German Chocolate Cake
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Learn how to make classic German chocolate cake, with rich chocolate layers and coconut-pecan frosting. This timeless dessert has been a favorite for decades and is always a crowd-pleaser.
German chocolate cake is a decadent chocolate cake layered with a gooey coconut-pecan frosting. It’s named after Sam German, who created “German’s chocolate” for Baker’s back in 1852. The cake became famous in the 1950s, when a Texas homemaker’s recipe was published in a Dallas newspaper. It was such a hit, it boosted German’s Chocolate sales by 73% in just one year!
Typically, the sides of a German chocolate cake are left bare or coated with chocolate ganache. For an attractive and easy finish, I suggest leaving the sides uncovered and drizzling a glossy chocolate glaze over the top. This creates a pretty drip effect without the extra effort of covering the sides.
“Hands down, the best cake I have ever had.”
What You’ll Need To Make German Chocolate Cake
- Cake Ingredients: Semi-sweet chocolate, eggs, all-purpose flour, unsweetened natural cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and buttermilk.
- Frosting Ingredients: Egg yolks, evaporated milk, light brown sugar, butter, sweetened flaked coconut and pecans.
- Chocolate Glaze Ingredients: Heavy cream, light corn syrup, and melted chocolate.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Melt the chocolate: In a heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, then stir until the mixture is smooth.
Step 2. Beat the egg whites. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.
Pro Tip: When beating the egg whites, make sure your bowl and whisk are very clean—even a tiny bit of grease will keep them from reaching stiff peaks.
Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 4. Cream the butter and sugar: Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Step 5: Mix in the egg yolks and chocolate. Add the eggs one by one, then add the melted chocolate and vanilla.
Step 6. Finish the batter: On low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk. Gently fold in the egg whites in two batches until the batter is smooth.
Pro Tip: Use a large rubber spatula for folding. Stop just before the egg whites are fully incorporated; over-mixing will make the cake tough.
Step 7: Bake and cool. Divide the batter into three 9-inch pans and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then move the layers to wire racks to cool completely.
Step 8: Make the frosting. Whisk the egg yolks, milk, and brown sugar in a saucepan. Add the butter, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium-low heat for 12 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut, pecans, vanilla, and salt.
Pro Tip: If you’d like, toast your pecans and coconut at 350°F for 5 to 8 minutes before adding them. This adds a deep, nutty crunch that balances the sweet frosting.
Step 9: Make the glaze. In a medium bowl, microwave the cream and corn syrup until boiling. Stir in the chopped chocolate, let sit for 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Let it cool until slightly thickened.
Pro Tip: Wait until the glaze reaches the consistency of thick maple syrup before pouring. If it’s too warm, it’ll pool at the bottom; too cold, and it won’t drip.
Step 10: Assemble and store. Place one cake layer on a platter. Spread a third of the frosting over top. Repeat with the remaining layers and frosting, leaving the sides of the cake bare. Drizzle the chocolate glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. You can store the cake at room temperature for two days or freeze unfrosted layers for up to three months.
Video Tutorial
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German Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghiradelli, chopped
- ½ cup water
- 4 eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk (see note)
For the Coconut-Pecan Frosting
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
- 1½ cups (packed) light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2½ cups lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut (preferably Baker’s)
- 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Chocolate Glaze
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghiradelli, chopped
Instructions
- Make the Cake Layers: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray 2 or 3 (9-in/23-cm) round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker’s Joy or Pam with Flour. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment circles and spray again.
- Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the water to a boil in the microwave (or on the stovetop) and pour over the chocolate; let sit for one minute. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is completely smooth.
- In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside and clean the beaters (you’ll use them again for the batter).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a very large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes (start on low, then increase the speed to medium). Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the melted chocolate mixture and the vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Add about ⅓ of the egg whites to the cake batter; fold until evenly combined. Add the remaining egg whites and fold just until the batter is uniform. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake until the cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes for 3 layers or 35 to 40 minutes for 2 layers. Cool the cakes in the pans for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Make the Coconut-Pecan Frosting: In a 2-qt (2L) saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, evaporated milk, and light brown sugar; add the butter and bring to a gentle boil. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until thick, about 12 minutes (adjust the heat as necessary to keep the mixture at a gentle boil). Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut, pecans, vanilla, and salt. Let cool to room temperature.
- Make the Chocolate Glaze: Pour the cream and corn syrup into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high power until boiling, about 1 minute. Add the chopped chocolate. (Alternatively, place the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil and then pour it over the chocolate.) Let the mixture sit for 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Let the ganache cool until slightly thickened but still pourable, whisking occasionally so a film doesn't form on top, 10 to 15 minutes. (If it gets too thick, you can warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds, or until just pourable.)
- Assemble and Serve: For a 3 layer cake: Place 1 cake layer, rounded side down, on a cake platter. Using a metal spatula, spread ⅓ of the coconut-pecan frosting over the layer. Add the second layer, rounded side down; spread with ⅓ of the frosting. Add the third layer, rounded side up; spread with remaining frosting, leaving the sides of the cake unfrosted. For a 2-layer cake, follow the same procedure but spread half of the frosting over the bottom layer and the remaining half over the top layer. Prepare the chocolate glaze and drizzle it over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Cut the cake with a small, very-sharp serrated knife, using a sawing motion and wiping the knife clean (carefully!) between slices.
Notes
- Check out some easy guidance on how to make buttermilk using milk and lemon juice or vinegar.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The cake can be made up to two days ahead of time and stored in a cake dome at room temperature. The cake layers can also be frozen without the frosting for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and then in foil. Thaw overnight on the countertop before assembling and frosting the cake.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Can I use this recipe and make cupcakes instead? Would I need to change anything besides the baking time?
Hi Lucy, You can definitely use this recipe to make cupcakes. I would start checking for doneness around 20 minutes.
Hi Jenn! This is my mom’s favorite cake and her b-day is Monday. I just made the 3 layers today. I have never made a German Chocolate cake before and found the cake batter to be quite thick & a bit hard to spread evenly in the pans which made the layers a bit uneven after baking. I’m curious if the batter is supposed to be thick or if I did something wrong. Also, would there be enough frosting to do the sides of the cake so I can hide the imperfection? Thank you! Kim
Hi Kim, I’m so sorry I’m only seeing this now – how did the cake turn out? The batter shouldn’t be too thick.
I have made this twice now since finding your recipe! I don’t know what it is but this tastes so much better than the recipe I’ve been using, that comes with the German chocolate bar, and what I have been eating my entire life. I have been referring all my baker friends to this exact recipe because it is SO GOOD! This is definitely a keeper!!!! Thank you for sharing!
Some background. I’ve been cooking for decades. I cook across all kinds of foods, ethnic, international, smoking, desserts, etc. Simple to weeklong (think turning a pork shoulder into a smoked ham for Easter). My wife’s birthday is approaching and in the past I’ve alternated between a coconut layer cake and carrot cake. This year she asked for a German Chocolate cake because her mother used to make one and my wife had not had one in a very long time. The search for a great recipe began and after combing through my usual sources, including the NYT cooking section, I came upon this recipe. Something about it just spoke to me and so the choice was made to go with this.
WOW! This is a knock it out of the park recipe! Yes, it definitely takes a good amount of time, in part because of having to let various stages cool down, cake, icing etc. The result though is everything and more that you could want and hope for. Surprisingly light cake, superb icing, point on instructions. Confession, I did deviate on the chocolate sauce and made a truer chocolate ganache that I drizzled a little on each layer plus the top. I’m not on Instagram, but if I were I’d definitely post a picture for you as it was the twin of yours pictured.
Thanks very much of your generosity in sharing this killer recipe. My wife was ecstatic!
Hi Luther, So happy it turned out well! I always love seeing photos. Feel free to email a pic at jennifer@onceuponachef.com.
Turned out excellent! Had to really work on frosting to get it right consistency but it did finally work out. The ganache coating is stunning!
Jenn, thank you for developing this recipe! German chocolate cake is my favorite dessert. I’ve tried numerous recipes and I’ve finally found the right one! Not only does this taste delicious, moist, and indulgent, but it’s also beautiful to look at – you knocked another one out of the park!
Normally I love all your recipes but this one I unfortunately have to say I was not a big fan. I found the cake itself very heavy and dense. I like my cakes light and fluffy so I will add baking powder the next time I make it. Overall my guests said it was delicious but very filling.
Does this cake need refrigeration? I made this cake today and it turned out beautiful. It’s for my brother’s 50th birthday so we won’t be cutting it until tomorrow evening,
Hi Debby, No need to refrigerate the cake — it keeps well at room temperature — although it won’t hurt it. If you do put it in the fridge, make sure to let it come to room temperature before serving.
Jenn, this beautiful cake was to be shared with friends but my husband tested positive so now we have it all to ourselves. It’s only the three of us and we can’t eat all of it. Can the cake slices be frozen? Thanks!
Yep it freezes nicely. 🙂
This is AMAZING!!! Absolute perfection! Hands down, the best cake I have ever had and the best I have ever made! It is everything German Chocolate cake should be! The cake is light and airy, yet the chocolate flavor is solid. The icing was downright sinful; it was so good! We served ten people for Christmas Day dessert and then had it the next day for breakfast!