Name: German Chocolate Cake
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 1 cup evaporated milk; 3 large egg yolks (reserve whites for buttercream); 1 tsp vanilla; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed); pinch salt; 1/2 cup unsalted butter (cubed); 3/4 cup flaked coconut (toasted (sweetened or unsweetened)); 3/4 cup shredded coconut (toasted (sweetened or unsweetened)); 1 cup chopped pecans (toasted); 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups granulated sugar; 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (sifted); 2 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp baking powder; 3/4 tsp salt; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature); 1 cup hot water (or coffee); 2 large eggs (room temperature); 2 tsp vanilla; 5 large egg whites; 1 2/3 cups dark brown sugar (packed); 2 cups unsalted butter (room temperature); 8 oz good quality dark chocolate (chopped, melted, cooled); 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (sifted); 2 tsp vanilla

This classic German Chocolate Cake combines rich chocolate cake layers with a sweet coconut pecan filling and a dreamy chocolate buttercream.

I am fascinated with the history behind some recipes. The origin of the German Chocolate Cake is not at all what I expected it to be, not even close!

German Chocolate Cake was actually named after American baker Samuel German, who worked for the Baker’s Chocolate company in the mid 1800’s. While there, he created a baking chocolate for the company, which they named Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate.

Years later, in the 1950’s, Mrs. George Clay used said chocolate to create a cake that she called “German’s Chocolate Cake“. At some point the ‘s was dropped, and people started calling it what you and I know it as today: German Chocolate Cake. You can read more about the cake’s rise in popularity here.

Coincidentally, Baker’s Chocolate Company is not named so because of baking, but because the company founder’s last name was Baker.

My whole life is a lie!

What is German Chocolate Cake?

German Chocolate Cake consists of a coconut pecan filling sandwiched between chocolate cake layers. Pretty simple, right?

Now, traditional German Chocolate Cake is made using a lighter colored mild chocolate cake. I am a rich/dark chocolate kinda gal, so I’m using my favourite Chocolate Cake recipe as the base for this. The original recipe also does not call for chocolate frosting, but I’m also a cake needs frosting kinda gal, so this is my version of the traditional cake. Feel free to skip the frosting if you prefer (there is enough coconut pecan filling fully to top 3 layers).

How do you make German Chocolate Cake?

The chocolate cake recipe is pretty standard, it’s one I use all the time in various forms. The only thing to note here is that the batter is very thin and rises a LOT, so don’t overfill your pans — half full max.

Since I baked it in three 8″ pans instead of my usual two, the layers are a bit thinner and can be a bit delicate when warm. I recommend chilling the cake layers before assembling the cake. I always wrap the cooled cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze them until I’m ready to decorate. I take them out when I start making the frosting, and by the time the frosting is done, the layers are thawed enough to assemble.

The coconut pecan filling is very simple to make. I mostly followed this recipe, with a few minor tweaks: I toasted the coconut and pecans, and used half brown sugar. Note that doing both of these things will make the filling have a yellow tint to it, which is different from the original, but equally delicious.

Using brown sugar in the filling makes it a bit trickier to know when it’s done cooking, as you can’t really tell that it has caramelized, so just cook it until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency.

Toasting the coconut and pecans is optional, but I find that doing this enhances the flavour. It takes very little time, so I opt to do it when I can.

I used sweetened coconut in the filling, but you might want to use unsweetened depending on your sugar tolerance. The filing is sweet. I happen to like it that way (I was eating it with a spoon), and it goes well with the not-too-sweet chocolate cake and dark chocolate frosting, but you may want to tone it down a bit if you prefer your desserts less on the sweeter side.

Let’s talk about my cake layers for a sec, because they look more dense than they actually are.

This cake was sitting in my fridge for two days while I waited for the weather to clear so I could take pics, so the weight of it compressed the layers a bit. The cake was also cold when I cut it, which makes it look more dense than it is.

Not that there’s anything wrong with a dense cake (I actually prefer those), but this one looks almost like a brownie and it is NOT that dense.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I am on a quest to find the perfect chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream. We’re getting there. My goal is a dark(er) chocolate frosting (which is hard to do with SMBC) that is stable to frost and pipe with.

My first chocolate SMBC was for this Mocha Cake. It’s still one of my faves because it’s crazy delicious, but it’s too light in color for what I’m looking for. I’m basically trying to achieve a chocolate American buttercream color with an SMBC. No small feat!

My next chocolate SMBC was for this Classic Chocolate Cake. I added more melted chocolate to it, hoping to darken the color. That worked (though not to the extent I was hoping), but the extra chocolate made the frosting quite soft and a bit harder to work with.

For the Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream on this German Chocolate Cake, I first started with a dark brown sugar SMBC. At least the base wasn’t pure white, I figured. I also cut back a bit on the proportion of melted chocolate, and added some Dutch-processed cocoa powder to it.

It’s better in terms of the color I was going for, but not quite there. I should have added some black cocoa powder, but I was worried that it would skip the dark brown color I was going for and go right to blackish (it’s pretty potent). I will try that next time.

Let me tell you though, this chocolate SMBC is the BEST. The flavour is seriously amazing. I don’t know if it’s the dark brown sugar in it, or the combo of the high quality dark chocolate and cocoa powder or what, but I was happily eating this with a spoon.

When assembling this cake, I first spread a thin layer of buttercream on each layer before topping with the filling. This is completely optional. I usually do this with any softer fillings (curd, jam, etc.) so they don’t seep into the cake layer, but this filling is so thick it stands well on its own. You probably don’t need the buttercream dam either.

The top border on this German Chocolate Cake is done using a 6B piping tip. I basically just piped the infinity symbol (∞) sideways along the top.

I recommend chilling the cake before filling in the top with the rest of the coconut pecan filling. That way you won’t damage any of the decorative border.

This German Chocolate Cake is the perfect combination of flavours and textures — it’s no wonder it’s been such a hit all these years. I don’t think Mrs. Clay has gotten enough credit for it! And though my cake is modified from her original recipe, I tried to stay somewhat true to the filling. After all, I think that’s what makes this cake what it is!

Check out these other German Chocolate Desserts!

Tips for making this German Chocolate Cake Recipe

The recipe as-is will work in either two 8″ or three 6″ pans. The layers will be thicker than in the recipe above (three 8″ pans) though, so you’ll need to increase the baking time.
To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so. The batter is very thin and rises a lot, so don’t fill the liners more than half full.
You can make the pecan coconut filling a couple days in advance, just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring to room temperature and give it a good stir before using.
I used sweetened coconut (half shredded, half flaked), but you can use unsweetened if you prefer a less sweet filling (it was pretty sweet).
You can use regular cocoa powder for the cake and frosting if you don’t have Dutch-processed. It will affect the flavour and color slightly.
Traditional German Chocolate Cake does not have a buttercream. You can leave this out if you like, and there will be enough of the pecan coconut filling to top 3 layers.
Using good quality chocolate for the frosting will make a huge difference!
Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my Flat Top Cakes post!