Homemade German Chocolate Cake

Moist and delicious German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting

Course Dessert

Cuisine American Classic

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 25

Cooling Time 30

Total Time 1 45

Servings Slices

Calories 681kcal

Author Diana Reis

Equipment

(3) 9 Inch Cake Pans
3 Mixing bowls

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

2 ½ Cup Sifted Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 4oz German’s Sweet Chocolate Bar
½ Cup Boiling Water
1 Cup Butter (2 sticks)
2 Cup Granulated Sugar
4 Eggs Separated
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Buttermilk

Coconut Pecan Frosting

1 Cup Evaporated Milk
1 Cup Sugar
3 Egg Yolks
½ Cup Butter (1 stick)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 ⅓ Cup Coconut Flake
1 Cup Chopped Pecans

Instructions

German Chocolate Cake instructions

Pre-Heat oven to 350°.
Prepare the three 9 inch cake pans by spraying with cooking spray and lining with parchment paper.
Bring ½ Cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Once water comes to a boil turn off the heat and add 4oz bar of German’s Sweet Chocolate bar to the water and gently stir to melt. Set melted chocolate aside for a later step
Sift together 2 ¼ Cups cake flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream 1 cup (two sticks) of butter, 2 cups sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla together until the butter is soft and sugar is well integrated.
Separate eggs. Place egg whites in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Add egg yolks 1 at a time. Beat mixture well each time.
Pour melted chocolate and buttermilk in slowly and mix until smooth.
Next, add sifted dry ingredients a little at a time and mix on medium speed. Make sure to scrape down the bowl to ensure the flour is fully mixed.
Beat egg whites on high until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold into cake batter.
Divide the batter evenly over the three pans. Use a spatula to push batter out to the edges of the pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Remove cakes from the oven and let sit in the pan for five minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Let cakes cool and assemble cakes. (German Chocolate Cake Frosting recipe below)
Place a spoonful of frosting on the center of a cake plate and set the first 9 inch round in the center of the plate.
Spoon ⅓ of the frosting into the center of the cake and use a knife or spatula to spread to the edge of the cake.
Repeat this process until all the layers are stacked neatly atop each other with a generous layer of frosting on each.

Coconut Pecan Frosting Instructions

Place 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup (1 stick) of butter, 3 egg yolks, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 ⅓ cup sweetened coconut flake, and vanilla into a small saucepan.
Place on the stove and cook on medium heat. Stir in the butter until it is melted then bring the frosting to a boil for 5 minutes stirring continuously.
The frosting should go from very runny to clinging to the spoon at the end of cooking.
Let cool for 15 minutes before frosting the german chocolate cake rounds.
See frosting instructions above

Notes

For this recipe I grease my pans with plain cooking spray. I don’t like to butter and flour the sides of the pan for this recipe because. The flour will leave white residue on the edges of the cake which will not be covered.

Beat your egg whites until they form stiff peaks. The egg white should go from clear to completely white and hold their shape when you move the beaters through them.

The egg whites make this cake batter extra light. If you know the air out of them by mixing the cake will be more dense. The egg whites might even separate and you can end up with strips of cooked egg in the batter.

Be Patient. I find that turning the bowl a quarter turn after each fold and working around the bowl until the eggs are fully integrated is the best technique.

Once you have the homemade german chocolate cake batter in the pans, do not shake hard or bang the pan on the counter. This will knock the air out of the batter and cause your cake to collapse on itself when baking

Nutrition