Here’s a classic, rich German Chocolate Cake recipe—the famous version with that irresistible coconut-pecan frosting (it’s actually American, named after baker Samuel German, not Germany!).
🍰 German Chocolate Cake
🧾 Cake Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot water or coffee
👩🍳 Cake Instructions
1. Prep
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F)
- Grease and line two 9-inch cake pans
2. Mix dry ingredients
- In a bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
3. Combine wet ingredients
- In another bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and sugars
4. Make batter
- Combine wet + dry, then slowly add hot water/coffee
- Batter will be thin—this is normal
5. Bake
- Pour into pans and bake 30–35 minutes
- Cool completely before frosting
🥥 Coconut-Pecan Frosting (The Star!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1½ cups shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
1. Cook the base
- In a saucepan, whisk milk, sugar, egg yolks, and butter
- Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until thick (10–12 mins)
2. Finish
- Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, coconut, and pecans
- Cool until spreadable
🍫 Optional Chocolate Frosting (Sides)
- Butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla
- Beat until smooth and creamy
🎂 Assemble
- Place one cake layer → spread coconut frosting
- Add second layer → frost top and sides
- Traditionally, coconut frosting goes on top and between layers, not fully covering sides
💡 Tips
- Coffee enhances chocolate flavor (you won’t taste coffee!)
- Don’t rush cooling or frosting will melt
- Toast pecans lightly for extra flavor
If you want, I can give you a super moist bakery-style version, a cupcake version, or a no-oven method.
