German Chocolate Cake

5 from 2

German Chocolate Cake

Tender and moist, this German Chocolate Cake features two chocolate cakes layered with a toasted coconut pecan frosting and chocolate buttercream. It's a rich, decadent, showstopper dessert, perfect for special occasions.

Prep Time30

Cook Time38

Cool2

Total Time3 8

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: best german chocolate cake recipe, chocolate cake recipes, german chocolate cake frosting

Servings: slices

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

1¾ cups cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
1¾ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp fine sea salt
1¼ tsp baking soda
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar packed
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
4 oz. German baking chocolate* chopped and melted
1 cup boiling water

FOR THE PECAN COCONUT FROSTING

¾ cup light brown sugar packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
3 large egg yolks
¾ cup evaporated milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1¼ cups toasted sweetened coconut flakes**
1¼ cups toasted chopped pecans**

FOR THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted and cooled
4⅓ cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp whole milk
pecan halves for garnish, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray. Place parchment paper in the bottom of the pan. Spray the top of the paper with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in the melted chocolate until combined.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk together until there are no lumps. Pour in the boiling water and whisk to combine.
Evenly distribute the batter between the two cake pans. Bake for 23-28 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool completely in the pans on a wire rack.
While the cakes are cooling, make the pecan coconut frosting:
Dump the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, egg yolks, and evaporated milk in small pot. (Whisk until combined, there will be chunks of butter, that’s okay.)
Place over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly until it comes to a low boil. Continue to whisk until it starts to thicken, about 1 minute.
Take off the heat and add the vanilla, toasted coconut, and toasted pecans and stir it in until combined. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Once the cakes and pecan coconut frosting are cooled, make the chocolate buttercream:
In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter and the melted chocolate together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar in a little at a time until fully mixed in.
Add the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of milk. Stir it in until combined. With the mixer on medium-high speed, whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting seems too thick, add the extra 1 tablespoon of milk.
Take the cooled cakes out of the pans and trim off the tops if they are uneven. Place one of the cakes, bottom side down, onto your serving platter.
Frost with a thin layer of chocolate buttercream on top of the cake. Add half of the coconut pecan frosting on top and smooth it out almost to the edge, leaving a half-inch border.
Add the other cake, top side down on top. Add a thin layer of chocolate frosting on top and on the sides of the cake.
Add the remaining coconut pecan frosting on top of the cake, leaving a ½ inch border.
Pipe the remaining chocolate frosting around the top edge of the cake (I used a 1M star tip.) Garnish with pecans halves if desired. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

*What makes this a true German chocolate cake is the use of actual German baking chocolate; without it, it’s just a regular chocolate cake with frosting. It will still taste great, but it won’t be authentic. German baking chocolate is available in most stores, but if you can’t find it, use semi-sweet or dark chocolate.

**To toast the coconut and pecans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then spread the coconut and pecans, separately, in a single layer onto baking sheets. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until aromatic, turning every 2 minutes to prevent burning, and then cool. Place on a room temperature plate, as they will continue to toast while hot.

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