Homemade German Chocolate Cake is two moist, tender chocolate layers filled with a gooey coconut-pecan frosting and wrapped in smooth chocolate buttercream. It is the cake you bake for a birthday, a holiday table or a family dinner that deserves something special.
How to make German chocolate cake: Mix a thin chocolate batter with boiling water, bake it in two 9-inch pans at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, and cool completely. Fill and top the layers with cooked coconut-pecan frosting, then frost the sides with chocolate buttercream.
Why You’ll Love It
- Very moist layers: boiling water and buttermilk make a soft, fine crumb that stays tender for days.
- The classic filling: a cooked caramel-like custard packed with coconut and pecans.
- Two frostings, one cake: coconut-pecan between and on top, chocolate on the sides.
- Serves 12: a tall two-layer cake for a crowd.
Ingredient Notes
Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa in both the cake and the chocolate frosting. Sift it with the flour so there are no dry lumps in the thin batter.
Buttermilk and boiling water: Buttermilk keeps the crumb tender, and the boiling water blooms the cocoa for a deeper chocolate flavor. The batter will be very thin; that is how it should look.
Evaporated milk and egg yolks: They are the base of the coconut-pecan frosting. Cooked with the sugars and butter, they thicken into a glossy, caramel-colored custard.
Coconut and pecans: Use sweetened shredded coconut and chopped pecans. I like to toast the pecans in a dry skillet for a few minutes first, because it brings out their flavor against the sweet coconut.
Powdered sugar: It goes into the chocolate buttercream a little at a time. Add a splash more evaporated milk if the frosting feels too stiff to spread.
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Ingredients
Cake
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Coconut-pecan frosting
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Chocolate frosting
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup evaporated milk
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
How to Make German Chocolate Cake
1. Prepare the pans. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or line them with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Make the batter. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture, stirring until combined. Slowly stir in the boiling water. The batter will be thin.
4. Bake. Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Cool. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Cook the coconut-pecan frosting. In a saucepan, combine the evaporated milk, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 10-12 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, coconut and pecans. Let it cool.
7. Make the chocolate frosting. Beat the butter until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and evaporated milk, then slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add a little more evaporated milk if it is too thick.
8. Fill the layers. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread half of the coconut-pecan frosting over the top. Add the second layer and spread the rest of the coconut-pecan frosting over it.
9. Frost the sides. Frost the sides of the cake with the chocolate frosting. Garnish with extra coconut or pecans if you like.
How to Get the Coconut-Pecan Frosting Right
This frosting is a cooked custard, and the stirring is what makes it work. Keep the heat at medium and stir the whole time, scraping the bottom and corners of the pan, so the egg yolks thicken the milk instead of scrambling.
It is ready when it turns a light caramel color and coats the back of the spoon thickly, after about 10 to 12 minutes. If you see bubbles breaking the surface in a hard boil, turn the heat down.
Let it cool before you spread it. Warm frosting slides off the layers and soaks into the cake, while cooled frosting stays in a thick, spoonable layer. I stir it a few times as it cools so it thickens evenly.
Tips for Success
Why is my cake dry?
It baked too long. Start checking with a toothpick at 30 minutes and take the layers out as soon as it comes out clean.
Why did my layers stick to the pan?
The pans were not greased and floured well enough. Parchment rounds in the bottom make the layers release every time.
Why is the frosting runny?
It did not cook long enough to thicken, or it went on the cake while still warm. Cook it until it coats the spoon thickly, then cool it completely.
If you’re in the mood for more chocolate cake, Chocolate Skillet Cake bakes in a skillet and serves six.
Storage & Reheating
The filling is made with egg yolks and evaporated milk, so keep the cake covered in the refrigerator and put leftovers away within 2 hours. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, following USDA FSIS guidance for leftovers. No reheating is needed; let slices sit out for a few minutes before serving so the buttercream softens.
What to Serve With It
A cup of coffee or a glass of cold milk is all this rich cake needs. For another chocolate dessert, try Texas sheet cake, Mississippi mud cake or chocolate turtle cake, which also pairs chocolate with pecans. If you want something warm, chocolate cobbler is easy, and for coconut lovers, pineapple coconut surprise cake or pecan pie dump cake are good next bakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes German chocolate cake different?
The frosting. Instead of a plain chocolate icing, it has a cooked coconut-pecan filling between and on top of the chocolate layers.
Does German chocolate cake have coconut?
Yes. Sweetened shredded coconut goes into the coconut-pecan frosting, along with the pecans.
Is German chocolate cake from Germany?
No. It is an American cake. The name comes from Sam German, who created a sweet baking chocolate for the Baker’s Chocolate Company, not from the country.
Final Notes
Make the coconut-pecan frosting while the layers cool, so both are ready to assemble at the same time. If you have a question or bake this cake, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Homemade German Chocolate Cake
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Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk for the coconut and pecan frosting
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for the coconut and pecan frosting
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract for the coconut and pecan frosting
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup butter for the chocolate frosting
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for the chocolate frosting
- 1/3 cup evaporated milk for the chocolate frosting
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract for the chocolate frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or line them with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture, stirring until combined. Slowly stir in boiling water. The batter will be thin.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a saucepan, combine evaporated milk, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 10-12 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Let cool.
- In a mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add cocoa powder and evaporated milk, then slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Adjust thickness with more evaporated milk, if needed.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread half of the coconut-pecan frosting over the top. Add the second cake layer and spread the remaining coconut-pecan frosting over the top.
- Frost the sides of the cake with the chocolate frosting. Optionally, garnish with additional coconut or pecans.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
