German Chocolate Cake
German Chocolate Cake combines chocolate cake with an unforgettable coconut pecan frosting that will melt in your mouth. Each bite is more delicious than the last in this traditional and beautiful chocolate cake.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 831kcal
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 4 ounces Baker's German sweet chocolate chopped (115g)
- ½ cup hot water (120 ml)
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour (270g)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups unsalted butter softened (284g)
- 2 cups granulated white sugar divided (400g)
- 4 large eggs separated and at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk (240 ml)
For the Coconut Pecan Frosting:
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (220g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 (12-ounce/360ml) can evaporated milk
- 3 large egg yolks lightly beaten
- ¾ cup unsalted butter cubed (170g)
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 to 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans (toasted) (120g)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three (8-inch) round cake pans or lightly grease with baking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the chocolate and hot water. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and combined. Or melt in a double boiler over hot water, stirring until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1¾ cups of sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, beat in the vanilla extract. Add the melted chocolate mixture and beat until incorporated.
- With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat with another third of the flour, the rest of the buttermilk, and the final third of flour. Beat only until the ingredients are mixed together, and stop occasionally to scrape down the bowl.
- In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites on high speed until thick and frothy. Slowly sprinkle in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form, then gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
- Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Then, carefully invert the layers onto the wire racks, remove the parchment paper, and cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugars, milk, and egg yolks Whisk to combine. Add the butter and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the butter melts and the mixture begins to boil and thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the chopped pecans, 2 cups of coconut, and vanilla extract. Add more coconut for a firmer, thicker frosting if desired. (I used 3 cups.) Let cool until spreadable, about 30 minutes.
For the Assembly:
- Place on cooled cake layer on a cake stand and top with a third of the frosting. Spread the frosting just the the edge of the cake. Palace another cake layer on top and repeat with another third of the frosting. Finish with the last cake layer and remaining frosting. Chill the cake for about 1 hour before serving, to allow the frosting to fully set. Cover and keep any leftovers refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Video
Notes
- Melt the chocolate first. Start this recipe by melting the chocolate and water so that it can cool slightly before it is added to the other ingredients.
- Divide the sugar for the cake batter. Beat 1¾ cups of the sugar with the butter and hold back the remaining ¼ cup to sprinkle into the egg whites as they are beaten. The sugar in the egg whites helps to stabilize them and hold onto air when beaten.
- Create a deeper chocolate flavor with coffee. Swap the hot water for hot coffee to enhance and enrich the flavor of the chocolate.
- Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl. Folding the beaten egg whites into the batter gives the cake an amazing texture that is fluffier than regular chocolate cake. For the egg whites to reach the stiff peak state, they must be beaten in a clean bowl using a clean beater. Fat (like egg yolks) can inhibit the egg whites from whipping up properly and cause them to never reach stiff peaks. I’ll often use a stand mixer for the main batter and a hand mixer to beat the egg whites.
- Fold the egg whites in gently. Aim to preserve as much of the airy texture of the egg whites as possible by gently folding them into the chocolate cake batter. Be patient and use a rubber spatula to scrape around the edge of the bowl as you fold.
- Frosting variation. You can use all of one type of sugar in the frosting if desired. I like the mix of light brown sugar and granulated sugar for a balanced, caramel-like flavor.
- Double up on the frosting. Double the German chocolate cake frosting recipe if you love the coconut pecan flavor or want thick layers of frosting! I often do this because the frosting is my favorite part, and I like a generous amount between each layer.
- Spread the frosting just on the tops of the cake layers. This cake is typically frosted between the layers and on the top, not the sides of the cake. This creates the cake’s signature appearance and also means frosting the cake is quick!
Nutrition
Calories: 831kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 209mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 72g | Vitamin A: 1135IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 3mg