German Chocolate Cake: Worth Every Impossible Layer
German chocolate cake is made by baking layers of rich, mildly sweet chocolate cake —? traditionally using German's Sweet Chocolate —? then frosting it with a cooked coconut-pecan filling made from egg yolks, evaporated milk, butter, sugar, coconut, and pecans. The cake is typically left unfrosted on the sides, with the thick filling piled between and on top of each layer.
A woman named Lorraine who lived down the street from my first apartment made a German chocolate cake every year for her husband's birthday and brought slices to the neighbors. Every year I told myself I was going to figure out how to make it and every year I just ate the slice and did nothing about it. It took four years and Lorraine moving away before I actually committed to making it myself, which is the kind of procrastination that can only be remedied by absence.
The intimidating part is the coconut-pecan frosting, which is cooked on the stovetop and requires patience. You whisk egg yolks into butter, evaporated milk, and sugar over medium heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, then stir in the toasted coconut and pecans and let it cool until spreadable. It can't be rushed. If you try to rush it the egg yolks scramble and you have a different problem entirely.
The cake layers themselves are more forgiving. German chocolate is a specific type of chocolate — sweeter and milder than bittersweet — and using it correctly is what gives the cake its particular flavor. The batter uses oil rather than butter for a moist crumb that holds up to the dense frosting without crumbling apart when you cut through it.
The first time I made it I brought a slice to Lorraine's new address. She said it was close. I have been trying to close the gap since. Close, I've decided, is good enough to keep at it.
Ingredients
- 4 oz German's Sweet Chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
- FOR THE COCONUT-PECAN FROSTING:
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- 1Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper and grease the parchment. Flour the sides lightly and tap out any excess.
- 2Place the chopped German's Sweet Chocolate in a small bowl and pour the 1/2 cup of boiling water over it. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- 3In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 2 cups sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla, then stir in the cooled melted chocolate.
- 4In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix only until just combined —? overmixing tightens the crumb.
- 5In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter in three additions, using a wide spatula. The batter will lighten considerably. This step is what keeps the cake tender rather than dense.
- 6Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges have just begun to pull away from the sides of the pans.
- 7Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes, then turn them out and let them cool completely on the racks before frosting. Do not rush this. A warm cake will melt the frosting and your evening.
- 8MAKE THE COCONUT-PECAN FROSTING: In a medium saucepan, combine the evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, beaten egg yolks, and 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 12 minutes until the mixture thickens, turns a golden caramel color, and coats the back of a spoon. It should reach about 180°F if you're using a thermometer.
- 9Remove the frosting from the heat and stir in the vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool completely, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a spreadable consistency —? about 45 minutes to 1 hour. It thickens significantly as it cools.
- 10To assemble: Place the first cake layer on your serving plate. Spread one-third of the coconut-pecan frosting over the top in an even layer. Repeat with the second layer and another third of the frosting. Add the final layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top. The sides of the cake are traditionally left unfrosted, which is not laziness —? it's the correct aesthetic.
Pro Tips
- Do not substitute regular semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate for German's Sweet Chocolate. The sweetness level is part of the recipe's balance. German's Sweet Chocolate bars are sold near the baking chocolate at most grocery stores —? usually on the shelf that nobody looks at until they need it.
- The egg white fold is the difference between a cake that feels like velvet and one that feels like it has opinions about being eaten. Be gentle. Use a wide spatula and fold in an under-and-over motion, rotating the bowl as you go.
- The coconut-pecan frosting must be fully cooled before you spread it, or it will slide off the layers like it was never committed to the relationship. If you're in a hurry, place it in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to cool it evenly.
- Toast the pecans for the frosting if you have an extra 8 minutes and any ambition at all. Spread them on a dry baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes until fragrant. It deepens the flavor in a way that is technically optional and actually not.
Substitutions
Storage Instructions
Store the assembled cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. If refrigerating, let the cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving —? cold cake is denser and the frosting firms up significantly. Individual slices can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Make Ahead
The cake layers can be baked up to 2 days ahead. Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. The coconut-pecan frosting can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator; let it come to room temperature and stir well before spreading. The fully assembled cake can be made one day ahead and refrigerated, covered loosely with a cake dome or tented foil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is German chocolate cake actually German?
No, and this surprises people every time. German chocolate cake is an American invention named after Sam German, an English-American baker who developed a sweet baking chocolate for the Baker's Chocolate Company in 1852. The cake recipe became famous after a Dallas homemaker published her version using his chocolate in a Texas newspaper in 1957. It has nothing to do with Germany, which is a fact worth dropping at your next dinner party.
Why do I need to separate the eggs and fold in the whites?
Beating the egg whites to stiff peaks and folding them into the batter incorporates air and creates a lighter, more tender crumb than mixing whole eggs straight in. It's one of the steps that separates a homemade german chocolate cake from scratch from one that came out of a box. If you skip it, the cake will still taste good —? it will just be denser and slightly less impressive, which matters when you're carrying it into a room.
Why did my coconut-pecan frosting turn out runny?
The frosting was likely undercooked or spread before it had fully cooled. It needs to cook for a full 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat —? not high heat, which risks scrambling the egg yolks —? and then cool for 45 minutes to an hour until it thickens to a spreadable consistency. If it's been cooling for an hour and is still loose, refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Can I make this as a sheet cake instead of layers?
Yes. Pour the batter into a greased 13x9-inch baking pan and bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Spread all the coconut-pecan frosting over the top of the cooled cake. You'll lose the dramatic layered presentation, but you'll gain significant ease of transportation and a cake that feeds up to 18 people without any structural anxiety.
How do I keep my cake layers from sticking to the pans?
Grease the pans, line the bottoms with parchment circles, then grease the parchment and lightly flour the sides. This combination almost always releases cleanly. After 15 minutes of cooling in the pan, run a thin knife or offset spatula gently around the edge before inverting. If a layer does stick slightly at the bottom, a parchment liner is what saves you —? the cake pulls off the paper cleanly even when it's reluctant about the pan.
Can I make a nut-free version of the coconut-pecan frosting?
You can omit the pecans entirely and the frosting will still work —? it becomes a straight coconut custard topping that is genuinely delicious on its own. Some people also substitute toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for a similar texture with less allergen risk, though the flavor profile changes. The coconut itself cannot really be removed without rethinking the frosting entirely, as it's structural to what German chocolate cake is.
What's the best way to get even cake layers?
Use a kitchen scale to divide the batter by weight into the three pans —? it's more accurate than eyeballing. If your layers bake up domed in the center, let them cool completely and use a long serrated knife to level them before assembling. A domed top layer is fine left as-is since the frosting covers it, but uneven middle layers will make your stack tilt, and a tilting german chocolate cake has a way of finishing what it started.
Can I add a chocolate frosting on the sides of the cake?
You can, and some versions do include a chocolate buttercream on the sides. It's not traditional —? the exposed sides with just the coconut-pecan layers visible is the classic look —? but a thin coat of chocolate ganache or buttercream on the outside makes the cake easier to transport and gives it a more finished appearance. Use a simple ganache of equal parts heavy cream and melted semi-sweet chocolate, cooled to spreading consistency.