layer of pecan-coconut frosting to the top of the cake, leaving a 1/2 border. Pipe the chocolate buttercream along the edge of the cake and decorate it with pecan halves, if you wish.
Tips & Tricks
- If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can substitute sour milk instead. Milk together 1 cup or 2% or whole milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir together and let sit for 5 minutes before using.
- I find that this cake tastes best at room temperature and slices best when chilled. So I recommend chilling the cake, slicing it, and then leaving it out to come up to room temp.
- The chocolate buttercream is completely optional but adds a fun touch to the cake. If you don’t want to make the frosting, I suggest 1.5x the recipe for the coconut pecan frosting. Still, add ½ of the coconut pecan frosting between the layers and then the other ½ on top. It will end up being more of a “naked” cake.
- This cake will keep for 2 days at room temperature or up to 1 week covered in the fridge. You can freeze this cake (or slices) for up to 3 months.
- To toast the pecans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop that into the oven. Bake, for 5-8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes until aromatic. Take the nuts out of the oven and immediately place them onto a plate. They will continue to toast until they become room temperature.
- To toast the coconut: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the coconut flakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop that into the oven. Bake, for 5-8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes until aromatic. Take the nuts out of the oven and immediately place them onto a plate. They will continue to toast until they become room temperature.
**I always pull my coconut a shade or two before what I want because it will get a little more brown as it cools.
German Chocolate Cake FAQ
Why is it called German chocolate cake?
German Chocolate Cake was actually named after the baker, Samuel German, who created the dark baking chocolate for the company Baker’s Chocolate in the 1850s. This particular baking chocolate was used in a recipe 100 years later for a layered chocolate cake that became wildly popular and was then named after the creator of German baking chocolate, hence German’s Chocolate Cake. Also, this iconic cake is not German but originated in the United States.
What is different about German chocolate cake?
Classic chocolate cakes rely on cocoa powder in their recipes for that great chocolate taste but German chocolate cake is a little different. For this cake, melted chocolate is added to the cake batter for a richness that is hard to find in other chocolate cakes! The pecan-coconut frosting is also something that is very specific to German chocolate cake. The caramelized, custard-like frosting is a must-have when making German chocolate cake and completes that signature look!
Other Recipes You May like
- Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Brown Sugar Bacon Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Pudding Frosting
- Mom’s Best Ever Coconut Cake
- S’mores Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
German Chocolate Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
German Chocolate Cake
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk (see note)
- 4 ounces German baking chocolate chopped and melted
- 1 cup boiling water
Pecan Coconut Frosting
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter 3
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups toasted sweetened coconut flakes (see note)
- 1 ¼ cup toasted chopped pecans (see note)
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted and cooled
- 4 ⅓ cups powdered sugar (about 1.25 lbs)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk plus more as needed
- Pecan halves for decorating (optional)
Instructions
German Chocolate Cake
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat the inside of two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan. Coat the top of the paper with more baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in the melted German chocolate until combined and smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk together until there are no lumps. Pour in the boiling water and whisk to combine.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 23-28 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
Pecan Coconut Frosting
- While the cakes are cooling, make the pecan coconut frosting. Add the brown sugar, sugar, butter, egg yolks, and evaporated milk into a medium saucepan. Whisk until combined, there will be chunks of butter, that’s okay.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly until it comes to a low boil. Continue to whisk until everything starts to thicken, about 1 minute.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and whisk in the vanilla, toasted coconut, and toasted pecan until combined. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature in the saucepan.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Once the cakes and pecan coconut frosting are cooled, make the chocolate buttercream. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment), beat the butter and the cooled semi-sweet chocolate together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar in a little at a time until completely mixed in.
- Add the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of milk, and beat to combine. Place the mixer on to medium-high speed and whip for 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add the extra 1 tablespoon of milk.
Assembly
- Take the cooled cakes out of the pan. (If the tops are uneven, trim the cake so it's flat on top.) Place one of the cakes bottom-side down onto a serving plate or cake stand.
- Frost the top of the first layer with a thin layer of chocolate buttercream. Add half of the coconut pecan frosting on top and smooth it out almost to the edge, leaving a ½-inch border all the way around.
- Add the second cake round, top-side facing down, over the frosting. (This gives your cake a flat top.) Add a thin layer of chocolate frosting on top and around the sides of the cake. Add the remaining coconut pecan frosting on top of the cake, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge.
- Pipe the remaining chocolate frosting around the top edge of the cake – I used a 1M star tip. Garnish with pecans halves if desired. Cut into 12 slices and serve.(I find that this cake tastes best at room temperature and slices best when chilled. So I recommend chilling the cake, slicing it, and then leaving it out to come up to room temp.)
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can substitute sour milk instead. Milk together 1 cup or 2% or whole milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir together and let sit for 5 minutes before using.
- To toast the pecans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop that into the oven. Bake, for 5-8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes until aromatic. Take the nuts out of the oven and immediately place them onto a plate. They will continue to toast until they become room temperature.
- To toast the coconut: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the coconut flakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop that into the oven. Bake, for 5-8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes until aromatic. Take the nuts out of the oven and immediately place them onto a plate. They will continue to toast until they become room temperature. **I always pull my coconut a shade or two before what I want because it will get a little more brown as it cools.
- The chocolate buttercream is completely optional but adds a fun touch to the cake. If you don’t want to make the frosting, I suggest 1.5x the recipe for the coconut pecan frosting. Still, add ½ of the coconut pecan frosting between the layers and then the other ½ on top. It will end up being more of a “naked” cake.
- This cake will keep for 2 days at room temperature or up to 1 week covered in the fridge. You can freeze this cake (or slices) for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.