If you love rich chocolate, creamy coconut-pecan filling, and a bakery-style cake that tastes like it took all day, this classic German Chocolate Cake delivers pure dessert perfection. Every bite is moist, indulgent, and layered with nostalgic homemade flavor that always gets rave reviews.
German Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Egg yolks | 4 |
| Evaporated milk | 1 can (12 ounces) |
| Granulated sugar | 1 cup (7 ounces) |
| Light brown sugar, packed | 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) |
| Unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces | 6 tbsp |
| Table salt | 1/8 tsp |
| Vanilla extract | 2 tsp |
| Sweetened shredded coconut | 2 1/3 cups (7 ounces) |
| Finely chopped pecans | 1 1/2 cups (6 1/2 ounces) |
| Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped | 4 ounces |
| Dutch-processed cocoa, sifted | 1/4 cup |
| Boiling water | 1/2 cup |
| Unbleached all-purpose flour | 2 cups (10 ounces) |
| Baking soda | 3/4 tsp |
| Unsalted butter, softened | 12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) |
| Granulated sugar | 1 cup (7 ounces) |
| Light brown sugar, packed | 2/3 cup (4 3/4 ounces) |
| Table salt | 3/4 tsp |
| Large eggs, room temperature | 4 |
| Vanilla extract | 1 tsp |
| Sour cream, room temperature | 3/4 cup |
Instructions
To make the filling, whisk the yolks in a medium saucepan, then slowly whisk in the evaporated milk. Add both sugars, the butter, and salt. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking continuously until the mixture thickens, becomes slightly frothy, and begins to bubble—this takes about 6 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, whisk in vanilla, stir in coconut, and let it cool until warm. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
To prepare the cake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for about 8 minutes, then let them cool. In a small bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and cocoa, pour the boiling water over it, let it sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until silky and smooth. Set aside.
Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment rounds, spray again, dust with flour, and tap out the excess. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugars, and salt on medium-low until blended, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until the mixture looks light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, stopping halfway to scrape the bowl. Reduce to medium and add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, scraping again halfway through. Add vanilla, increase speed to medium-high, and beat for about 45 seconds. Lower speed and add the melted chocolate mixture. Boost to medium and mix for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl once.
On low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two additions. Mix only until combined, then finish folding gently by hand. Divide the thick batter evenly between both cake pans and smooth the tops.
Bake for 28–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a greased wire rack. Remove the parchment and cool completely.
For assembly, stir the toasted pecans into the chilled filling. Using a serrated knife, carefully slice each cake horizontally into two even layers. Place the first bottom layer on a serving plate and spread about 1 cup of filling to the edges. Add the next layer and repeat with remaining filling and cake layers. Serve immediately or refrigerate loosely covered for up to 4 hours. If chilled longer than 2 hours, let it sit at room temperature 15–20 minutes before slicing.
