German Chocolate Cake | Life, Love and Sugar

January 3, 2024

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This German Chocolate Cake recipe is a traditional! Tender, moist layers of chocolate cake are crammed with an out-of-this-world coconut pecan filling that’s gooey and stuffed with taste and texture! It’s all frosted with the right chocolate buttercream!

A slice of german chocolate cake on a plate with a fork.

Why You’ll Love This German Chocolate Cake Recipe

The second you sink your enamel into your first chew of this German chocolate cake, you’ll know you selected the precise recipe. Right here’s what makes it so particular.

Moist and tender. The cake layers themselves are so tender, moist and lightweight, however not so gentle that the filling and frosting overwhelm them. Plus, I like the best way the slight crunch from the pecans and the gooeyness of the filling interrupts (in the easiest way) the mushy, fluffy cake.
One of the best taste combo. The delicate taste of candy German chocolate paired with the wealthy, nearly caramel-y coconut pecan filling is a match made in heaven. Candy however not too candy and wealthy however not overpowering.
Makes use of actual German chocolate. Not all German cake recipes use the standard German chocolate, however this cake does. It’s in each the cake layers and the frosting, so it’s properly deserving of the identify.
Presentation. We eat with our eyes first and this cake, wrapped in a luscious chocolate frosting and topped with an attractive coconut-pecan filling, leaves little question within the viewer’s thoughts that they’re about to expertise some critically tasty cake.

Overhead image of German chocolate cake on a cake stand.

What Is German Chocolate Cake?

German chocolate cake was, opposite to what you may suppose, not invented in Germany. It derives its identify from the form of chocolate that’s historically used within the cake layers, German chocolate. The melted German chocolate is sweeter and fewer intense than the unsweetened cocoa powder utilized in customary chocolate desserts.

Different signature parts of a typical German chocolate cake are the buttermilk (which makes the cake good and tender) and whipped egg whites (which make it gloriously fluffy) included into the batter. German chocolate cake is commonly (however not all the time) crammed with a sticky, gooey coconut-pecan filling and frosted with both that very same filling or a chocolate frosting.

In case you’re trying to make use of a daily chocolate cake that doesn’t use German chocolate and has an easier technique, be at liberty to make use of my greatest chocolate cake to layer with the coconut-pecan filling.

This classic German chocolate cake is made of moist layers of chocolate cake, coconut pecan filling, and chocolate buttercream.

Recipe Elements

Right here’s what you’ll want to drag off this wonderful German chocolate cake recipe. Ensure to scroll to the recipe card under for actual measurements.

Coconut Pecan Filling

Egg yolks – These give richness to the filling and assist to thicken it.
Evaporated milk – Don’t use sweetened condensed milk. It’s not the identical factor. This helps type the bottom of the filling
Vanilla extract – For a contact of taste.
Sugar – For sweetness and moisture.
Unsalted butter – One other a part of the bottom of the filling. It provides nice taste.
Sweetened shredded coconut
Chopped pecans – I like shopping for toasted pecans or toasting my very own. The flavour is richer and extra buttery that method.
Salt – For taste.

Chocolate Cake

Water – The new water helps soften the chocolate and makes it simpler to include into the cake batter.
German chocolate – A should for German chocolate cake. I exploit Baker’s model chocolate bars.
All-purpose flour – Make sure you measure this precisely or you’ll find yourself with a dry cake. I like to recommend a meals scale, however the spoon and stage technique works as properly.
Baking soda – For one of the best rise and tender texture.
Salt – For taste.
Unsalted butter – The butter needs to be at room-temperature. In any other case, it received’t cream correctly with the sugar.
Sugar – For sweetness, but additionally for moisture and a young texture.
Eggs – Make sure you use massive eggs, not medium or further massive.
Vanilla extract
Bitter cream – Begin with room-temperature bitter cream. Chilly bitter cream received’t combine as simply into the batter. This provides further moisture to the cake.
Buttermilk – The buttermilk needs to be at room temperature in any other case it received’t incorporate simply into the batter. This additionally provides extra moisture and a fluffy texture.

German Chocolate Frosting

Unsalted butter – Use room-temperature butter. Chilly butter offers you a lumpy frosting.
Pure unsweetened cocoa powder – I used common unsweetened, however you possibly can use a darkish cocoa, in the event you’d like.
Powdered sugar – So as to add quantity to your frosting and get it a very good consistency for adorning. Be at liberty to scale back it, if desired. Simply understand that changes change the consistency of the frosting.
German chocolate – I used the identical baking bars I linked to above. Chop it up and soften it in 15-second intervals within the microwave, stirring between every.
Salt – For slightly further taste.
Heavy whipping cream – You should use kind of cream to get the precise consistency in your buttercream.

Learn how to Make German Chocolate Cake

Layer desserts can appear intimidating however I guarantee you that you are able to do it. Simply take it one step at a time with every of the three components. Right here’s a fast take a look at methods to make them. For extra detailed directions and a video, scroll to the recipe card under.

To make the filling

Whisk. In a saucepan, whisk collectively the evaporated milk and vanilla extract.
Prepare dinner. Add the sugar and butter and prepare dinner on medium warmth for 12-Quarter-hour, stirring continually, till thickened.
End. Take away from warmth and stir in shredded coconut, pecans, and salt.
Chill. Chill in a bowl within the fridge for 2-3 hours, till absolutely thickened.

Cooking evaporated milk, vanilla extract, sugar, and butter for coconut pecan cake filling.

Stirring shredded coconut and chopped toasted pecans into German chocolate cake filling.

To make the cake layers

Prep. Line the bottoms of three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease the edges. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Soften. Deliver the water to a lightweight boil and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk till clean.
Mix the dry substances. Whisk collectively the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Cream. Cream collectively the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes.
Add the remaining moist substances. Into the butter combination, stir the egg yolks, separately, adopted by the vanilla extract and bitter cream. Combine within the melted chocolate combination.

Creaming together butter and sugar for cake batter.

Adding egg yolks, vanilla, and sour cream to cake batter.

Put all of it collectively. Combine half of the dry substances into the batter, adopted by the buttermilk after which the remaining dry substances.
Whip. Whip the egg whites on excessive pace till stiff peaks type.
Fold. Fold the egg whites into the batter in two components.

Adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to German chocolate cake batter.

Bake. Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Cool. Enable the desserts to chill of their pans for 2-3 minutes earlier than turning them out onto cooling racks.

German chocolate cake batter in 3 cake pans ready to be baked.

3 layers of German chocolate cake ready to be stacked, filled, and frosted.

To complete the cake

Make the frosting. Beat the butter till clean after which combine within the cocoa powder and half of the powdered sugar. Combine within the melted chocolate in 2-3 batches after which, lastly, 3 tablespoons of heavy cream and the remaining powdered sugar.
Alter consistency. Add the remaining heavy cream, as wanted, to get the precise consistency of frosting.
Flatten. Lower the domes from the tops of the desserts so they’re flat.

Filling German chocolate cake with coconut pecan filling.

German chocolate cake frosted with chocolate buttercream.

Assemble. Place the primary cake layer on a serving plate and pipe a dam of frosting across the prime edge. Fill the dam with 1/3 of the coconut pecan filling. Repeat, stacking the second cake layer on prime of the primary. High with the third cake layer.
Frost. Frost the skin of the cake and pipe a border of frosting shells across the prime fringe of the cake. Fill the border with the remaining coconut pecan filling.
Chill. Refrigerate till able to serve. The cake is greatest loved cool, however not too chilly.

Suggestions for Success

These easy suggestions and tips will assist information you thru the method of constructing this German chocolate cake. Hold them in thoughts as you undergo the method.

Cautious with warmth. Hold the warmth at medium when cooking the coconut pecan filling. Something decrease and the filling received’t thicken correctly. Something larger and also you danger burning it or having it not thicken correctly.
Hold it shifting. When cooking the filling, it is very important stir it continually. This may assist it thicken evenly and also will assist stop burning.
Don’t skimp on creaming time. When creaming collectively the butter and sugar for the cake layers, achieve this till it has change into fairly fluffy and considerably lighter in coloration.
Scrape down the edges of the bowl. When making the cake batter and the frosting, be sure you use a rubber spatula to scrape down the edges of the bowl intermittently. This may assist be certain that all the substances make it into the combination.
Don’t over-mix. When including the dry substances to the cake batter, combine simply till the whole lot is included. Over-mixing could cause the glutens within the flour to overdevelop, which can provide you a troublesome, overly dense cake.
Consistency issues. You need to be sure that the frosting isn’t too stiff or too runny. Stiff frosting received’t unfold correctly and frosting that’s too mushy received’t maintain issues in place.
Examine up. Hungry for extra suggestions and tips? Take a look at my publish on Learn how to Fill and Stack a Layer Cake, Learn how to Get the Proper Frosting Consistency, and Learn how to Frost a Cake with Buttercream.

A slice of German chocolate cake on a plate with a bite taken out of it.

Correct Storage

Fridge. Seal the cake in an hermetic cake provider or wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap. I recommend utilizing toothpicks to prop the plastic away from the cake. Alternatively, slice the cake and retailer the slices in a single layer in an hermetic container. You’ll be able to preserve the cake within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Freezer. Pop the cake within the freezer for a few hours to agency up earlier than wrapping it in a double layer of plastic wrap. You may as well organize slices in a single layer in a freezer-safe hermetic container. Retailer the cake within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Enable it to thaw within the fridge earlier than serving.

Extra Chocolate Cake Recipes

If chocolate cake is your factor, you got here to the precise place. When you get this German chocolate cake down, take a look at these different equally scrumptious recipes.

Watch Learn how to Make German Chocolate Cake

Learn Transcript

Recipe up to date 1/2/24 to be much more moist and tender and use a special buttercream. The tactic can also be barely totally different. For the unique recipe, obtain the PDF right here.

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