Grab a glass of milk and get ready for this German chocolate cake!
I do apologize in advance for the way my German Chocolate Cake looks.
It’s kind of NAKED!
This is what happens when you rush to bake a cake. I didn’t wait long enough for the cake to cool before taking it out of the pan and I waited too long to add the frosting to the cake. The cake crumbled and I couldn’t get the frosting to smooth out.
Yes, it’s really ugly, but damn if it wasn’t good!! That is why I am sharing this recipe with you.
Another reason why I am sharing this recipe with you is that even though my cake looks like crap, I know this recipe works. I made this recipe so long ago. Although I don’t remember when it was. I do know it was long before The Mountain Kitchen came to be.
I made this cake last month for David’s birthday. It was the same weekend that our friends from Richmond came up to visit us. David and I planned to smoke some applewood smoked chicken wings and some of our smoked snack mix. Also on the menu was a pumpkin roll, my BFF’s favorite. I just didn’t realize how time-consuming it all was going to be. I took 40 minutes to work out in the basement to offset the food consumption.
By the time our friends arrived, I was a hot mess racing around the kitchen like a chicken with my head cut off. Long story short, this cake looks like crap because I ran out of time. I mean when your BFF comes to spend time with you, you don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen cooking, right?
David always says, “the best cakes I’ve ever had were held together with toothpicks”. Well, this one didn’t have toothpicks, it was just a little naked…
This German chocolate cake is a deliciously rich dark and extra chocolaty cake with a caramelized gooey coconut-pecan frosting with toasted pecans smothered between three layers of moist chocolaty goodness. This is a classic decadent dessert made from scratch without a cake mix that no one will be able to resist!
Let me share this recipe with you.
The German Chocolate Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three (9-inch) round cake pans by lightly greasing the bottom of the pans and lining them with lightly greased parchment paper.
Add cocoa powder to one of the greased cake pans. Shake the pan until the interior surface is lightly covered with cocoa powder. Turn out any excess cocoa powder into the second pan. Repeat the process and dump the excess of the second cake pan into the third. Discard any excess from the third pan. Set the cake pans aside.
Note: Normally you would use flour to dust the cake pans, but since this cake will be chocolaty and brown, the cocoa powder keeps the layers from having white edges.
Add the chocolate bars and ½ cup of water to a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until the chocolate has melted; about 1 to 1 ½ minutes stirring about halfway through.
Note: If you are using chocolate pecan halves for garnish, dip the pecan halves into the melted chocolate and set aside, before adding the chocolate to the cake batter. I love using Millican pecans. You can order some HERE.
Use German Chocolate bars or Semi-Sweet chocolate bars. I have made this cake using either and both are a great choice.
Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda and salt through a sieve into a medium bowl.
Beat the butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes. Add the eggs yolks, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Then pour in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Beat in the chocolate on low speed until well blended.
Add the flour and buttermilk, alternating between the two. Begin with the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter, pour the batter out evenly into the prepared cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees until a wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle; about 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove the cake pans from the oven and place them on wire racks. Run a knife around the outer edge of each pan to loosen up the sides. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes, before removing the cakes from the pan. Discard the parchment paper. Cool completely; about 1 hour.
The Coconut-Pecan Frosting
While the cake is cooling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Chop the pecans and place them in a single layer on a sheet pan. Toast the pecans in the oven until fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow the pecans to cool completely; about 20 minutes.
While the pecans are toasting and cooling, cook, the evaporated milk, sugar, butter and egg yolks in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly, so that it doesn’t stick and burn until the butter melts and the sugar has dissolved; about 3 to 4 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbling becomes a light caramel color and is a pudding-like consistency; about 12 to 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Stir in the coconut, vanilla, and toasted pecans. Transfer the mixture to a medium-size bowl. Allow the frosting to sit for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until cooled enough to spread.
Spread the coconut-pecan frosting between the layers, on the top and side of the cake. Garnish with the prepared chocolate-dipped pecan halves, if desired.
David didn’t seem to care too much what the cake looked like. He loves this German chocolate cake. He is now telling me to make it again since it didn’t turn out as pretty as it should have. However, I’m not falling for his schemes to get more cake.
I promise this cake will turn you correctly. Just remember not to rush your cake, so it won’t turn out looking naked and sad like mine!
German Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder for cake pans
- 8 ounces sweet chocolate baking bars 2 (4-ounce)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs separated
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Coconut-Pecan Frosting:
- 2 cups chopped pecans reserve 10 to 15 extra halves for garnishing (optional)
- 12- ounces evaporated milk
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ¾ cups unsalted butter
- 6 egg yolks lightly beaten
- 2 ½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
The German Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three (9-inch) round cake pans by lightly greasing the bottom of the pans and lining them with lightly greased parchment paper. Add cocoa powder to one of the greased cake pans. Shake the pan until the interior surface is lightly covered with cocoa powder. Turn out any excess cocoa powder into the second pan. Repeat the process and dump the excess of the second cake pan into the third. Discard any excess from the third pan. Set the cake pans aside.
- Add the chocolate bars and ½ cup of water to a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until the chocolate has melted; about 1 to 1 ½ minutes stirring about halfway through.
- Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda and salt through a sieve into a medium bowl.
- Beat the butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes. Add the eggs yolks, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Then pour in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Beat in the chocolate on low speed until well blended.
- Add the flour and buttermilk, alternating between the two. Begin with the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter, pour the batter out evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees until a wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle; about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the cake pans from the oven and place them on wire racks. Run a knife around the outer edge of each pan to loosen up the sides. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes, before removing the cakes from the pan. Discard the parchment paper. Cool completely; about 1 hour.
The Coconut-Pecan Frosting
- While the cake is cooling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Chop the pecans and place them in a single layer on a sheet pan. Toast the pecans in the oven until fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow the pecans to cool completely; about 20 minutes.
- While the pecans are toasting and cooling, cook, the evaporated milk, sugar, butter and egg yolks in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly, so that it doesn’t stick and burn, until the butter melts and the sugar has dissolved; about 3 to 4 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbling becomes a light caramel color and is a pudding-like consistency; about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the coconut, vanilla, and toasted pecans. Transfer the mixture to a medium-size bowl. Allow the frosting to sit for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until cooled enough to spread.
- Spread the coconut-pecan frosting between the layers, on the top and side of the cake. Garnish with the prepared chocolate-dipped pecan halves, if desired.
Aunt KK says
Hi Debbie! 1st time visitor (by accident) when your German chocolate cake caught my eye. Not a cook nor a baker, but my son’s favorite cake is g.c. and he’s never had a homemade one. Because of your sweet honesty and luscious photo I have committed my 73 yr. young arthritic body to baking your recipe as a gift for him on Christmas day. I will prepare ingredients ahead of time then put it together CMAs morning. I signed up for your site..,and I never sign up for anything. ‘Specially cooking recipes! There’s just something abt your sincerely that grabs attention. I wanted to share this with you.
Aunt KK from Glen Rose, Tx.
The Mountain Kitchen says
This may be one of the nicest comments I’ve ever received. So sweet of you to make your son his favorite cake. I hope he loves it as much as we did. Thanks for subscribing! We look forward to sharing recipes with you! Merry Christmas! ~ Debbie