German Chocolate Cake (Best Recipe!)
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Made with richly fudgy chocolate cake layers and a silky chocolate frosting, this is NOT your average German chocolate cake! Instead of piling the coconut-pecan frosting on top, we layer it inside and wrap the cake in chocolate frosting for gooey decadence in every slice. Recipe includes a how-to video!
The Ultimate German Chocolate Cake Recipe
I’ve taken some liberties with traditional German chocolate cake today. After lots of testing, I wasn’t satisfied with many attempts at the classic versions of this cake. Maybe you’ve tried them before: made with melted bars of German chocolate and whipped egg whites. They yield a lighter, but more dry and not terribly chocolatey cake.
While I tried to love it, I found myself desperately craving something a bit more decadent, a touch more interesting, and definitely more chocolatey. My version delivers on all of these, here’s what to know:
What to Expect From My Recipe
- Ultra moist, deeply chocolatey cake layers. No dry, crumbly cake here! We’re skipping the traditional method and using my classic chocolate cake recipe as the base for rich, fudgy results.
- Traditional coconut-pecan frosting (used strategically). The iconic filling stays, but it’s used between the layers (and a bit on top). It’s gooey, flavorful, and balances the cake without overwhelming it.
- Chocolate buttercream makes an appearance. It’s not traditional, but holds in the filling and adds an extra layer of balanced decadence that puts this cake over the top.
Ingredients
For the Cake Layers
- Flour. Stick with all-purpose flour for this recipe and make sure you measure it accurately, or you could end up with a cake that’s dry or dense. I have a post on how to measure flour the right way that explains everything you need to know!
- Cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder will give you the most traditional flavor and is what I recommend.
- Instant coffee. This is optional, but I recommend adding it for the richest chocolate flavor. I promise it won’t make your cake taste like coffee! If you don’t have instant coffee, you an swap the hot water with a ½ cup of brewed hot coffee.
- Egg + egg yolk. Adding an extra yolk to the batter makes for a rich, moist cake crumb. It’s key for that fudgy texture we all expect from a chocolate cake!
- Oil & butter. This winning combination is my go-to for cakes (and muffins and breads) that are moist (oil) and flavorful (butter). I use avocado oil, but any neutral cooking oil will work.
For the Filling & Frosting
- Coconut & pecans. Use sweetened shredded coconut and chopped pecans. If you’d like to toast your pecans (and I recommend you do!), follow the instructions in my post on how to toast pecans. You will want to toast them before chopping for best results.
- Evaporated milk. Be careful to make sure you aren’t using sweetened condensed milk–you must use evaporated milk. They are often sold near each other but are NOT the same thing.
- Egg yolks. You only need egg yolks for the filling. If you don’t want to waste the egg whites, use them to make meringue cookies (my recipe uses exactly four!).
- Butter. I use unsalted butter in the filling and salted in the frosting. If you only have salted butter, omit the salt in the filling. If you only have unsalted butter, simply add a ½ teaspoon of salt to the frosting.
- Cocoa powder. Stick with natural cocoa powder for the frosting, just like the cake layers.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
SAM’S TIP: We won’t use all of the evaporated milk in the filling, so I like to use up a little more of it in the chocolate frosting. If you prefer to use regular milk in the frosting though, feel free.
How to Make German Chocolate Cake
- Step 1: Make the batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients and sugars until well combined, then stir in the oil, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually stir in the buttermilk, then very carefully add the hot water. Scrape the bowl before giving it one final stir until you have a smooth, cohesive batter.
- Step 2: Bake. Evenly divide the batter between two greased, floured, and lined pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs (preferable!), then remove to a cooling rack. Wait 15 minutes before removing the cakes from their pans to cool completely.
- Step 3: Make the caramelized filling. Whisk together the egg yolks and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Stir in the butter, sugars, and salt, then turn your stovetop to medium-low. Stir constantly as the mixture heats and thickens. Once it reaches a light brown color, remove it from the heat.
- Step 4: Add the coconut and pecans. Stir in the vanilla, chopped pecans, and shredded coconut. You will need to let this mixture cool completely before you can use it; I recommend transferring it to a heatproof dish to help speed up this process.
- Step 5: Make the frosting. Beat the butter until smooth, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Finally, stir in the milk and vanilla.
- Step 6: Assemble. Pipe a frosting dam around the edge of your first cake layer. Add half of the caramel filling in the center. Top with your second cake layer, then frost the sides of the cake (you can do a thin layer on top too!). Pipe a frosting border/dam around the top of your cake (I switch to a star tip for this!), then add your remaining caramel filling in the center.
SAM’S TIP: It’s very important that you let your filling cool completely. It will be too runny while still warm and needs to cool to the proper consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Much like Italian cream cake doesn’t come from Italy, German chocolate cake does not come from Germany. Instead, it gets its name from the creator of German chocolate, Samual German. Here’s a good resource if you want to learn more about the origins of this not-so-German cake.
The traditional frosting is a cross between a custard and a caramel sauce with shredded coconut and toasted pecans.
We still make this frosting for , I like a little bit more chocolate (shocking), so I treat the coconut/caramel/pecan mixture as a filling and use an actual chocolate frosting to frost my cake.
This cake can stay at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can refrigerate it for up to a week (just keep it in an airtight container, as the fridge dries out cakes!).
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear how you like my non-traditional take on this cake–leave me a comment below if you try it 😊
Enjoy!
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German Chocolate Cake (Best Recipe!)
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 ¾ cup (215 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- ¾ cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant coffee
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) neutral cooking oil, I use avocado oil, but canola or vegetable oil would also work
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, room temperature preferred
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature preferred
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (236 ml) buttermilk¹
- ½ cup (120 ml) very hot or boiling water
Coconut Caramel Filling
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup (236 ml) evaporated milk
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cups (125 g) chopped pecans, preferably toasted
- 2 cups (160 g) sweetened shredded coconut
Chocolate Frosting²
- 1 cup (226 g) salted butter, softened
- 3 ½ cups (440 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons evaporated milk³
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare two 9″ round cake pans by lightly greasing and flouring I also recommend lining the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine flour, sugars, cocoa powder, instant coffee, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) and use an electric mixer to stir until well-combined.1 ¾ cup (215 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed, 1 cup (200 g) sugar, ¾ cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons instant coffee, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Add oil and melted butter and stir well (mixture will be very thick), then stir in eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.½ cup (120 ml) neutral cooking oil, ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 2 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Gradually add buttermilk, stirring until completely combined.1 cup (236 ml) buttermilk¹
- Slowly add hot water (be careful not to splash yourself!), stirring until ingredients are well-combined. Pause occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure all ingredients are thoroughly combined.½ cup (120 ml) very hot or boiling water
- Evenly divide batter into prepared pans. Transfer to oven and bake on 350F (175C) for 25-30 minutes and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Allow cakes to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.
Coconut Caramel Filling
- Once your cake is in the oven, begin preparing your coconut/caramel filling. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine egg yolks and evaporated milk and whisk until eggs are lightly beaten.4 large egg yolks, 1 cup (236 ml) evaporated milk
- Add butter, sugars, and salt and place saucepan over medium/low heat (keep heat low so you do not cook your eggs!). Stir constantly until mixture is a light golden brown and thickened (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, chopped pecans, and shredded coconut.8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cups (125 g) chopped pecans, 2 cups (160 g) sweetened shredded coconut
- Allow to cool completely before spreading over cake.
Chocolate Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer OR in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and cocoa powder until completely combined. Stir in vanilla extract and milk.1 cup (226 g) salted butter, 3 ½ cups (440 g) powdered sugar, ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 Tablespoons evaporated milk³
Assembly:
- Once your cake layers have cooled and your coconut/caramel filling is no longer warm to the touch, you can assemble your cake!
- Place one cake round on serving tray or cake platter. Use your chocolate frosting to spread or pipe a border around the edge of the cake. Fill the border with half of your coconut/caramel filling.
- Top with second cake round. Frost top and sides of entire cake with remaining chocolate frosting.
- Top off cake with remaining half of coconut/caramel frosting.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
³I recommend evaporated milk because you will likely have some over from your coconut filling if you purchased a 12 oz can. However, regular milk will work just as well!
Storing
Keep at room temperature (granted you are not in a particularly hot/humid climate) in an airtight container for up to three days. It may also be refrigerated (in an airtight container) for up to a week. This may also be frozen, wrap well and freeze for up to several months.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This recipe was originally published in September of 2019, I’ve updated it to include new photos and more helpful information, but the recipe is unchanged.
How far in advance can I make the coconut filling? Thank you!
Hi Maria! The coconut filling will be good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 🙂
Excellent cake. It is a bit odd because when I was younger I disliked German Chocolate Cake. Then as I matured I started craving it. I was never a huge fan of coconut so that might’ve been the biggest why. That has changed now, obviously.🙂
Anyhow, this is my first attempt at making a German Chocolate Cake and WOW, my family and I were all impressed. This will definitely be my go to. I must admit it wasn’t as eye catching as yours, but the taste was spot on. Thank you for sharing this delectable cake recipe. It is much appreciated.
1) this recipe looks delicious (I have made many of your recipes – the sugar cookie one is our go to Xmas one because I am not organized enough to make dough that needs to be chilled haha).
2) there is such a thing as German chocolate cake and I can buy it from my local German import specialty foods store (Alberta Canada). It doesn’t look anything like this. It is sort of a mix between a brownie and a Betty Crocker chocolate cake; sometimes a buttercream or German meringue frosting or sometimes chocolate ganache frosting (or no frosting because the cake is so rich).
Super interesting to learn today that there used to be a brand of chocolate called German Chocolates, that explains a lot of confusion I’ve had seeing stuff that definitely was not a German heritage recipe.
Love all that you do, happy holidays and happy baking!
From one sweet tooth to another,
~Laura
Would a double batch work for 2 10 inch heart shape pans?
Hi Quiana! A double batch would probably be too much–1.5 would be closer. You could always do a double batch and make cupcakes with the excess though 🙂
Hi Emily! I love, love, love your cakes! Thanks for sharing your easy-to-follow recipes and techniques for all of the novice bakers out there. My family is not big on coconut so I decreased the amount by half. However, the caramel filling turned out a bit runny even after increasing the cook time and refrigerating on my second attempt. Is it necessary to use the exact amount of coconut for this to work? Any other suggestions or tweaks to thicken this? It tastes absolutely divine and is just too good to not get right 🙂
The coconut helps hold it together. The caramel isn’t really meant to be a stand alone. Cooking it a little longer may help, but you want to be careful to not burn it.
how can I make/change this using German chocolate
We’re not sure how that would go 🙁
This is my husband‘s favorite cake for his birthday. I have had trouble with the coconut caramel filling being really runny. My cake sprung leak after I assembled it. I did the coconut caramel filling the day before and put in the fridge, so it would not be too warm when layering. Also, my cake crumbles when I apply the icing. It falls apart. It may not be pretty, but it taste really good. Any suggestions?
Hi Shelly! If your filling is too thin you may have just needed to cook it for a little bit longer on the stove top. Is your cake dry and crumbly or are you just getting crumbs off the outside of the cake when frosting? If you are having just crumbs from the outside of the cake you can do a crumb coat. I show how to do this in my post on how to decorate a cake. I hope this helps! 🙂
Hi Sam- I love all your recipes and so appreciate having this resource, thank you! I would like to turn this recipe into a 8 inch triple layer cake. How would you suggest I go about increasing the recipe? Would there be enough batter to do 3
8 inch layers? Thank you so much for your help.
Hi Stephanie! You would want to increase all of the recipe by 50% to make sure you have enough. 🙂
Any adjustments to the recipe for higher elevation?
Hi Molly! Unfortunately I don’t have much experience with high elevation so I can’t provide good information on any alterations. Hopefully someone else can chime in with some information. 🙂
I only have 8 inch cake rounds should. I baked the batter in them but it took longer to bake. My middle sunk in both layers when I test the middle to see if they were done. The toothpick came out clean. I am wondering should I have divided my batter between 3 cake rounds instead of 2?
I’m so sorry to hear this happened! Is your baking soda fresh? A bad leavener can cause issues. Did you make any substitutions?
We love the German chocolate cake and it’s a family favorite, but it always comes out crumbly and we have made it about 5 times and it’s always so hard to frost. We are so confused and wondering if you have any suggestions. Thank you and we love your recipes
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it, Nick! You can try refrigerating it before frosting. It is a softer cake. 🙂
We will try it! Thank you
I have no idea what has gone wrong, but when I made this cake the center sunk in. Same thing happened when I made your devils food cake too. I even made it 2x thinking I may have missed or misread something. Same results with sunken center. Making your yellow cake it never happened. I’m at a loss of what went wrong. For the record all cakes have tasted great!
Hi Christina! I’m so sorry they have been sinking! I would make sure the batter is being well incorporated and make sure you don’t pull them out of the oven too soon. I’m glad you still enjoyed them. 🙂
This is a fantastic recipe! I just made it for my husband’s birthday and we all loved it! The cake is moist, rich, and full of flavor. I actually used fresh milled Einkorn flour and it was perfect!
I made this cake about a week ago for a bake sale during my local German Culture Clubs Christmas Bazzar. It was so incredibly rich, moist and yummy. I wish I had made 2 cakes so I could have had my family try it!
Made this twice for my Mom’s 92nd birthday & she/we loved it. So rich, moist. Now I’m going to make it for my SIL’s birthday cuz his Mom, who passed away recently, used to make German chocolate cake for him when he was a boy. Thank you for sharing this, Sam!
What would happen if I didn’t use the instant coffee? Thank you.
You will lose a bit of flavor, but it will still taste fine 🙂
When you say instant coffee. Is it just the granules or prepared instant coffee?
Hi Cindy! You will just mix the granules in. They will dissolve when the hot water is added in. 🙂
Can the coconut filling be frozen? I am making a GC cake in 2 weeks but have an excessive amount of egg yolks from another recipe that I am trying to use up.
By the way, I love this chocolate cake! I’ve made it 2 times. Once with the triple chocolate recipe and today with SMBC and a white chocolate drip. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Hi Julia! We haven’t tried it, but we think it will be fine. We’re so happy you like the recipe!
This is the best recipe I have found!! This is the most requested cake from family and friends. Everyone LOVES the frosting because it is not too sweet.
We’re so happy it’s a hit, Angela! ❤️