German chocolate cake is a rich, layered chocolate cake famous for its sweet coconut–pecan frosting. Despite the name, it isn’t from Germany—it was named after Samuel German, who created a type of baking chocolate used in the original recipe. 🍫🎂
German Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cups sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot water
For the coconut–pecan frosting
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup shredded Coconut
- 1 cup chopped Pecan
Instructions
1. Bake the cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans.
- Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
- Stir in hot water (batter will be thin).
- Pour into pans and bake 30–35 minutes. Cool completely.
2. Make the frosting
- In a saucepan, combine evaporated milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, and butter.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 10–12 minutes).
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, coconut, and pecans.
- Let cool until spreadable.
3. Assemble
- Spread the coconut–pecan frosting between the cake layers and on top.
Tips for the Best Cake
- Toast the pecans and coconut lightly for deeper flavor.
- Let the frosting cool before spreading so it thickens properly.
- Serve slightly chilled for cleaner slices.
If you want, I can also give you a super easy 30-minute German chocolate cake version that uses a shortcut but tastes just like the bakery version. 🍰