German Chocolate Cake

This homemade German chocolate cake with its easy, sweet, and gooey coconut and pecan frosting is my all-time favorite. It's an easy recipe to make from scratch, and my whole family goes crazy for it.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword german chocolate cake

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 1 50

Servings

Calories 896kcal

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 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 a 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.
Add 1 cup buttermilk in two additions, alternating with the flour mixture. Fold in the melted chocolate.
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 a 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 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. Store in a covered container for up to 3 days.

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