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Let’s be honest. The thing that unites those of us who love German Chocolate Cake is our deep appreciation for the coconut pecan frosting.
Essentially, this frosting is a thick, butterscotch custard with tons of shredded coconut and pecans folded in. It’s what that makes this cake so delicious and unique.
What is German Chocolate Cake?
German chocolate cake is typically made as a chocolate layer cake with a sweet frosting loaded with shredded coconut and pecans. It’s delicious, when done right.
The Thing That’s Wrong with Most German Chocolate Cake
The problem I have with store-bought versions of this beloved cake is that they’re often made with far too little of the coconut-pecan goodness. (My guess is that they can cut costs by supplementing the traditional topping with plain chocolate frosting.)
I find that unacceptable. Sure, pipe on some ganache rosettes if you want to get fancy, but leave the coconuts and pecan where they belong: slathered atop a chocolate cake.
How to Make Easier (and Better) German Chocolate Cake
Most German Chocolate Cake recipes are multi-layered affairs and therefore time-consuming, so I’ve made some changes to make it a little easier. In an effort to get from Point A to Point Cake more quickly, I bake the cake single 9×13-inch pan and then spread it with a thick layer of coconut pecan frosting — no cutting or stacking of layers required. It’s basically a snackable sheet cake.
While the classic recipe uses a light, sweetened chocolate to flavor the cake, I prefer using a combo of unsweetened chocolate and cocoa powder for a deeper, richer-tasting cake. I think this stands up better to the sweet frosting.
And speaking of that sweet frosting, making this all in one layer increases the ratio of frosting to cake, which I fully support.
How to Make Gooey Coconut-Pecan Frosting
This coconut-pecan frosting is made like no other frosting. It’s cooked over the stove and lands somewhere between a thick custard and curd. Evaporated milk, egg yolks, brown sugar, and butter are whisked in a saucepan over medium-high heat until thick. Then you fold in your coconut and pecans and that’s it!
Can I make this as a layer cake?
If you want to make this cake into a layer cake, divide the batter between two 8-inch round cake pans and bake until the tops spring back to the touch, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cakes completely and level the tops if needed.
Place on cake layer on a plate and top with a generous layer of the coconut pecan frosting, top with the second layer, and gently spread the remaining frosting over the cake.
Make-Ahead Tips for German Chocolate Cake
Yes! You can make both the cake and frosting ahead of time. The baked cake should be wrapped well in plastic before refrigerating (for up to 3 days) and wrapped in both plastic and foil if freezing (1 month). The frosting should be stored in an airtight container and can be refrigerated for day or two. Bring the frosting to room temperature and stir before using.
Storing German Chocolate Cake
Who Invented German Chocolate Cake
I’ll leave you with this fun fact: German chocolate cake gets its name from the type of chocolate often used, Baker’s German Chocolate (named after its creator Samuel German), not country of origin, so it’s actually a classic American cake!
More Chocolate Dessert Recipes
German Chocolate Snack Cake With Coconut-Pecan Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (21 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup boiling water
- 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional (for deeper chocolate flavor)
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the coconut pecan frosting:
- 3 large egg yolks
- 8 ounces evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 cups (323 grams) lightly packed brown sugar
- 4 ounces (113 grams, 1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Special equipment:
Method
1 Prep the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2 Combine the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
3 Make the batter: In a measuring cup combine the boiling water, chocolate, and espresso. Cover and let the hot water melt the chocolate, about 10 minutes, and whisk until smooth. Check the water with your finger; it's fine if it's still a little warm, but it should no longer be hot to the touch.
In a separate bowl (or in your measuring cup, if it's large enough), combine chocolate-water with the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and beat, using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, until just combined. Stop periodically and scrape the bottom of the bowl.
4 Bake the cake: Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until the top springs back to the touch, the sides of the cake have pulled slightly away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Leave the cake in the pan, and set it on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting, about 45 minutes.
5 Make the frosting: Whisk together the egg yolks, evaporated milk, and brown sugar in a saucepan. Add the butter and warm over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt, followed by the coconut and pecans.
The frosting should be thick, creamy, and nubbly with coconut and pecans.
6 Finish the cake: Cool the frosting to room temperature and spread generously onto the cake. Serve the cake from the pan.
The cake can be made a few days ahead, but wait to top it with the coconut-pecan frosting until before serving. This cake is best served the same day it's frosted. Leftovers can be kept, covered, for 2 to 3 days at room temperature.
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Cindy Rahe is the recipe maker and picture taker behind Hungry Girl por Vida. She loves to bake from scratch and make things that taste as good as they look. Cindy was born near Seoul but grew up in California and Nevada. She believes strongly in homemade birthday cakes, creamy coffee, and making room for dessert.
German Chocolate Snack Cake With Coconut-Pecan Frosting
Can I make this cake half the size? Like an 8×8? Cut ingredients in half and time in half?
Hi Ginger, half this recipe in an 8 x 8 pan should work, yes! Start checking for doneness after 20 minutes, but it may take up to 40 to bake fully. Go less by the time and more by visual cues “until the top springs back to the touch, the sides of the cake have pulled slightly away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.” Have fun!
Thank you!!!! Hope you have a Merry Christmas!
Just want to add that I replaced real butter in the topping with plant based butter since I have a dairy sensitivity and it worked perfectly. My brother didn’t even know.
Great, Terri! Thanks for letting us know. What plant-based butter did you use? I’m always on the lookout for new ones.
I never write reviews for recipes but am making an exception for this cake. My brother loves GC cake but, like the author of this recipe, I always find the chocolate too wimpy and making the traditional version of the recipe is too involved. This recipe remedies both of those problems. The best part is my brother loved it too. He even said he liked the richer chocolate and the thicker layer of gooey coconut pecan topping. My only problem was that the printed version came with tiny tiny font. I will retype and use this one again and again.
xxxxxyyyyy
Hi Terri, Simply Recipes amateur tech support here! To make the font bigger, do this: when you click “print”, it should open up a print dialog box. It gives you a page preview and then printing options. You may need to scroll down to find “More Settings”. Click on that. Then select “Scale.” See if you can increase the scale (you may need to select “custom”) and you can increase the font so it’s legible and not tiny. Hope the helps!
OMG this cake rocks! I only made the cake part, as I had to find an egg free frosting to top it but this cake is amazing! It’s truly the best chocolate cake I have ever made. I used gluten free all purpose flour and made no other alterations. It is moist and just the perfect texture!
xxxxxyyyyy
Can butter be used in place of oil?
Hi, Kianna — I would stick with oil for this cake.