Layers of tender chocolate cake are topped with a gooey coconut pecan frosting to make the best-ever German chocolate cake. This is the scratch recipe I’ve requested on my birthday for as long as I can remember, and my family goes crazy for it too!
This Is the Only Cake I’ll Eat on My Birthday
There’s nothing more traditional in my long-legged life than the German chocolate cake I have every year for my birthday. It has all of the flavors I love — chocolate, more chocolate, nuts, and coconut. Just like my fave Almond Joy candy bar!
And because I love it so much, I’m 100% a-okay if I make this coconutty, pecan-studded, frosted cake myself because this is one amazing cake.
This is a traditional German chocolate cake recipe. I didn’t add any crazy ingredients or bake it in a fun-shaped pan. Heck, I didn’t even add extra decorations to my cake. Because that’s the beauty of my favorite cake — it’s perfect as is.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Toast the pecans for even more flavor. You can add the chopped pecans directly to the frosting, but I like to take a few extra minutes to toast them to enhance their warm and nutty flavor. You can do this in a dry skillet over medium heat (5 minutes), or in a 350ºF oven (5 to 10 minutes).
Stir the frosting constantly as it cooks. Consider this your arm workout of the day. The reason the German chocolate cake frosting must be stirred throughout its entire 10-minute cook time is to prevent the sugar from scorching and the eggs from curdling. The constant whisking also helps emulsify the frosting and makes it nice and shiny.
Grease and line your cake pans for a clean release, then give ’em a smack. I revert back to my days as a Hostess Twinkie packager — and sometimes Hostess Cupcakes — when I take the cakes out of the pans. The guys on the line would SMACK the cupcake pans as hard as they could onto the conveyer belt for the cupcakes to be released from the cake pan’s hold and onto the frosting dripper. So I do what they did and SMACK them on my counter. I get a clean release every time.
The Main Ingredients in This Recipe
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
For the Chocolate Cake:
- Unsalted butter + fine sea salt — Experienced bakers know that each brand of salted butter tastes slightly different, so it’s better to add the salt yourself.
- Semisweet chocolate + cocoa powder — Even though we’re making a German chocolate cake from scratch, it’s not a powerfully chocolately cake. My cake recipe uses both chocolate and cocoa powder for a rich, nuanced chocolate flavor. Dutch process cocoa is key here! It’s much less bitter than regular cocoa powder.
- Buttermilk — Adds lots of moisture and creates a more tender crumb. This is also the “acid” that reacts with the baking soda to give the German chocolate cake lots of lift.
- Eggs — This recipe uses 3 large eggs plus an extra egg yolk to make the cake moister, richer, and even more tender.
For the Coconut Pecan Frosting:
- Evaporated milk — Serves as the base of the frosting. Evaporated milk is much thicker and creamier than regular milk, but it’s not syrupy sweet like sweetened condensed milk. When cooked with the remaining ingredients, it creates the signature gooey texture that German chocolate cake is known for.
- Egg yolks — We’re using yolks only because the whites would curdle and become rubbery if cooked in the frosting.
- Shredded sweetened coconut — You can find this in the baking aisle, typically next to the baking chips. Don’t use regular shredded coconut, which is unsweetened and not as soft.
- Chopped pecans — Add them straight to the frosting, or toast them first like I do.
How to Make German Chocolate Cake From Scratch
- Prep your pans. Before starting on the cake batter, grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line them with parchment paper (don’t skip this step!).
- Melt the chocolate. Next, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl that’s been set over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the bowl with the chocolate in it doesn’t touch the water, otherwise you’ll scald the chocolate.
- Make the batter. Whisk the dry ingredients together in one bowl, and the wet in another, making sure to add the melted chocolate in last once it’s had time to cool off a bit. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then turn the cake batter into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Place the cake layers on a cooling rack and let them cool completely before frosting.
- Beat the egg yolks until they start to ribbon. An electric hand mixer makes quick work of this; you’re looking for the yolks to really thicken up (give it 2 to 3 minutes).
- Cook the frosting for about 10 minutes. To the yolks, add the evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla, and butter to the pot. Cook until golden in color before stirring in the coconut and chopped pecans.
- Once everything has cooled off, assemble your cake. You can add as much or as little frosting between the cake layers as you’d like. (I’ll often double the frosting recipe so my German chocolate cake is extra gooey.)
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Storage Tips
- This cake will keep on the countertop in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- I have this domed cake stand that’s as pretty as it is functional. Or, this cake carrier is perfect for taking to parties or potlucks.
Homemade German Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ¾ cup unsalted butter , at room temperature, plus more for the pans
- 8 ounces Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate Bar , finely chopped
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs , at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk , at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
For the Frosting
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter three 8-inch baking pans and line them with parchment paper.
- Set a heatproof bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Add 8 ounces finely chopped German’s chocolate bar and melt, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
- Whisk 2 ¼ cups flour with ¼ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- In another large bowl, beat ¾ cup butter with 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Adding one at a time, mix in 2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk. Mix in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- To the butter mixture, add 1 cup buttermilk in two additions, alternating with the flour mixture. Fold in the melted chocolate last.
- Pour the batter equally into the prepared pans. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out on cooling racks, peel off the parchment, and cool completely.
For the Frosting
- Add the 3 egg yolks to a small saucepan (not over heat) and beat with an electric hand mixer until the yolks thicken and start to ribbon, about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add ½ cup butter, turn heat to medium, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes golden brown and thickens.
- Remove from the heat and stir in 2 cups shredded coconut and ½ cup pecans. Cool to room temperature.
To Assemble
- To frost the cake, place one cake layer on a cake plate. Use a knife or offset spatula to spread ⅓ of the frosting evenly over the cake layer.
- Top with the second cake layer and top with ⅓ more frosting, then top with the last layer and spread with the rest of the frosting. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
The name suggests that German chocolate cake has its roots in Germany, but it’s actually a recipe that was made in the USA, as was the type of chocolate used in the cake.
“German chocolate” was developed by American Samuel German (hence the roots of the name) as a way to streamline the baking process for bakers by mixing the chocolate and sugar together.
German chocolate is slightly sweeter than semisweet or milk chocolate, with 48% cocoa. Perfect for my kind of cake!
Nope! If you can’t find German chocolate where you live, semisweet chocolate works just as well.
No! Chocolate chips contain stabilizers that make them resistant to melting. For the smoothest cake batter, use an actual bar of chocolate.
No, my mom always made my German chocolate birthday cake in a 12-cup bundt pan, I just felt like busting out my 8-inch cake pans for the layered effect.
More German Chocolate Recipes to Make and Love Too
More Easy Homemade Cake Recipes
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