German chocolate cake recipe
A rich German chocolate cake recipe with tender layers, deep cocoa flavor, and buttery coconut pecan frosting everyone will love.
Ingredients
- For the Chocolate Cake
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- For the Coconut Pecan Frosting
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- Pan Prep
- Cooking spray or butter
- Two 9-inch cake pans
Instructions
- Make the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until evenly mixed.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until smooth.
- Slowly pour in the boiling water. The batter will be thin—this is correct.
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the Frosting
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, and butter.
- Cook, stirring continuously, until thickened (10–12 minutes).
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, sweetened shredded coconut, and pecans.
- Let cool until thick and spreadable.
Notes
- Measure your flour by spooning and leveling—never scoop—so the cake stays moist.
- Room-temperature eggs incorporate more smoothly into the batter.
- Don’t skip parchment paper in the cake pans; this cake is tender and can stick.
- Stir the frosting constantly; walking away may cause the egg yolks to scramble.
- Always cool the cakes completely before frosting to prevent sliding layers.