What is German Chocolate Cake?
How to Make German Chocolate Cake:
1. Make the chocolate cake: Combine dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt). Combine wet ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla). Mix together and stir in boiling water.
2. Bake at 375°F: Pour batter into prepared 8 or 9-inch round baking pans. I like to cut a round piece of wax or parchment paper for the bottom of the pan also, to make sure the cake comes out easily.
3. Make the German Chocolate Frosting: Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, egg yolks, and evaporated milk in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a low boil over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, nuts and coconut. Allow to cool completely before layering it on the cake.
4. Make chocolate frosting: Melt butter, stir in cocoa powder, slowly add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed to thin the frosting, or a little extra powder, until you reach your desired consistency. Stir in vanilla.
5. Assemble: Place one of the cake rounds on your serving stand or plate. Smooth a thin layer of chocolate frosting over the cake layer, and then spoon half of the coconut frosting on top, spreading it into a smooth layer. Leave about ½ inch between the filling and edge of cake. Stack the second cake round on top. Smooth chocolate frosting over the entire cake. Spoon remaining coconut frosting on top of the cake.
Pro Tips:
Use room temperature ingredients. Run hot water over the eggs to bring them to room temperature. Stick the buttermilk in the microwave for just a few seconds. It really makes a difference!
Decorating cake is easy! I used a wilton 2D tip for the swirls on top of this cake, but I also love the Wilton 1M tip. I use both tips with an Ateco flex 14” reusable piping bag. Those three items right there are my favorites for cake and cupcake decorating.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Both frostings (coconut and chocolate) can be made ahead and placed in a covered container in the fridge. The coconut frosting will keep for 1-2 weeks, depending on the freshness of the ingredients used. The chocolate frosting will keep for 2-3 weeks. Remove frostings from the fridge an hour before you’re ready to frost the cake, to give them time to come to room temperature.
To Freeze: After baking the cake layers, allow them to cool completely, then wrap them well in plastic wrap and stick each layer in a ziplock freezer bag. Freeze for up to three months. Frost the cakes when they are frozen–they are much easier to frost this way! The assembled German Chocolate Cake can also be frozen, covered well, for 2-3 months (I recommend slicing the cake and wrapping each slice really well in plastic wrap, then placing in a freezer-safe container, for best results). Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Consider trying these popular Dessert Recipes:
- Better Than Anything Cake
- Mississippi Mud Brownies
- Snickerdoodles Bars
- Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Tres Leches Cake
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Recipe
German Chocolate Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
For the Coconut Frosting:
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
For the Chocolate Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Grease two 8 or 9-inch round baking pans. I like to cut a round piece of wax or parchment paper for the bottom of the pan also, to make sure the cake comes out easily.
For the Cake:
- Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Stir in boiling water (batter will be very thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake for 25 - 35 minutes (depending on your cake pan size. The 9'' pan takes less time to bake) or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with few crumbs. Cool 5 minutes in the pan and then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
For the German Chocolate Frosting:
- In a medium saucepan add brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, egg yolks, and evaporated milk. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a low boil over medium heat. Stir constantly for several minutes until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, nuts and coconut. Allow to cool completely before layering it on the cake.
For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- Melt butter. Stir in cocoa powder. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed to thin the frosting, or a little extra powder, until you reach your desired consistency. Stir in vanilla.
Cake Assembly:
- Place one of the cake rounds on your serving stand or plate.
- Smooth a thin layer of chocolate frosting over the cake layer, and then spoon half of the coconut frosting on top, spreading it into a smooth layer. Leave about ½ inch between the filling and edge of cake.
- Stack the second cake round on top. Smooth chocolate frosting over the entire cake.
- Spoon remaining coconut frosting on top of the cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I originally shared this recipe May 2017. Updated February 2021.
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Meh. Not German chocolate cake. The only thing German chocolate about this cake is the pecan/coconut frosting. The cake itself is too dark chocolate and the buttercream frosting is unnecessary and makes the cake too rich. Rated 2 stars because the taste was ok but I would not make it again.
This was literally the most decadent, moist, delicious cake I’ve ever made. A huge hit for my husband’s birthday.
I made this German Chocolate cake today. It came out delicious. I will def Be making it again. Was very easy and I followed it exactly.
AMAZING!!!!!! THIS is now my absolute favorite cake to make and eat! Already getting requests to make it again for the next co-worker’s birthday 🙄…What did I get myself into?!?!
So made this recipe several years ago for a birthday and it was great, had a request for it again, and the first set of 8″ sunk in the middle so thought I didn’t do something right, temperature was lower then 375, so did again 9″ at 375 and exact same thing happen. Its pretty tacky to the touch too, taste fine (made sample cupcake same time) but not sure whats going on. New leavening agents
Dear, the recipe called for 9″ pans – not 8″. Perhaps that’s the difference?
I am going to try this recipe but had a question! My mom was insistent that bakers German’s chocolate should be used in the cake instead of unsweetened cocoa powder. Have you tried this? Do you have any suggestions on the amount of German’s chocolate to substitute in?
I always use a German chocolate cake bar. You can buy the bar at Walmart. I believe it’s by Baker’s that’s how I grew up making it not cocoa powder and the recipe should be maybe on the inside of the package if not you can probably look it up. it makes a lighter cake, not so dark chocolate looking
Made it and received rave reviews! The best German Chocolate Cake I know I’ve ever tasted!
The cake was fantasic and the directions was perfect. My co-workers loved the cake.
The only chocolate cake I’ve made for years. Always a crowd pleaser!
Love the German chocolate cake. This will be the second time I’m making it. It does not say if the evaporated milk should be sweetened . Can. you comment on that please. Thank you.
I’m so glad you like the recipe. I think you may be confusing evaporated milk with sweetened condensed milk (which the recipe does not call for). So just normal evaporated milk!
Awesome! Best cake I have ever made.
So tried again with 3 pans instead of 2 and 350 degrees. So far so good. Tastes delicious.
I posted a review two days ago addressing possible reasons cake may have fallen or sunk in middle. But I failed to mention that the two times I’ve made this cake when making the chocolate buttercream frosting I did not melt the butter. Rather I used double the amount of butter, still cold but not hard. I also chilled the evaporated milk as I live in AZ and it gets very hot here. I wanted the buttercream to not be too soft. I also slow boiled the pecan coconut frosting for 6 minutes. Other then that I followed the recipe as is. This recipe produces a very tender moist cake crumb. It’s was a huge hit both times served. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Cake taste very good
Followed recipe to a tee. Cake did not rise and just kept boiling in pan, did not run over though. So disappointing, was making for Granddaughters 17th birthday.
Afraid to try again, wondering what could have been the problem.
Absolutely a wonderful cake! I’ve had an at home bakery business for years and have had my failures. Numerous reviewers have stated their cakes have sunken/fallen in middle. There are a few possible reasons for this. I think the most common one is overmixing the batter. It causes large air bubbles that the cake batter cannot hold up during baking thus it sinks. Other possibilities is out dated leavening or oven temp is not correct. Check your leavening date. I’ve been guilty of this one myself. Yes, most cakes are baked at 350 but 375 is not unheard of either. You can always check if your oven is heating to correct temp by using a oven thermometer. But I must say this is not your typical but a fabulous German Chocolate Cake that always gets raves when served!
Best German Chocolate cake ever! Made for my son 2 years ago. He asked for it again this year.
Made this for a retirement luncheon. Four people told me this was the best German Chocolate Cake they ever have had. I switched the flour for Softasilk cake flour. 🙂
This recipe seems perfect, but it needs three 8 inches pans. It’s sad because during the cooking time my cake overflowed and wasted. I’m going to try again with 3 pans
I actually made it in a 9X13 pan. Chocolate frosting on top, then put the pecan frosting on top of that! Delicious!
This cake looks amazing but I like the original recipe with the German Chocolate bar
How long did you bake it in the 9×13 pan?
Such a delicious cake! I made this back in December for my mom’s birthday since it’s her favorite kind of cake. Everyone raved about it. My daughter loved it so much, that she asked for the same cake for her birthday. Definitely a hit in our family. Very simple to make as well.
Awesome German chocolate cake. I made it for my sister’s birthday! She asked for the recipe! so much better from scratch! Thank you for sharing.
This was hands down one of the best cakes I have ever made! Everyone raved and said it was just as good if not better than something that was purchased from a bakery. I will be making this cake over and over again!
I don’t know how anyone could give this recipe more than 1 star. It doesn’t fit in 2 pans either.
Came out great! Had cooked yolk pieces in my coconut pecan frosting though and it was a little runny. Still safe to eat?
The flavor of the cake is wonderful but about 5 minutes before it came out of the oven, the middle collapsed. Despite a very well prepped pan, both cakes stuck. They just completely fell apart trying to frost. I tossed them and ended up using another recipe for the cake and the frostings from this recipe. I’m a seasoned baker so this was frustrating. I’m a little puzzled on why it was such a disaster, but wondering if perhaps there’s an altitude adjustment needed for this recipe?
I’m sorry to hear about the trouble with the cake collapsing and sticking—it sounds really frustrating, especially for an experienced baker like yourself. Altitude can indeed affect baking, causing the need for adjustments in leavening and liquid amounts. If you’re baking at a high altitude, reducing the leavening agent slightly and increasing liquid can help. It’s also good to check oven temperature accuracy and ensure not to overmix the batter. The frosting choice was a great save, though! If you’re up for trying again, I’d be happy to help troubleshoot further.
Are we meant to use salted or unsalted butter?
I baked this recipe for a friend’s birthday and I agree that it is the best German chocolate cake I’ve ever had. German Chocolate cake is his favorite and this was a total success with jim. So also thought all 7 people who had a piece of it! THANKS for sharing it!
NOTE: I made the chocolate icing a day ahead as suggested as a possibility and it worked perfectly though it would have taken well over an hour to bring it up to spreading temperature even though I took it out before baked the cake or made the pecan/coconut frosting. However I discovered that mymicrowave had a “butter softening” setting (!!!) put the bowl of icing in – and watched it carefully. A few seconds and it was ready at spreading temp. Or just take it out earlier to soften.
German chocolate is my dad’s favorite! Made it for his birthday, it was delicious! Best cake I’ve ever had.
Cake was really really good I got lots of compliments. However the cake was a darker chocolate than I expected. I was wondering if rather than the 1 cup of boiling water if I could use two cups of buttermilk instead. So I have a lighter chocolate and to use up the buttermilk.
It came out amazing. I used half dutch treated and half regular cacao. Additionally, I didn’t find the evaporated milk that should have been in the pantry, so I used that really thick Thai Kitchen coconut milk in both frostings with great results. Thanks for the recipe.
Do you think it would be just as delicious if I substitute coconut cream for the evaporated milk in the frosting?
This is a perfectly delicious chocolate cake. You get the nuts and coconut and you get the wonderful buttercream frosting. It can’t get much better than that! My granddaughter makes this for my sons birthday every year and sometimes others. It is an It is a hit every time, so I was her sous chef this time. Most requested cake in our family.
This recipe is really great, as written. I haven’t seen boiling water used as a cake ingredient before and I was a little apprehensive of that step but I’m glad I gave this recipe a shot. I don’t stack the two cake layers but instead frost them both as individual cakes, but then freeze one for later. They freeze really well, and keep in the fridge for nearly a week if you can resist eating the whole thing too quickly. I’ve made it so many times I have experimented with a few things and I do like the suggestion to at least double the coconut used in its respective frosting. I don’t even measure the coconut, I just keep stirring more in til the frosting looks like what you’d expect at one of those fancy diners with the big cake display. I also enjoy making this cake using cacao powder instead of cocoa. It cuts the sweetness a little bit and it’s a really nice flavor. It’s baked at minimum once a month now in my house.
This cake is AMAZING! I made with my granddaughter for her friends BD – I thought it was easy to make. And the frosting is SO much better than I’ve made on wrapper of German chocolate (I’ve always used their recipe for cake & frosting). This is a winner!!
This literally is the best German Chocolate Cake EVER. Growing up, I had always thought that it was just supposed to be a little dry, until I discovered this recipe. Thank you for this recipe and your whole blog!
Came out great
Best cake ever.
Excellent Recipe! Moist and Delicious.
Made the cake yesterday for my husband’s birthday dinner.
I don’t do a lot of baking so was a little worried about all the steps.
It was actually so easy. The cake batter was thin but produced beautiful tall moist cake layers. My family loves frosting so I increased the chocolate frosting by 50% and had a little left over. I boiled the Pecan frosting for 2 minutes and maybe could have let it go a little longer, but I let it thicken in the fridge.
This will be my go t recipe whenever we are in the mood for German Chocolate Cake.
Thank You so much for the recipe.
This is hands down the best German chocolate cake I have ever baked. This is my go-to German chocolate cake recipe! Absolutely fabulous! Your family, guests whomever will love it! Make sure you have a cup of coffee, a glass of milk or water handy it is very yummy and rich!
The cake fell in the middle!! I have seen several people state that this has happened.. not sure I like this recipe .
Wanting to make this as cupcakes. What would you recommend heat and time for this? Thank you!
We made a WHOLE post for how to make this into cupcakes. They are SO amazing. Find it here https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
The cake turned out ok, but the coconut pecan frosting was so sweet that the sugar overpowered the other flavours.
I haves tried this cake twice and it is always sunken in the middle. I think I will try it one more time at 350*. I haven’t had a recipe for cake before cooking that high. I don’t know why else it would be sunken.
Are you baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit? That’s a normal temperature for most baked goods, including cake…
My cake also fell in the middle. The recipe above says 375*. Does it need to be 350*?
i made this for my moms birthday and she loved it, It was sooooooooo good😋😋😋😋
Loved it.
Followed it to the letter.wish I could post a photo
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Nice cake. But needed to have a little more icing to do decoration.
The cake is so AMAZING !!!!!!!! 🍰 😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋
THE FROSTING IS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best German chocolate cake ever! Everyone loved it! Turned out perfect according to your recipe and instructions! I will be making your cake and chocolate frosting this weekend for the next birthday celebration. Thank you!!
Not a German cake just named after the chocolate bar brand btw
Made this cake 2/4/24 because it was what my 42 year old son requested for his b-day! Haven’t made one is many years – the same son and I being the only ones that love it! Everything about this cake turned out perfect! I am using your cake recipe and chocolate icing recipe for hubby’s birthday celebration this Sunday! He doesn’t like coconut or pecans…so wrong about the pecans…. Thank you!!
I LOVE this recipe! It is so delicious and moist! It’s my go to chocolate cake base now. The pecan filling is incredible. I’ve made this recipe quite a few times and always get rave reviews for it. Many family members request that I make this for their birthdays now. 100% recommend this recipe.
My only question is, would I be able to make the chocolate cake into cupcakes? What would the cook time be? Those would be so good so with the pecan coconut filling as a topping.
Recipe is absolutely incredible and will be my go to recipe for chocolate cake!! I too am wondering how I can adjust cooking time to make cupcakes as I would love to have these as an addition to a kid’s birthday party.
I’m having trouble getting my coconut icing thick enough am I not boiling long enough? Any suggestions
This cake is amazing (and I don’t usually like German chocolate cake). It is just decadent.
Hi! I just made this recipe today and would like to know if I could freeze any leftover coconut pecan frosting.
I have been baking for over 50 years and this is the best german chocolate cake recipe i have ever made. I have made this cake at least a dozen times and the people that have tried it say it the best german chocolaate cake that they have ever eaten. Thank you so much.
Bob…did you bake at 375 like recipe says??? That seems to high
I followed this recipe to a tee and it was outstanding!!!! I will definitely be making this again.
Great recipe!
I had to alter the ingredients as I am allergic to dairy. I used unsweetened coconut yogurt and almond milk for the buttermilk. I used plant butter and coconut milk in the filling and icing. Oh, and I baked it in a 13 x 9 since it has to travel 3 hours away for my mother’s birthday. I followed the directions (including the recommended temperature for the filling made in the comments) and it has turned out great.
Question: Can I make the cake and not put the chocolate frosting on? I just want the coconut frosting.
Sure!
Okay.
Let me address some of the negative comments here:
First off…the batter doesn’t run out of the cake pan if you use the correct size. Use 9”x1.5” round pans
-the coconut frosting needs to be brought up to a specific temperature to thicken. If you have a candy thermometer, use it! Take it to 225°F
-Also, once it is up to temperature, pour it into a bowl. I use a big ice bath to cool it down rapidly. So take the bowl you poured it I to and place it in the ice bath. Then add the vanilla.
-Another tip is to cook it low and slow so the egg yolk doesn’t cook. If you see little pieces of cooked egg in it while you are stirring it, lower the temp. I stir mine on about 4. Have you ever cooked a custard? Or homemade icecream using egg yolks? This is the same process.
-I saw someone comment about using boiling water. Actually, I saw a couple of negative comments about it. Boiling water is used in homemade chocolate recipes bc it helps dissolve the cocoa powder. It blooms it and makes it “pop” its flavor. It helps it break down any clumps to make the batter smooth.
-Something else I do is to toast the pecan pieces before adding them to the frosting. Take some melted butter and mix them into it. You can bake them or cook them in a skillet. Google it to learn how, it’s simple. They go from toasted-to burnt very quickly, so if you make them in a skillet-do them low and slow.
You can also toast the coconut-I don’t-but some ppl do.
For the chocolate frosting-always use ingredients at room temperature. Using cold butter will leave butter clumps in your frosting. Don’t melt it in the microwave-that takes the creamy out of the frosting. Just use room temperature butter.
Happy baking!
Great additional comments!
I decided to toast the pecans when I made it and I thought that added lots of good flavor and pzazz to your recipe! I’m only sorry I didn’t have this recipe years ago! Thanks again!
I was scared to make this cake after reading the comment of overflowing pans and frosting being too bitter. Lucky for me. I didn’t have none of those problems. To make sure the cake didn’t overflowI used a 9 inch Pan. Also the frosting taste great. The only thing I did different was used 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.
Hello!
Is it 1 and 3/4 cup of flour or 1 to 3/4 cup of flour?
Thank you!!
It’s 1 & 3/4 cups flour.
I also wanted to add since I saw some other comments. Coconut frosting did thicken however o had to let it cool. After it was cooled it was just right! I used 9in round pans. Since I have a gas stove I wanted to be same and did 20min checked and put it back in for 4 and it was perfect!
I hate to say I’ve never enjoyed German Chocolate Cake, but I was asked to make it! I came across your recipe and wow! Everyone LOVED it! I even ate 4 slices haha! I used you recipe for cake and coconut frosting and just added my butter cream recipe and cake was super moist which was a huge plus!! I used a bit less cocoa powder and less of coconut flakes and it was so good that I had 5 people request it! Super easy instructions and I followed everything you suggested! Cook time to even have certain ingredients room temp. We enjoyed this!
Do not make. Have been baking cakes for 50 years and this was a disaster. Baked in an 8 inch pan and cake overflowed and fell. Threw away. Was concerned about the boiling water method. Seems like the recipe is about making cake and icing in an unusual way instead of using tried and true methods.
Hi Joy, I’m sorry it didn’t work for you. Something must have gone wrong. The boiling water method is very, very common in chocolate cakes, to help “bloom” the cocoa powder. The cake recipe here is the one from Hershey’s that’s been around for decades :-).
Hi Joy
Every chocolate cake recipe I have made either calls for hot coffee or boiling water. The coffee gives chocolate cakes a more richer flavor (doesn’t take on any coffee flavor). The cake fell because it probably wasn’t cooked thoroughly.
Use a 9″ cake pan!
I just want to say MANY comments are using the WRONG size pan, altering ingredients, temp, etc. IF you use the recipe, as written, IT IS PERFECT! If you choose to use alternatives, the problem is them – not the recipe!
Just sayin….
Not a fan of this recipe at all. The cake layers were very good, the coconut filling had a great flavor but would never thicken. Now, the chocolate icing….I’ve never tasted icing as bad before. Is was strong, bitter and sweet all at the same time. I ended up trashing the icing. I crumbled the cake layers and layered the coconut filling with cool whip.
Followed the instructions perfectly but cake overflowed in pans and all over my oven. Not impressed at all. Maybe the recipe should call for deep dish cake pans!
Did you use the right size cake pans? If not, then the recipe wasn’t followed exactly! Use correct pans, temp and follow the instructions. It DOES make a difference.
This cake was so easy to make and so yummy!
Always comes out great!
Made this chocolate cake for my husband’s birthday and he said this was the best cake I have ever made! and I have made some pretty amazing cakes. So moist so chocolatey and delicious, he said only this recipe from now on for a chocolate cake
Thank you for an amazing recipe!
I found this recipe and my first time making it. Great cake flavor, great frosting did thin it out more and whipped it. Right now the coconut frosting is chilling. Great flavors with everything in the recipe. I did not alternate anything recipe to a tee. Thank you
My sister (ex-caterer and best cook/baker in the family) said it was the best German chocolate cake she had ever eaten. We agree!
I’d also like to try it in a 9 x 13 pan, to make a more portable snack cake. Have you tried this in a 9 x 13?
This is seriously so incredibly delicious! I made it three times now and it’s been a hit each time! Thank you for this incredible recipe! It’s definitely a fun treat to make and SO delicious to eat!!
This cake is a delicious family favorite! It turns out perfect every time with little effort!
Going in the recipe box 🙂 I’ve made it twice, once with the German chocolate frosting and once with just the chocolate buttercream because I ran out of the other ingredients 😉 This will now be my go-to chocolate cake base – it is so moist and light, but holds it’s structure, hands down one of the best I’ve had. I received so many compliments on this bake!
Hands down !!! This is the best German Chocolate Cake ever!!! My mom wanted one for her birthday and I struggled finding the right recipe and low and behold this was it. I threw away one cake because it was “just okay” and remade the cake using this recipe and I truly wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you. My mom is still talking bragging about the cake and that just melts my heart. I will most definitely try another one of your recipes.
I’ve made this cake 2 times with just the coconut pecan frosting and it was delicious. I made it again for my son in laws birthday but included the chocolate frosting and I have to say the addition brought it over the top. The cake was moist even a few days after and so decadent. This is my go to recipe from now on. Thank you
This German Chocolate Cake recipe is the best!! I made it for my husband‘s birthday party since it is his favorite cake and everyone loved it!!
Made this over the weekend for my son’s birthday. It was a HIT.. so very good. Cake is a little on the dry side not sure how to correct that going forward but will definitely make it again.
Amazing! I’ve never made a german chocolate cake before, but my boyfriend said it was his favorite, so I decided to try for his birthday. I made the cake and frosting in advance, making sure to follow the recipe and the freezing/refrigerating directions to a t. It was moist and delicious. He said it’s the best cake he’s ever had! Thank you!
This was so good and so fun to make! I made it gluten and dairy free by using a gluten flour blend and plant based heavy cream instead of the evaporated milk. Turned out deliciously! I am going to make this again and try doing cupcakes. Thanks for the great recipe!
I made this recipe and the cake is probably the best German chocolate cake I have ever had and fefinetly the best I have made . It was very moist and very rich. I followed the recipe exactly except the bake time I stated at 20minutes and I baked them for a total of 23 for the two 9” rounds and almost ended up over baking and making them over done. This is now going to be my go to cal Ed to make for my family from now on!! Thank you for sharing your recipe I now have a new favorite to bake for my family .
Just wanted to add that I didn’t make the cream chocolate frosting but just used the coconut on the entire cake
I made it and turned out great and so moist! The only thing I would do is add more to the coconut frosting as even with smaller pans it was a stretch to spread. The frosting was so good, just more! Thank you!
I love it. I can’t stop eating. Thanks for sharing the 💕
Was so good. But I ended up with extra coconut frosting and not quite enough of the chocolate frosting to make my cake look like the picture on this blog. So if the recipe had more just a bit more of the chocolate frosting, that would have been perfect. Otherwise, fantastic!
Cake was good but to much chocolate and not sweet enough.
Is the recipe supposed to say 1 TABLESPOON vanilla in the coconut frosting?
One of the easiest from scratch cakes I have ever made – and the cake crumb is moist and delicious! Did not have to separate any eggs or whip up any egg whites. Highly recommend!!
THIS CAKE WAS MY HUNNIE’S FAV CAKE. USUALLY, I JUST BUY MIX IN BOX & ICING. FOR THIS BD I USED THS RECIPE & HE SAYS IT WAS THE BEST EVER GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE THAT HE HAS EVER EATEN. SO BIG TY!
Made this for my husband’s birthday except I used gluten free flour and it was absolutely delicious! Will make this again for sure.
Forgot to add the stars
Best German Chocolate Cake I’ve ever tasted. One caveat-375 is too high to bake the cakes. I used 3 8″ cake pans and cooked at 350 for 25min, and they were perfect! It was for a family birthday & everyone raved about it.
was delicious ,however the coconut pecan topping had a lot of butter floating around when finished, what went wrong? it still tasted good!
Temp was higher than it should have been. If convection oven, I bake at 325 to 350 and never bake as long as the recipe says.
My daughter and I made this for wife for her birthday. She loves German chocolate cake. We followed the recipe to the tee. The cake was too dry. The icings were perfect. Because the cake was too dry, I can only give the recipe 3 stars.
i made this german chocolate cake for christmas. Easy peasy.. Was absolutly perfect and delicious
OMG – This cake is so moist and chocolatey. Made when couldn’t find my receipe and it was absolutely delicious. Christmas guests loved, loved, loved it!!!! Will definitely be my go to desert.
This is the first cake I’ve ever made from scratch, and it turned out delicious. It took a lot of ingredients and a lot of time, but it was so worth it! I substituted heavy cream for the evaporated milk and accidentally only used half a stick of butter for the coconut frosting, used unsweetened coconut flakes, and used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. It turned out super delicious and moist. Thanks for the amazing recipe, german chocolate cake is my favorite!
This turned out fabulous, was the best German chocolate cake I’ve ever had!
Cakes sank in the middle in the oven after rising.
Hi Kim, there are a few reasons this may have happened–you could troubleshoot using this article: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/baking-guide/crowd-pleasing-cakes/Why-did-my-cake-sink-in-the-middle
I make this 4 times a year for my families birthdays 🎂 they love it made as directed.
Can’t wait to try this! Can I use normal milk instead of buttermilk?
Yes, that would be fine.
I made this cake today! It’s not quite as pretty as yours but oh, my!! Talk about moist and flavorful!! This is a great recipe. I will be making this again very soon.
THE BEST CAKE
We chose this recipe this weekend as our family activity. My husband and daughter worked together and made some great memories.
It came out soooooooo good! Thank you for posting it.
Can this recipe be made with gluten free flour
This is chocolate cake with coconut-pecan frosting. This is not German chocolate cake. You can’t make German chocolate cake without Baker’s German Chocolate. That’s the whole point. Read the history of a proper German chocolate cake.
It is not called German chocolate cake because it came from German chocolate. It is because a guy named Samuel German created it.
Absolutely delicious. Definitely will have to make again. I can back with only two pieces after the Birthday Party I went to. There were only 5 people there😂😂😂😂
Good Day ,
Your German Chocolate recipe looks scrumptious. I would like to try it but had a question could I use cake flour over all purpose flour ? Also is there a reason you use oil instead of butter ? Thank you in advance for answering my questions.
This was my 1st time making a German Chocolate cake. I am very happy this was the recipe I used as it turned out great!
This cake is my husband’s go-to birthday cake every year. The best homemade cake I have ever made!
Delicious cake. Family loved it.
This is an amazing recipe! My family loved it for Thanksgiving and I’ve been asked to make it again for Christmas. The only thing that I would do differently next time is that I would definitely use a piping bag and add the mounds of chocolate icing around the top perimeter to help hold the coconut mix on the top of the cake. I didn’t do that this time and the coconut mixture ended up sliding down the side of the cake and everything was mixed together by the time I fixed it. To get the right look, I’ll decorate it like the picture! Awesome tasting and so moist and rich! Love it! ❤️
This is NOT German chocolate cake.
It is a chocolate cake with the traditional German chocolate cake topping. Made this way, without German chocolate, results in a cake that is too cloying. This is not the best recipe for either a GC cake or a regular chocolate cake & I won’t repeat.
Do you have better one or a real German chocolate cake recipes? If so, please share.
OMG! I made this scrumptious cake for Thanksgiving and was asked to make it for Christmas because everyone raved about how delicious it is. I followed the directions step by step, and only use quality ingredients. Absolutely delicious! Give it a try and you will not be disappointed.
Excellent recipe. My first attempt at German Chocolate. I grew up having my grandma make one every week for my dad! I always thought it was decent but I was young and not my favorite. I absolutely loved this cake. I am also not a huge fan of nuts in cakes or pies, but this one needs it for the texture. Again, absolutely loved this cake. I even cooked the filling too much, full boil, but tasted perfectly fine.
Can I use cake flour instead of a.p flour for this recipe?
Wow! What a wonderful recipe! My daughter was so excited that I was making this cake and with the coconut icing. I didn’t make or use the plain chocolate frosting to go around the side of the cake. She wanted nothing but the coconut icing. I prefer that also. Everything about this recipe reminded me of my grandmother’s German Chocolate Cake recipe and her Coconut/Pecan icing. I haven’t cut into it yet, as it is for tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day! Hope my family enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it! Oh…the one recipe amount of coconut/pecan icing is plenty to use on a two layer cake and even goes down the sides. And I didn’t change a thing about this recipe! Wish i could have posted a photo of my cake.
I baked this cake for the very first time just as the instructions mentioned! Turned out perfect and moist and the Coconut frosting is FANTASTIC!!
Can I substitute the all purpose flour with cake flour?
Love this German cake nice texture I made it today. What do u used to make the side smooth and I am having a hard time to make the flowers around the cake/Decorations
For two 9×13 pans this recipe would not be enough. I would suggest making 1 and a half of this recipe and dividing it between the two pans. And of course you would have to watch the baking time on this.
This recipe is for a double layer round cake (two round 8” pans), or ONE 9×13 inch cake.
the recipe is for two 9″ or 8″ cake rounds. If you are making something else that is in 9×13 pans you are correct it would all be different.
I absolutely HATE using oil in a recipe. Is it possible to sub out the oil for real butter? Will it affect the texture or structure of the cake? Thanks!
That would be fine!
I made this for my cousin’s birthday. It was incredibly moist and decadent. The only changes were: instead of boiling water I used boiled coffee, condensed milk instead of evaporated milk, walnuts instead of pecans.
Justine, how was it using the condensed milk instead of the evap? I would imagine it to be very sweet.
Made this first in the Spring 2020, before the pandemic went completely nuts for three of my sisters ( who all have birthdays close to each other).
It was a HUGH hit, and I have been encouraged (implored) – but resisted- to make it again repeatedly over the last 3 years. My concern has been duplicating the moist taste and texture. But this is the year and I’m making it for the upcoming Thanksgiving.
There will be 23 people in attendance, so I want to make a 9″ pan three layer version. I do not ice the sides and only use your amazing pecan frosting between the layers and on top, so I’ve tried to calculate the batter times 1.5 ( and ill double the frosting to have a little extra).
I hope it turns out as fantastic as the first time. And just want to add a a holiday wish of good cheer and health to you and yours.
I want to back this cake for my mother-in-law’s 50th birthday, but I need clarification on the recipe: The recipe says 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour. Do you mean 1 to 3/4 cups, just 3/4 cup or 1 & 3/4 cups? My wife and I seem to disagree on this. Thank you for clarifying.
One AND 3/4 cup.
The recipe instructions say buttermilk for the cake and evaporated milk for the frosting. The description leading to the recipe says to mix dry ingredients, then the wet and those included the evaporated milk. So are the milks interchangeable?
Hi Nicole, you use the buttermilk in the cake batter, and evaporated milk for the frosting.
This was my first time making German Chocolate Cake. It was labor intensive, but the result was worth it. I’m not a fan of German chocolate cake, but it was delicious! I took it to the office to share and everyone loved it. The cake is moist, and the chocolate and coconut frosting were so good that I kept tasting it before it went on the cake. I doubled the frosting recipe and had a lot left over so next time I’ll stick to the recipe. A perfect, no-fail German chocolate cake recipe!
A fabulous recipe. I just finished making two of these. When I was eighteen and had barely moved away from home, you could buy at the grocery store a boxed German Chocolate Frosting mix, which I loved. Then, you couldn’t find it any more. It wasn’t until I got on Pinterest that I found this delicious German Chocolate cake recipe. The frostings are soooooo good. Truly hard to have just one piece. A recipe keeper for sure.
Hii!! I was hoping there would be notes about making this in a 9×13. Could I do it and divide the batter into two 9×13’s? 🙂 Thank you.
This is only enough batter for 1- 9×13.
Its a standard swap 2-9″ = 1- 9×13
I made this cake last year for friends shared birthdays. They loved it. Bragged about it all year. They want me to make it for them again this year.
I made this today for our church Cafe and it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe.
I’d like to say it was me, but this cake made my boyfriend swoon! It was one of the best cakes I ever made. I didn’t change anything except I used Dutch processed cocoa instead of regular cocoa, and I weighed the flour, sugar, and cocoa, instead of measuring it out. Excellent recipe!
The frosting recipes were very good! But the cake was too watery. The outsides of the cake layers cooked too fast and the inner cake took longer. Never had this happen before so not sure what happened.
We made this cake for my mother for her birthday and she LOVED it! She said “it’s the best German chocolate cake I’ve ever had!” 🤍
This the second time I’ve made this frosting but this time I put it on a white cake. For the frosting, along with the pecans and coconut, I also put in some toffee bits and 1tbsp shredded dark chocolate. I didn’t make the chocolate icing this time. This is really a great recipe just as it is.
I made the cake tonight. It did not disappoint. Very moist and delish!Husband loved !!!
I have made this recipe twice now, and it is delicious. However, it needs about another 1/3 frosting, especially if you want to put a chocolate border around the coconut frosting.
I have a box of cake flour and wanted to know if using this would change the cake too much or if regular flour would be best. I also wanted to tell you that I LOVE your pumpkin pie cheesecake. I have made it multiple times and get very very good responses. Thank you for providing such wonderful recipes that aren’t intimidating. That’s a great thing for busy families these days.
Yum! Great cake! I doubled the chocolate frosting ingredients so I’d have enough to cover the cake and decorate. Winner!
Can the frosting be made 1-2 days ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely.
My cake was SO dry and crumbly. The frostings tasted great but the cake was a fail. I bake for a living, and have no idea why this was so damn dry.
I’m sorry you had trouble with the cake–it’s the same chocolate cake on the back of Hershey’s cocoa–we’ve been making it for decades.
IF YOUR CAKE WAS TO DRY, I USE BUTTER TO GREASE MY CAKE PANS & THEN LIGHT FLOWER, DID YOU LET YOUR EGG YOAKS REACH ROOM TEMPERATURE? COOK TIME VARIES ON ELEVATION INSTRUCTION SAYS 25 OR MORE MY COOK TIME WAS 28 MIN -GOT TO LET COOL WELL FIRST! JUST SOME IDEAS MINE WAS PERFECT.
Made this over the weekend at the request of my husband for his birthday. Nothing like being all in for my first made from scratch cake but this did not disappoint!! Cake was perfection, the icing divine and the coconut part was the best thing I ever ate. The store bought stuff is garbage, will never buy again. Seriously drooling, looking forward to another slice tonight 🙂
Decided not to do the pretty icing flowers at the top and then quickly realized they may serve a second purpose of keeping in the caramel topping! Now I have one of those fashionable drip cakes, haha. That, or I didn’t boil the caramel long enough to get even thicker. Either way, delicious and so fun!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I had never have made German Chocolate cake before. I was in a huge rush, making this for a dessert auction. I needed a recipe FAST! You really helped. Methods were clear.
I never got to taste it, but the frostings were fabulous!
I wanted extra pecan Caramel frosting, so added 1/3rd more of everything on that frosting. I sliced the cake into 3 layers just to make it taller.
My first even cake made from scratch. This recipe was easy to follow. Everyone raves about it. Super moist and delicious! Only thing in wasn’t sure if was how long to cook the frosting. It said when it starts to thicken but how thick. All worked in the end.
You need to at least double the chocolate icing part. I used a thin layer top and bottom and I have nothing left for the sides of the cake. And the cake is VERY crumbly. Like just absolutely falling apart. Disappointing ad the flavor is good but it looks awful.
I’m making this today for my husband. I’ll let you know how I do later on today!
Perfect recipe. The cake and frosting are pure deliciousness.
Brother-in-law requested this for his birthday and it really turned out great. Not too sweet, nice and chocolatey, moist. The only change I made was to add a pinch of salt to the coconut frosting. Fantastic recipe!
Do you think this cake would taste good with a mocha frosting?
I don’t like German chocolate cake, but it’s my husband’s favorite. I decided to try this recipe for his birthday and it’s fantastic! It’s so rich in chocolate and caramel flavors, positively indulgent.
My friend requested German Chocolate Cake (GCC) for a big birthday these week. I’d never made one before but I found this recipe. She loved it and so many people said (a) it was the best GCC that they’d ever tasted, and (b) they couldn’t believe it was the first GCC I’d ever made. Highly recommended!!
I made this for my mom’s birthday. We both loved it! The ingredient list made me nervous at first as I’m not a baker and it was quite long, but I only needed to buy the buttermilk, coconut, and pecans! Super easy.
Can I replace the boiling water with coffee/espresso powder? Thanks!
I always use coffee versus just boiling water.
This cake is delicious!!! I always make my husband his favorite cake for his birthday and he always requests German chocolate cake. Well, I admit, I used a box cake usually, but do make the frosting from scratch. I came across your recipe and wanted to give it a try. Haven’t made a cake from scratch in about 5 years. I made it, and sent it off with him to work the next morning. Everyone loved it! He said to me it was absolutely delicious, moist, and not overly sweet. Just right. So now this is my go to German chocolate cake! I did make it in a 9 x 13 pan, baked around 28 min. It’s the only change I made. He brought home a piece for me to try, and wow it really is so delicious! Thank you for posting this recipe, it’s truly a winner!
I was requested to make a gluten-free German Chocolate Cake for a birthday. I had never made a German Chocolate Cake before so I researched carefully. I substituted Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour and it was SO good. Maybe the best cake ever. Definitely the best German Chocolate cake ever. Side note: Not one person asked if it literally had German chocolate in it.
Absolutely delicious cake! I was pleasantly surprised with how moist the cake was. The frostings were decadent! It also looked very pretty! So excited to make it again. Rarely, do I make homemade cakes; however, I will definitely be making this again!
Wonderful! I deleted all my other German Cake recipes. Very moist and chocolate icing is that best. The coconut pecan was easier than I thought but be prepared to stay with it and stir
This is not German Chocolate cake…. it really makes a difference to use German Sweet Chocolate and regular coco. Itdoesnt taste the same.
Can’t be mad at a recipe that doesn’t have your ingredients and then post a comment about a recipe you didn’t even try.
Made this with Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa. Multiple people at the birthday party I went to said it was perfect. I agreed. It is the best German Chocolate cake I have ever had!
What an amazing recipe. Folks let me tell you it was time consuming but the steps were so easy and I made this on Friday for my husband birthday and I am not good at cakes but he closed his eye and said baby this is better than any store bought cake I’ve ever eaten. WINNING! Thanks so much for a great keeper of a recipe
I have made this cake for my wife’s birthday for the past several years. It is the ultimate, the deal, the highway! Just follow the instructions and use a little common sense. It is the best ever. Thank you!
The center of my cake fell in what would be the cause of it
Love this recipe, cakes are so moist and delicious 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
I’ve made this cake several times in the past year in a half. Amazing cake. I change it up a little . I do something totally different with the frostings. I make my chocolate than frost it. Than make my coconut frosting than frost the entire cake . So you than have like candy crunch . Super sweet but amazingly delicious. I also just cook all the coconut ingredients together which makes the pecans taste like you just put bourbon in your frosting. The frosting turns out perfect. I also use real Mexican Vanilla from Mexico in all my baking. I’ve used it for years now. I have a good friend who tasted this cake and said best coconut frosting he’s ever had. He said some people just can’t get it right. But yours is perfect. Awesome cake. Thanks for the recipe.
The cake, frosting, was superb! Everyone loved it. I’ve seen reviews here saying “🥴It’s not German chocolate cake.” Or, “I’ve baked for 60+ years and this is the worst.” Well, if you’ve baked for 60+ years and are using other people’s recipes, you’re not a very good baker. Maybe you should hang up the apron. If you don’t think this recipe is technically accurate, then what are you doing using it, chief? Post your accurate recipe. Exactly. I didn’t modify the recipe, everything turned out and tasted perfect. Heck, I even used cocoa powder from the 99¢ Store and the cake and frosting was amazing. This will be my go to recipe for anyone wanting a German chocolate cake. Thanks for the recipe!
Best cake I have ever made. It never fails to impress!
I made this cake upon request from my Thursday Card Club not even hearing of it before. This recipe appealed to me so I made it for my friends and gave a piece to my son and my daughter’s partner. My daughter and her partner now want the cake as their wedding cake, sans cooked frosting and my son has requested the full cake for his birthday. The card club gals want a remake!! Thanks for this delicious recipe.
The frosting and coconut frosting are AMAZING!!! Made it for the first time today, and it was perfect!!
I need to leave a picture!!! It looked just like the recipe & everybody loved it!!!!!! Thank you so much for helping make a wonderful birthday party!!!! Will be used in years to come!! Greatly appreciated for you sharing that !!
This cake was fabulous! My family loved it! The only thing I did was add salt to the coconut frosting Yum! Would make it again.
I made this for the first time for my father-in-law’s 87th birthday, the whole family loved it He said it was the best cake he’s ever had!
This is the best I mean the best German chocolate cake I have ever made the recipe is fantastic this is my go-to recipe for a German chocolate cake it has not failed me yet and I know it won’t thank you for sharing I’ve made this German chocolate cake many times since stumbling across your recipes I wish I could show you the cake but just know I’m so happy I’m making one now for a manager at a dealership thank you thank you 😊
This is definitely not german chocolate cake and the batter is way to liquidity. It’s very dark in color and tastes more like devils food cake. As another review stated just putting the german chocolate frosting on a chocolate cake doesn’t make it german chocolate. Sadly disappointed and looking for a new recipe.
Then buy it from the store, loser.
Dear Bitter Party of One,
Why are you being such an ass? Such vitriol over a cake review? Dude, get some counseling.
U have made your German Chocolate 7 times already and have never had a bite of any of them. It all started by making the first one for a Birthday and the news got around on how delicious the cake was and it hasn’t stopped yet. I always to busy to wait for a slice and no one had offered to bring me a slice. So I’m at it again. It’s for another Birthday. Maybe I’ll get lucky this time…..
Can this cake be stored at room temp? If so, how long?
German chocolate cake is my husband’s favorite cake. I have tried several recipes throughout the years and when I tried this one it became his favorite. I will never Even try another recipe as this is perfect!!
Great recipe. Measurements were on point. No waste on extra frosting. Delish!!
This is by far the best recipe for German Chocolate cake! The cake turned out perfect and the icing recipes were the perfect amounts of icing with no leftover. I highly recommend it!!!
Since it does not use German chocolate, it is not a german chocolate cake. It’s closer to the devils food cake that it seems every bakery and their brother slaps the coconut and pecan frosting on and then calls it german chocolate cake. The frosting does not make it a german chocolate cake. The german chocolate does. While I get that the frosting is what makes a lot of people love the cake, that is not the cake nor is it why it was named german chocolate cake. For it to be true german chocolate and for those who actually appreciate the german chocolate, the whipping of the egg whites and all the effort involved in the receipe, calling a cake without german chocolate in it a german chocolate cake seems disingenuous at best. Call it what it is. A chocolate cake that one put the german chocolate coconut and pecan frosting on. Doesn’t make it a bad cake, but if someone makes or buys something called german chocolate cake, they should actually be getting a cake with german chocolate in it.
Do you also think that french fries need to come from France? This cake has NOTHING to do with Germany. The American inventor of the dark chocolate used was named German. Delete your post!
I’m literally cackling right now at this response. Love it.
Faith, it’s not very nice to attack someone on the internet and lower their star rating just because you have an opinion about how they made it. Recipes change over years and honestly, thank god, sometimes the original way of doing things needs work. I don’t think the author “slapped” the frosting on a devils food cake and called it what they wanted. I think they put in a ton of effort developing a recipe that made them happy and they hoped would do the same for others. Next time you criticize someone on the internet, it might be best to keep it to yourself. I would hope nobody would degrade something you spent hours and hours perfecting.
Technically speaking it is *GERMAN’S* Chocolate, which is a dark sweet chocolate used in baking created by Samuel German; both the specific chocolate and cake are named after him. German’s Chocolate comes in a 4 oz. bar and can be substituted for with cocoa powder/sweetener/oil, other semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, or unsweetened baking chocolate/sweetener… the goal is to mimic the 48% cacao of German’s chocolate.
Let’s see your recipes, chief. Exactly. Bet you buy yours in a box and frosting in a tub.
German chocolate cake has dropped the ‘s as this cake was originally named after Samuel German. He made the sweet baking chocolate that was in the first documented recipe(s). None of which were of German origin, so it is unfair to deter people away from this delicious recipe. There are authentic German cake recipes of course, but German chocolate cake as we know it is purely American.
This cake was created by Mr. German not by German chocolate.
German chocolate has nothing to do with Germany. “History. In 1957, a recipe for “German’s Chocolate Cake” appeared as the “Recipe of the Day” in The Dallas Morning News. It was created by Mrs. George Clay, a homemaker from Dallas, Texas, and used the baking chocolate introduced in 1853 by American baker Samuel German for the Baker’s Chocolate Company.”
After reading reviews I decided I was up for the challenge! I made coffee as the water, then brought it to a boil (don’t burn it). I also added a few tablespoons in the frosting with a little extra powdered sugar and evaporated milk. I toasted the coconut and pecans. (Probably not necessary). Pay attention to where you’re at in the recipe since you will make 3 different items. For the cake, I was concerned about adding the boiling liquid to the egg yolk mixture that it would curdle so I slowly added it. Not wanting to over stir either. My round pans took about 37 min. to cook through, used a toothpick to verify. Slightly sunk in the center. 🙁 Frosting hid that part. I would guess it took 2 hours to complete this plus clean up time of course! Great with a glass of milk! My husband still gave it an A+. It was a lot of work, maybe I was stressed after reading reviews. If I make it again I might go slightly easy on the boiling liquid and buttermilk (I made my own using milk with 1/2 tsp. lemon and apple cider vinegar). This recipe is good, you need to pay attention every step of the way. I think it tastes better when someone else does all of the work. LOL! Best of luck! 🙂
Delicious!! German chocolate is my sisters favorite and I surprised her with this cake for her birthday. We both agreed it was in the top 2 of all the cakes I’ve made. The only adjustment i made was to add additional powdered sugar to the frosting (once i had layered and frosted the cake) to thicken it up so i could add some decorative detail around the border. Next time I will simply put it (as made) in a piping bag in the fridge for a few minutes. 5+stars!!
Doesn’t work well as cupcakes or bar cakes. It cooks out of pan before done. Looks like I burnt them. But still raw to touch
Do you melt the butter completely for the buttercream or does it mean softened butter?
I made this for my son’s birthday. Per reviews, I increased the flour by 1/4 cup and decreased the water same. My 2 layers came out perfect. They were moist, tender and the flavor was awesome! I also had to add an additional cup of 10X sugar to the chocolate icing because it was way too runny but that worked out as well. All in all, I was satisfied and will definitely save the recipe and will use for any chocolate cakes bc we love it! My son and my grandson both loved the GC cake! Thanks for a great recipe. No problem with the small adjustments I needed to make it work for me.
Oh thanks! I’ll do that. I feel the water took some flavor..but I’m not an expert baker or bake often so I cannot disagree with the recipe! Hahaha. Will try your modifications
Delicious chocolate cake. It seems more of a dark chocolate cake than what I think of as German Chocolate. But it was very good!
Made this for my father-in-law’s birthday. German Chocolate is his favorite. This was a BIG hit. Delicious, moist and layered well as a 3-teired cake. I don’t care for coconut or pecans. But, this was so delicious that I’ll be on the hunt for an alternative filling. Thanks!
made for my fiancé’s birthday and was delish! I have never used boiling water in a cake recipe, but it’s impossible to make this cake taste any better!
Wow!!
Made this German chocolate cake for my husband’s birthday 🎂 we loved it so moist a delicious 😋
I wish I could have taken a photo it looked like bakery bought.
Thank you for this delicious recipe easy to follow too!!
Glad I’m not alone on sharing my epic fail with this cake. I followed the recipe perfectly and the cakes baked over the pan, resulting in a whole mess in my oven! Then they collapsed right in the center! It was a mess. Not sure what I did wrong but dang, this didn’t work for me at all.
Second time making this. Excellent both times. Anyone talking about thin batter obviously haven’t made Ina Garden’s chocolate cake. It’s perfection every time. I use coffee instead of water to enhance the chocolate taste. Perfect amount of icing and filling. I make a three layer 8” cake. You can only fill 3/4 full or the pans will overflow.
Thin cakes – check baking powder
Concave cakes – not fully cooked?
The cake tasted phenomenal but the cake layers were very thin and they fell in the center. I took it to a birthday party and people raved over it. I just wish I knew how to make the cake layers rise more.
I’ve made it twice now! Did it for my husband still thinking I didn’t even like German chocolate cake. I’m hooked! Great recipe!
I think this recipe is AMAZING! I bake out of my home too and I was looking for a German Chocolate recipe. This one hit the spot. I will say I felt like 1 cup of boiling was a lot and it was a really running. So I cut it down to 1/2 cup and my cake came out perfect. I would post a picture if I can but I can’t seem to figure that out.
Great recipe
This turned out amazing!! Very moist and flavorful. Was pretty easy to make! only downside is I now im requested to make this for every family get together haha
I had to guess as to the actual amount of flour for the batter, not sure if it was labeled both as by cups and by weight. It reads 2 1.5 – my cake layers were very flat -like two thick pancakes….I went with 2.5 cups. ☹️
I’d tell you how it tasted, but it was a gift for a family memorial service…
I improvised and just used the coconut topping…
I tried the cake recipe it was way too runny when I baked it, it fell and deflated like a tire and crumbled apart when cooled taking it out of the pan. I use parchment paper and greased pans so no sticking.
I redid the cake recipe like how I make mine and added less water like a 1/3 cup and added extra 1/4 cup flour also added instant coffee to the water (it makes the chocolate flavor more rich) and it came out perfect and moist, didn’t fall apart i just wanted to try this recipe to see if it was better. Everything else with this recipe is delicious and great. I was making this for my dad’s birthday
Full disclosure: I’ve been making this cake for a few years – when I found out it was my partner’s favorite dessert, and have been making it ever since. He knows his GCC and actually said mine (Lauren’s) was better than a passed down, favorite family recipe! It’s easy to follow, make and actually fun to decorate when frosting. Belated thank you Lauren
I made this cake for a friends birthday. I’m not normally a German chocolate cake kind of girl.. but I am now! It was so delicious! Everything tasted great, cake, filling and frosting! Would highly recommend!
1 minute before the cake was supposed to be ready I heard a pop and I went to check on the cake and saw that it had exploded in my oven. I don’t understand how there are so many positive reviews, the batter was so runny from the boiling water, and even 1 minute prior to being finished the cake was still extremely runny, gooey, undercooked. I followed the directions to a tee, I’m so disappointed as I had high hopes for this recipe.
I’ve baked 63 yrs now, professionally and at home. Followed recipe to a T and it was very runny with suggested baking time. Had to bake much longer. My oven is correctly calibrated. Not a fan of this recipe.
This recipe makes an amazing cake. I made this for my husband’s birthday and helped it. I did make a mistake when I bought the cocoa powder and accidentally picked up “special dark” variety. I proceeded anyway and it made a wonder cake. Husband said make it exactly like this next time. Suggest watching the video on this page before beginning. Will use this recipe over and over for a special treat.
My boyfriend requested German Chocolate cake for his birthday. I love baking and am always up for a challenge. This recipe looks amazing! My question is, have you done this as a three layer? Wondering if it would be too heavy?
my mom makes this as a 3 layer with the middle layer being cheesecake. It’s amazing. She also puts in a layer of chocolate mousse above and below the cheesecake
Hi, I just recently made this cake on June 15th for Fathers Day. Like you with your twin I was torn between the two, German Chocolate or Carrot Cake. I went with German after finding this recipe and Omg, thank the God I did.
Your recipe should be in everyone’s recipe box. I will never ever make any other German chocolate recipe again. This was the most moist, chocolatey cake I’ve ever experienced made from my own hands. It should be called better than Sex and Death By Chocolate lol
You have a fantastic recipe here and if anyone tells you differently they just don’t know how to cook!
This recipe is perfection! I followed the directions to a “T” and I am so proud of the way it turned out. Wish I could post a picture! For those that have complained it didn’t get done or whatnot, check your oven calibration. I recently discovered my newish (2 yrs) oven is off by 25-50 F degrees. That can sure wreck a cake or bread.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!
I just made this cake and it’s AMAZING! I’m picky about GC cake. I don’t keep baker’s chocolate so I like recipes with cocoa and this one is my new fave!! Try it – you’ll love it!
I will be making this cake for an anniversary and birthday celebration. I want to make a two layered half sheet cake. Please recommend the best approach.
Thanks, Kat
Hands down the best German chocolate cake I have ever had!!!
Amazing!! I followed the recipe exactly, including 3 extra TBS of flour since we’re at 4,100 ft. It was so good, we had it for dinner tonight 🙂
Made this for my husband’s birthday. It’s delicious and easy to make!
I made this cake yesterday and it was awesome!!
It’s the best recipe for German Chocolate cake I have seen anywhere , and not difficult to make.
This is my holiday cake choice since I discovered it.
This is more about the frosting that goes on top and between the layers. A friend has requested a German Chocolate Cake be made for her husband, but she’s allergic to coconut. To keep consistency, should I substitute more pecans into it? I’m sure she’s prepared to keep her distance, but I want her to be able to enjoy some of the cake, too!
the coconut frosting is a little too thin, how can I thicken it? thank you…I made this for a party that I am attending tonight
So good! I live higher altitude (UT) and added the extra flour. It was done at the 25 minutes.. maybe could’ve done a bit less. Both centers on my cakes caved in a bit, but once frosted it wasn’t noticeable and didn’t affect taste or texture.
Make this cake! I usually don’t leave reviews and I usually do not care for German chocolate cake… at all! But my husband requested it for his birthday so I looked up recipes and went with this one because of the high ratings… AND IT IS AMAZING. The coconut filling tastes SO good – like a yummy caramel. Not like the overly sugary, too sweet filling that you find in other cakes like this and in the canned filling. The cake and frosting are delicious as well. Such a good idea to layer chocolate frosting with the coconut filling.
I wasn’t planning on eating the cake but after sampling the filling, I ate a big piece and loved every bite! Haha And that is really saying something!
Thank you for such a stellar recipe. You have changed this girl from a non-german chocolate cake lover!
Question: can I use sour milk instead of buttermilk in the cake? No buttermilk around for miles! Thanks
You can find a buttermilk sub right here https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/how-to-make-buttermilk/
Linda you can make buttermilk by adding a tablespoon to a cup of milk and it gives it the sour flavor. BUT I also live 30 minutes from the nearest grocery store, so I ALWAYS keep powdered dry buttermilk on hand. Wal Mart carries it. Stores in the fridge after you open it. SO perfect to add to all kinds of recipes! It’s in the baking section by the dry milk. Hope that helps you!
You can make buttermilk. However many cups of milk = to the amount of lemon juice tablespoons (3 cups milk = 3 tablespoons lemon juice)
My husband requested this cake for his birthday. It was delicious! And quite easy to make. I had a little leftover caramel sauce but just the right amount of chocolate frosting. The cake was so super moist. I’ll probably use this recipe for chocolate cakes from now on, even without the German part! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
My family are pie lovers. I tried this recipe for the first time after using box mixes. NO comparison. My cake was gone within the day. I used a Pinterest peanut butter frosting and you thought they died and went to heaven. Thank you! I’m excited to look at your other recipes!
I made this cake to farewell my friends as they PCS’ed to their next duty station, and it was DELICIOUS. I used dutched dark cocoa- it was moist, the perfect amount of sweet, and the exact right ratio of frosting to cake. Absolutely faaaabulous. Thank you!!
The traditional birthday cake in my husband’s family for the past 40+ years has been a German Chocolate Cake. My husband still requests it every year. I’ve always used my mother-in-law’s trusty recipe, but two years ago I couldn’t find her recipe (not sure where it disappeared to) and she wasn’t home to send me a copy in time. I found your recipe online and decided to try it. All I can say is that this year, my mother-in-law called me for this recipe :). Best German Chocolate Cake EVER!
Hello, I’ve read through many comments but haven’t seen an answer to a question I have. I only have 1 8inch pan (24cm) and don’t have easy access to get another one. I do also have a 28cm pan but obviously it doesn’t match. Is it better to make half the recipe twice or can I store the batter in the fridge while one bakes and cools in the 8inch? Any help would be appreciated!
I would store the batter in the fridge while one bakes. After the first cake is removed, rinse the cake pan in cold water to cool it off before adding the batter.
This is my second batch and still can’t get the cakes to a good texture that can hold frosting. First batch broke off getting them out of the 9” pans. Second let it cool down completely and got them out but they were flat and gooey, not sure what I’m doing wrong! When I started to try to frost them, they just crumbled. Too wet, they actually feel dense and too moist. Not bothering with this recipe again. Total failure, so disappointed
I had the same experience as Carol…..the cakes came out too flat and too wet…..can’t really use them. I’m going to try a different recipe 😣
Had the same problem. Wanted to surprise someone with this cake today for their birthday. After 2 attempts to make the cake only to have the same sunken mess I give up.
Thank you! Everyone was so impressed with me for making this 😀
I was impressed with how moist it was and how much of the coconut filling I ate before the cakes were even finished baking, oops!
I made this cake, it was very moist. Everyone loved it. Thank you for the recipe. When I make another German Chocolate Cake I will use this recipe.
I just made this the second time and the middle deflated within the first ten-fifteen minutes. I followed the recipe exactly and have no idea what went wrong. Anybody have some tips? It also tastes weird.
This recipe is PERFECTION!
I have no clue what happened. Both of my cakes deflated, middle sunk. I followed exactly as written and I’m definitely not a beginner. Hmmm.
A common mistake with cakes like this is to bake til finished and take it right out of the oven. Instead you should bake until mostly done and turn off the oven and crack the door. Let the cake cool slowly. Might also help to use a water bath like you do with cheesecake, but I am not sure it’s necessary.
Yes the same thing happened to me. Left the cake in there the whole time and still deflated in the center. Too much water maybe?
Delicious! It was perfect! I used a different recipe for the chocolate buttercream. The cake layers are incredibly soft but not super crumbly/dry
WOW this chocolate buttercream frosting is INCREDIBLE. Perfect consistency and texture for decorating.
This is an easy but wonderful recipe for beginners.
10/10
The key to the icing is boil is for 10 minutes and it will thicken. Patience is required. I use more brown sugar than white! It will turn out great!
Absolutely delicious. I made this cake for a friend (birthday) he hasn’t had it since his momma made it years ago, she’s passed on now and this is his favorite cake,so I made it and I swear I saw tears in his eyes,he loved it and that’s all he talks about. Thank you.
This turned out fantastic! I’m at high altitude, so it took a little longer to bake, but this turned out great. The cake was delicious and easy to put together, the coconut frosting was really good, and the chocolate frosting was the best I’d ever used. It piped great, spread great, etc,…10/10 recommend. Thanks!
Really good ! made it 3 ( 4 tomorrow ) times and it’s a really good fluffy cake and extra good with vanilla ice cream. Raises well if you do it correctly and isn’t dry . Frostings are very good together with the cake and the coconut frosting is very good .
What a lovely recipe! The chocolate frosting was one of the best I’ve had, and the coconut frosting was so good – it tasted way less surgary than the store-bought kind, there is really no comparison and it was well worth the effort. The cake was really good as well – it was more subtle and less stand out than the frosting, but that made it a great pair. I had no issues baking or frosting it either! I thought everything was easy to follow and well-proportioned.
Have made this cake for my son’s birthday the past two years. Amazing flavor, and so easy to make! Always gets rave reviews!
This was a great recipe. I was my first time ever making a German chocolate cake and it turned out fabulous! Thank you so much
Delicioso, el mejor German Chocolate Cake!!!
10/10! Made this a few times and everytime it’s so good! Stays moist and is the perfect balance! This is the only German chocolate cake recipe I will ever use!
I followed the instructions, and the cake is fabulous! Oh, I guess I didn’t have evaporated milk, so I used half and half. But other than that, I didn’t change anything and I will make this recipe again!
I messed up somewhere the cakes are thin and crumbling I followed the instructions I don’t know what happened its taste good and the frosting is amazing
Very excellent cake! Made for Easter and we all enjoyed it. I am no master baker, but the recipe was easy to follow. Will definitely make it again.
I had never made a German chocolate cake from scratch before today. I followed the instructions exactly as given, and the cake turned out beautifully! I made it for a special friend, and other than both of us thinking it was a bit salty, we enjoyed every delicious bite of it.
The buttercream frosting recipe was awesome! If I want to make vanilla buttercream, do I substitute more powdered sugar for the cocoa powder?
As TucsonMom commented on, I just learned you have a cookbook, but I cannot get it in hardback from Amazon. I will find it, as I don’t want to use Kindle in the kitchen. 🙂
Thank you for giving me the courage to try this recipe. I will be trying more recipes of yours.
Hi! I’m wondering the same thing on the buttercream. did you figure it out? if so, please let me know. thanks!
This recipe was delicious as so many of your recipes are. Do you have a classic strawberry cake you can share? Your recipes, tips and knowledge are greatly appreciated. I just learned you have a cook book and will be purchasing it from Amazon!
Thank you so much! I haven’t created a strawberry cake recipe, but it is one I’d like to share in the future!
Amazing cake! I received a lot of compliments. Thank you!!!
Very confused….this is the Hershey chocolate cake and frosting recipe. It is on the back of the Hershey cocoa powder container. This isn’t a family recipe lol. It is a great recipe, but it’s not yours. You need to give credit where credit is due.
Also, traditional German chocolate cake does not use cocoa powder….
Were you able to read through the post where I address both of those things? We use the Hersheys chocolate cake (I love that recipe, link to it and talk all about it here: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/hersheys-perfectly-chocolate-chocolate-cake/ ) and we pair it with this (My mom’s) coconut frosting recipe.
I did not, I apologize. I only read this post. Thank you for your gracious response.
Hersheys chocolate cake really is the best though!
Delicious cake. The fam loved it!
How long will this German chocolate cake (assembled & frosted) last in the refrigerator before going bar?
I would enjoy it within a week, or else wrap the slices in plastic wrap, add them to a freezer bag and freeze!
Oh Lauren, your response to Rochelle was so kind considering – Hope for humanity. This is the best German Chocolate Cake recipe. Thank you for sharing with the rest of us.
Actually you may have overlooked it in the intro but she mentions that exact difference ( ie. traditionally being a lighter cake, minus the coco) and states it’s “her family’s version” of the german chocolate cake. Also in earlier reviews she responded to she explained its the original hersheys cake base, but I think the multitude of additional steps and ingredients qualify it as ‘not a rip off.’ Just my opinion. I’m very grateful she shared her family’s recipe free of charge, it’s won me rave reviews each time I make it. Whichever of her relatives dreamed up this particular combination was indeed inspired.
Was always taught to lightly brown the coconut and pecans in the butter and then add to the other ingredients for the coconut frosting.
I followed the recipe to the letter, and it did not disappoint! This is the most flavorful and moist cake ever. My boys loved it – this is my “go to” from now on!!
Unbelievably delicious!! So moist, chocolatey, coconuty, and pure Heaven!!
I followed the recipe to the letter. Super good and so moist. I made it for my wife for her Birthday and I got major brownie points! Thank you for a great recipe!!!
Great recipe! The only change I made was removing the vanilla from the cake batter. It was good with it, but without the vanilla, the chocolate flavor stood out more. Either way, excellent recipe.
This is the best cake recipe ever!! Thank you so much!
Easiest cake I have ever made I used coffee in my frosting that was the only addition I made.
Delicious, thank you for a SUPERB RECIPE to add to my repertoire. i Need to work on the chocolate flowers…
I absolutely love this recipe! I’ve made it 5-10 times in the last couple of months! The only thing I run into is there’s not enough buttercream to make it look like the pic. I have to double it. But it is soooo good!
First I made it. Came out ok! Family loved it!
This cake was INCREDIBLE! I used boiling coffee for the needed 1 boiling cup of water. I unfortunately made this with significant time limits. Definitely cool the cake fully or presentation is compromised. No one cared because the taste was OUTSTANDING! I’ll never go back to boxed German Chocolate Cake!
The cake fell through the middle now saying it’s a bad recipe would love to have some tips on what I did wrong so I can try again 🙁
I made it 3 times in a row thinking maybe I missed something. Mine sunk in the middle each time. I’m still not sure what went wrong.
I think you might be underbaking your cake – try sticking a toothpick in the center and waiting until it comes out mostly clean, and not wet. Wishing you the best of luck!
I am wondering if the cake was underbaked – did you test it with a toothpick before taking it out of the oven? Benjamin the baker on youtube has a good video on when to tell if a chocolate cake is done! I’m not sure if Lauren has a post/video like that on her page, otherwise I would have recommended that instead.
My cake fell in the middle too 🙁
It is the BEST German Chocolate cake recipe ever. I have made it twice. Will make it again this week for another family birthday. It is AMAZING!!!!
I’ve made this cake before and it was absolutely amazing. I’m wondering if you’ve ever made as cupcakes? If so, any idea for cooking time? Thank you!
Yes! Here’s my cupcake version: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
Thanks for sharing…this recipe is AMAZING! I did the recipe 1 1/2 times for the cake and made a triple layer round and…twice the choc frosting and 1 times the coconut and it came out perfect!
Vary tasty,used trivia cane sugar and extra virgin olive oil.
I’m making this today for my brother. Can it be baked in a 13×9 inch pan? How long should I bake it?
Extremely delicious. I halved the chocolate frosting though.
German Chocolate is my husband’s favorite and every year for his birthday I make him one from a box mix. I decided to try it from scratch this year… and I’ll never go back! He said it is the best he has ever tasted! I’m not a fan of coconut, but I had a bite and it was pretty delicious! It was very moist, and the flavor was spot on! Thank you for posting this recipie!
I love to bake. Hands-down, this is the best cake I’ve ever made! My husband also comes from a baking family and he loved it! And I made it in high altitude. It turned out moist and rich… definitely the highlight of my husband’s birthday celebration! I was also very grateful that both frosting proportions were generous for two 9 inch square vs round baking pans. Thank you for such a great recipe. PS. Since we were stuck in a snow storm, I had to substitute the evaporated milk with coconut milk and the vanilla with Kahlúa. I don’t think it took away from the recipe. And I have to say that it is a fairly easy cake to make. Well done!!!
Can i use coconut oil? Will it turn out just as yum? Thx!
I only used the coconut frosting portion of the recipe. Turned out great!
I would like to make this cake and a 10-in round cake pan or an 8x 8 cake pan how would I adjust the recipe and what temperature and time to bake
10/10. I made this for my dad’s birthday and he said it was the best German Chocolate cake he’s ever eaten.
The German Chocolate cake is very rich and tasty. Everything came together great. Too me it was better than bakery bought, will make again.
DELICIOUS! Best chocolate cake ever. The filling reminds me of pecan pie and the frosting was not overly sweet.
Eat cake ever!!! So moist!!!
Incredible recipe!
I doubled the German chocolate frosting and didn’t use the chocolate frosting. Perhaps this is why the cake is lacking chocolate flavor. Won’t make again, I will search for a recipe with semi sweet chocolate in it like my mom used to make.
I would highly suggest that you make the recipe as written and then review it again! The chocolate frosting is an important part of the recipe and how it was created to give the best flavor!
Really hate when ppl change the recipe then rate it, Imagine, skipping the “chocolate” frosting and saying not enough chocolate flavor
This recipe makes a perfect German chocolate cake. The cake is moist. In the past, I’ve had German chocolate cake where the cake is really dry. This recipe is tasty. The coconut frosting is so delicious. This is definitely a keeper!
Super excellent cake and frostings! I made this for a coworker’s bday and WOW! I made 1 1/2 the recipe and spread evening between 5 8” pans – will make this again for sure!
Delicious! Made it for a co-worker’s bday and it was so good I had to make it again the next week for my husband’s grandma. You know it’s good when grandma approves!
If I use 3 9 inch pans, will there be enough frosting, both chocolate and coconut to frost?
Absolutely FABULOUS recipe!
This recipe was incredible!! My rookie self messed up on the pans and overfilled each of the cake pans so I had an oven disaster but it was worth it lol.
The cake taste was incredible and moist. The chocolate frosting recipe is my new favorite. The coconut recipe was delicious too. All in all it’s my husband’s new favorite and it was requested for my son’s bday now haha. Thank you!
Do you sift your powdered sugar and cocoa or just scoop it out of the container?
For this recipe I just scoop it out with a spoon, into a measuring cup.
This is my go to cake for birthdays and other family get togethers! It is easy and it has always turned out. I even enjoy making it into cupcakes.
I made this cake for a family birthday and everyone thought it was a great cake. Loved that it was moist. I was disappointed that it didn’t match my notion of a mild chocolate German Chocolate cake. It was more like a devils food cake. I liked that it used cocoa, and I thought about reducing the quantity, but I was afraid to miss with a cake recipe on the day I needed it!
Easy and delicious!
I’ve tried other recipes but this one wins! It’s now my go to for GCC. Easy to follow and everything works..thank you amylyn for grandmas secret which is now my secret!!
I do a lot of baking but have never tried a German Chocolate cake. The Coconut frosting was a 5 star recipe and 4 stars for the chocolate buttercream. I’d use those recipes again. I wasn’t a huge fan of the chocolate cake, the texture was nice but I didn’t love the flavor. 3.5/5 overall
This cake was so good! I love to bake from scratch and I was a little skeptical at how thin the batter was as it poured. I followed the directions exactly and it tasted great. Delicious frosting as well – my family loved it!
I baked this cake yesterday and within 12 minutes it was bubbling over and out of the pans. Big disaster! I double checked the recipe to make sure I did not add more BP or soda that it called for.
I thought maybe it was the type of Cocoa as it wasn’t my usual brand.
I am trying again today and the pans are so close to bubbling over. Seems odd that you can watch it bubble. I have not seen batter do that before.
At least I was prepared and put foil under the pans to catch overflow.
I am at high altitude and made the recommend adjustment.
Can I substitute cake flour for the all purpose flour?
Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Best German Chocolate cake ever! Just made my second one. I use a 9X13. And I only made the coconut frosting. So good!
We all know just how many search results claim a certain recipe is the “very best” well you can bet the farm on this one. Absolutely the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made, or had.This is the one your looking for. Made it several times and it’s now a part of my “most coveted recipes” collection, so grateful! I omitted the boiling water and used fresh boiling coffee, a trick of my grandmothers, and it’s perfection each and everytime! Thank you!
Can you use cake flour instead?
Made this for a birthday cake and was amazing!
I made this cake exactly according to the recipe. I didn’t omit the baking soda or the cup of boiling water. I didn’t bake it at a lower temperature for twice as long. It didn’t boil over in my oven and it wasn’t “more like a brownie” as one reviewer stated.
I baked it EXACTLY as written and it was the moistest, tastiest chocolate cake anyone in my family have ever eaten.
My advice to reviewers: make it as written before you give an opinion. Otherwise, you’re just being silly.
I usually use the box cake mix and make homemade icing but figured since this is my husbands favorite cake I would give it a try. I didn’t have buttermilk and used the buttermilk recipe. This tops the list of the best cake we’ve had. Thanks so much for sharing!
My brother absolutely loved this cake. I made it for his birthday. Thank you!
The cake was absolutely delicious. Made it for Christmas and my family loved it!
I couldn’t sleep and decided to last minute make this cake. I didn’t have buttermilk, so I just added 1 tbs apple cider vinegar to a cup of half and half, letting it sit 15 min.
I cut the sugar to 1.5 cups in the cake. (1/4 less than the recipe).
I decided not to do the chocolate frosting and just made more of the coconut. I did cut the white sugar in the coconut frosting in half using only 1/4 cup.
It turned out perfect! I don’t think all the sugar is necessary in the original recipe, but otherwise YUM!
Has anyone 1.5x the recipe and made 3 layers? Wondering if cake is strong enough to hold 3 layers.
I have made 3 layers in 6″ pans without increasing anything. Turned out great but I will note, it’s tall and heavy/wobbly so if you plan on transporting, I wouldn’t suggest using the 6″ pans. I am making this again tomorrow with 3, 9in pans for stability and will double the recipe. Any leftover batter will make great cupcakes. This truly is a delicious cake
I made a gorgeous 6 inch 3 layer cake with this recipe. It looked great for about 30 mins then the weight of this super delicious super moist cake collapsed and squashed out the bottom layer. I cried and was “forced” to eat it myself. It is SO good though I remade it again as a sheet cake for a party. I personally do not think it needs the chocolate frosting. I used flaked almonds in the topping and it is yummy. I am here because I am making it again as cupcakes. Hope this helps someone.
This cake was good, but it’s not german chocolate. The taste is different, my husband’s favorite cake is German chocolate. Again, this chocolate cake is good. But if you want German chocolate you need a different recipe.
I’m of German heritage, my grandparents actually came to the U.S. from Germany and my Oma made real german chocolate cakes. I thought this recipe was great. You saw in the recipe that it didn’t call for sweet German chocolate so why bother leaving a comment about it not being authentic?
German chocolate cake is not german at alllll. The guy who created the chocolate had the last name of “German”. He was American. Why doesn’t anyone research anymore?! Your grandmother made an American cake.
German Chocolate cake is my husband’s favorite. I tried your recipe and he said it was one of the best german chocolate cakes he’s ever had! The cake is moist, delicious and chocolatey. I’m keeping this receipt! Thank you!
This is the BEST cake ever! Your instructions and video were so helpful! This totally hooked me on being a follower of yours! I love so many of your dessert recipes. Yes, it does taste better from scratch. Thanks so much!
Wow easiest German Chocolate Cake recipe I have made. Thank you for postin really moist and flavorful. I will be making this again.I wish I had made more butter cream icing. Amazing thank you.
The coconut and pecan frosting taste incredible. I haven’t tasted the WHOLE cake just yet. The cake layers seem to be SUPER moist, unless I didn’t bake them long enough. I did put a toothpick in and it came out clean. It’s for Christmas Eve dinner at my daughters house. That’s why I haven’t dug in yet.
I appreciate all of the background info that this is a version of a German Chocolate cake. One tip to include might be to temper the eggs before adding to the frosting when cooking. I had to make an extra batch of frosting to cover my cake. I toasted the coconut snd pecans so it appears a bit dark. We’ll eat it tomorrow for my son’s birthday!
I’d like to make this recipe for my Dad for a Christmas gift but would prefer to make them as cupcakes so he can freeze them and enjoy later too. How long would you recommend baking the cupcakes for and do I use the same temperature? How many cupcakes would this make?
What a kind Christmas gift. These are so popular we made a whole post for the cupcake version. You can find it here: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
Excellent recipe. Made it with coffee instead of water. Turned out great!
You may have used to much baking powder I only use baking powder not soda
I am baking it now. Easy instructions. As I look in the oven, though, I see that it is bubbling up over the 9” pans. Don’t know how it will turn out, but my oven is going to be a mess. Anyone encountered this???
This is happening to me too at the moment!!! It’s a mess!
Bubbled over in the oven. The batter tasted great though.
I just made this cake for my husband’s birthday. It came out so good! Beautiful cake and the whole cake was delicious, especially the filling. Thank you!
Thanks for the recipe, I will be making this cake for Christmas. It seems easy to make.
Despite having a 2 week old baby, I decided to bake my husband a birthday cake. He requested German Chocolate. I’m a regular baker but have never attempted this cake. I was terrified and exhausted, but pleasantly surprised by the easy-to-follow recipe. I made it and cleaned up in 1.5 hours. I might add some toasted pecans and coconut as well as some decorative piped icing tomorrow but it looks and tastes great!
I made this for my husband’s birthday and it was a hit!!
Made this cake for the first time and OMG it was so amazing. I would recommend this 100%
This is not authentic homemade German Chocolate cake. If you don’t use Germans sweet chocolate, you simply have a devils food cake with coconut pecan icing.
Such a rich dark chocolate cake with the perfect frosting. I didn’t do the chocolate icing just the traditional coconut frosting. The cake was so very good!! Not the taste of a traditional German Chocolate cake to me but this was the perfect cake for my occasion. I would double the recipe for the coconut frosting to frost the complete cake. I frosted the middle and top and my friends could not stop ooooing and awwwwing about the look. 10 out of 10 on this one. Wish we could post a picture.
Hello. I’ve made this cake several times and everyone loves it BUT every time I’ve made it, it sinks in the middle. Can you please tell me what I’m doing wrong. I am experienced baker and not sure what my issue is. TIA
So glad you and your family love the cake. There are so many reason a cake can sink in the middle. Wish I was in the kitchen with you to trouble shoot it. Here’s a good resource to look at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/baking-guide/crowd-pleasing-cakes/Why-did-my-cake-sink-in-the-middle
So delish, made this cake for my grandpas 70th birthday, he requested German chocolate cake, and I was like “oh no, I don’t have a recipe for this.” Thank goodness I came across this recipe
My 5 star rating didn’t get on there, so I’m adding it now! : )
It was my 1st time making German Chocolate Cake from scratch and holy wow this recipe hit it out of the park! I read the comments beforehand and made a few tiny adjustments to assure my success 🙂 Every part of this cake turned out perfect in my experience after a little tweaking.
I live at a high altitude as well, so I thought I’d share a few tips I did.
-I added about 4 Tbsp extra flour to the batter
-I used coffee instead of water in the cake batter: 100% recommend!
-I used 2, 9 inch round pans and filled them only 2/3 full (honestly probably even less than that) to make sure they wouldn’t overflow like some people had happen to theirs
-this gave me enough extra batter to make 18 cute mini cupcakes too! 😁
-I cooled the cakes in their pans for around 20 min then flipped them over onto wax paper lined cooling racks and allowed them to cool completely
-I refrigerated the cakes, wrapped in tin foil & placed in ziploc bags overnight
-for the frosting, I did 1.5x the recipe to make sure I had enough for piping on top of the cake
-for the frosting, I ended up using quite a bit more than 1/3 cup of evaporated milk and extra vanilla, to get it to the right consistency and so it didn’t just taste like cocoa powder (not faulting the recipe whatsoever, it totally could have been the type of cocoa I used)
-for the coconut pecan frosting I followed the recipe exactly, stirring constantly for around 10ish min and it turned out great. It thickens a lot while cooling 😁
-I assembled it according to the directions and it turned out great!
Thanks for the awesome recipe!!!
I made this cake for my coworkers birthday a few days ago. She loved it and so did another coworker, so much that he asked me to make one for his wife for her birthday in a few days, and said he would pay me for it! This was my 1st time making this cake and now I already have someone paying me to make one! Ya can’t beat that! I followed the instructions exactly and both turned out great!
My SIL requested a German Chocolate Cake for his birthday. I’ve never made one so I searched for what I hoped would be the perfect recipe. This is it!! It was spectacular. Both my husband and daughter who proclaim to hate pecans said it was amazing. I am making it again for thanksgiving.
Really enjoyed this. That sucker weighed about 30 lbs. But my daughter loved it for her Birthday.
I cried tears of joy!! This cake is amazing and easy to follow!
My husband’s favorite cake is German chocolate. I usually make the boxed cake from the store. I decided to try this one, since it had so many great 5 star reviews. It was wonderful! My husband really loved it. This will be the cake that I will make for all his birthdays! Thanks!
This recipe produced the most delicious, perfect German Chocolate cake I’ve ever made. House guests that don’t usually like coconut and pecans were going back for seconds. I served it today in celebration of my husband’s 73rd birthday.
Attempted to make this for my mother-in-law’s birthday. What a waste. The cake is WAY too moist, and I even used 2 cups of flour. Once I finally got it out of the pans, I started trying to ice it. The icing was WAY too runny, even with me adding an extra cup of powdered sugar. The cake was so fragile that it started MELTING when I added the chocolate frosting. The only thing that turned out right was the pecan/coconut frosting. It would almost be better to use a box cake with pre-made buttercream with chocolate powder added. It is a real shame because the little bits I tasted did taste good.
Absolutely delicious! I didn’t make the chocolate frosting–going for a more traditional, rustic version. The coffee instead of boiling water is a must. You will do be disappointed in this recipe!!
This cake is amazingly moist and super delicious! I made this cake for my auntie’s birthday and it was a HUGE hit!! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Absolute heaven!! Best german chocolate cake I have ever had! However, we did not use the chocolate frosting. It was unnecessary and the shine from the coconut frosting is so gorgeous. We used the ingredients at room temperature. Tastes like hot chocolate covered in a pecan caramel dream!!!
Kudos for the insight and directions. Very clear and very easy to make, but tastes like a michelin chef made it!
This cake was amazing! I made it twice according to directions and it was perfect both times! Now I’m making it again (a year later) into smash cake size since it’s just for my husband and me this time. So I’m going to cut the recipe in half and see what happens! Thanks again for this delicious recipe!
How did you half recipe turn out? What size pans did you use. I am thinking of trying this approach!
Fantastic!! Super moist. I substituted hot coffee for the boiling water and baked the rounds at 350 for about 28 mins. This is the best German chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten.
OMG this cake is absolutely amazing. Love it
Waoooo it is delicious
On my dads birthday I wanted a challenge, so I asked him what cake he wanted. I was thinking something on the line of a boxed cake so it wouldn’t be too difficult. But, he really wanted me to bake him a German chocolate cake. I was worried since this was my first time EVER baking a cake but I followed the recipe and it was the best cake I’ve ever had. 11/10 would recommend!
While this cake is good, it will not satisfy those looking for a true German Chocolate cake. There is not enough coconut pecan frosting to make it taste like a German Chocolate Cake.
My husband recently requested a German Chocolate cake for his birthday so I decided to give this recipe a try. It turned out absolutely perfect, and was a big hit with him and all of our guests. Thank you!
I thought I made a good chocolate cake. I was wrong. This blows away the competition. Toasting the pecans and coconut before adding to the coconut frosting puts it over the top. I also used unsweetened coconut and that worked great. Thanks for upping my game!
Thank you for the recipe.
I think this is the first layered cake I’ve made!
It tasted good. I missed the part about cutting the parchment. I should have buttered the sides and had the parchment only on the bottom of the pans.
I also had the layers bake on two different levels in the oven and never changed them or rotated. One of the layers collapsed in the middle, the other was perfect.
One thing I found confusing, following the recipe on my phone, was that the ingredients call the first frosting – Coconut Frosting but the instructions call it Chocolate Frosting. The ingredients call the second frosting – Chocolate Frosting and the instructions call it
Buttercream Frosting.
Anyway. Cake was tasty – Thank you! I’ll make it again.
It would help new bakers or people who are not familiar with the tempering process, if you put in your recipe, to bring the eggs to room temperature before making the coconut pecan frosting, or they will end up with a yolky scrambled mess that they will have to repeat again.
I only made the frostings. The buttercream turned out easy and delicious. When I made the coconut frosting I tempered the eggs once the rest of the warm ingredients got warm enough. It, too, was very good
Hi, Lauren! I am from Hamburg in Germany and I just learned from our evening quiz show that there is this cake in the USA. And you are rigth: it’s not a German speciality – the cake got it’s name from the chocolatier Samuel German. He invented in 1852 the sweet bake-chocolate, which is used in the recipe that in 1957 the Dallas Morning News published.
I found either this information and the recipe very interesting. Maybe you like it too – so I send from far away friendly greetings to you and your family and friends! Goodbye, Erika
made this recipe 2 times, people love it! Some of the instructions were a little difficult reading the first time but other than that this is a good recipe.
Was hoping this to be delicious.. will see if salvageable… totally boiled out of my cake pans .. turned it down and hoping to cut off edges and it will be ok … thank goodness used a cookie sheet … should be for 3 layer cake … don’t make cakes for birthdays without making first lol
This happened to me when I was in highschool. turns our I was using regular cocoa with sugar. When I changed and used the unsweetened cocoa, it worked great.
I made this cake for a family reunion. I have never made German chocolate cake before. I have a cousin that would now like me to make it for her wedding. I love this recipe.
I have made this recipe at least 7 times now so I figured it was about time I left a review. I follow it exactly and it always comes out perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing! My friends and family ask me to make it for our special events now 🙂 thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Hello Laura, I made this cake for an Octoberfest celebration! German Chocolate Cake has always been my favorite, however in Texas where I come from we do not use the chocolate icing, so I did not this time, just the pecan/coconut. The cake was such a big hit, everyone loved it and I could not believe how easy it was. I did line my pans with wax paper.
I was reading the recipe just now I’m NE and I never heard of Chocolate icing either so I’m going to do what u did thank you
Could this be made in a 13×9 pan?
Yes, sure!
I hadn’t made a German Chocolate cake in probably 20 years and didn’t have the energy to hunt up the Bakers Chocolate recipe I had somewhere in all my moves. This sounded very much like one my husband bought at a bakery recently. We really enjoyed it as his birthday cake. Thanks!
This receipe was amazing. I made this for my husband’s birthday and he loved it. This was so moist and just perfect, everyone enjoyed. Thank you for sharing this and I have completely fallen for this.
Flavor was good, but the cake fell or boiled over every time. I tried it several times because I wanted to use it for a stacked cake. I finally turned my temp down to 325 and cooked it until my tooth pick was clean. About 40 min.
I was craving a piece of german chocolate cake so I thought I would try making one. This recipe is so delicious and easy. I cut the recipe in half and made 8×8 square cake.
You probably used the wrong cocoa powder. I used Dutch processed one time and had the same problem. Not all cocoa powders are the created equal for baking, frosting only is substatueable.
Make this cake all the time! It’s one of my family’s favorites! Never fails just follow the recipe.
Amazing. This was so moist and just perfect. The only thing I did differently was use coffee instead of water. I also increased the amount of chocolate frosting as a few reviewers did but I definitely didn’t need to. I shouldn’t, but I’m going to have to make another on because it went so fast that I was lucky to get a slice. Thanks so much.
Also, I saw a critical review saying it was more like a brownie and I almost looked for a different recipe. I’m SO glad I didn’t. Not at all like a brownie. This was truly decadent.
I like German Chocolate cake. I will try this recipe. It is a good recipe and informative too especially frosting the cake. Thank you, Wendy Gray
Can this recipe be used for 2, 14 inch round cakes if I double it?
That should work great, but you may have a little more batter than you need (you could add any extra batter to cupcake mold for cupcakes).
I made this cake a few weeks ago. Everyone that I shared it with thought it was absolutely delicious. I did not make the chocolate frosting the first time ( lack of ingredients) but I am about to make the cake again tonight and I intend to do it this time. This cake can be a lot of work, but it is so worth it in the end. The coconut frosting is temperamental so you have to be patient.The first time I did it the eggs started to cook and leave little hard pieces in the frosting so I had to start over. It was a success the second time. The coconut frosting is fabulous. The chocolate cake is fabulous. I intend to use this chocolate cake recipe anytime I want chocolate cake. Not just for German chocolate. I had so many people comment on how moist and delicious the cake was so I am about to surprise my new boss with a congratulatory chocolate cake. I would recommend this recipe to anyone. Thank you so much for sharing with us!!!!
I made this cake for a dear friend’s birthday the other day to mixed results. I will start by saying the flavor of both the cake and the frostings were great and the cake was very moist which I have not found to be a given with my homemade cake making adventures. However, I ran in to trouble I think because I baked at altitude. My kitchen is at around 6200′ and although I did add the additional 3 tablespoons of flour, I still ran into some slight issues. While baking, the cakes bubbled over out of their 9″ pans onto the oven’s heating rod causing a smokey 30 minutes of baking. When I took them out, they had the dreaded dip/crater in the middle that I have become too familiar with over my years in the mountains. The flavor is amazing and I would use this recipe again at sea level, but in order for me to take a whack at it again at high altitude, I think I’d need to do more recipe tinkering than recommended.
This is exactly what I was experiencing tonight. I live at 5400. I wonder if it is the altitude or me. Haha. I’ve baked hundreds of cakes but recently moved to the mountains.
I used the recipe exactly and it came out amazing! I didn’t use the chocolate frosting since I’m a fan of the good old fashioned version. I am wondering though, how should you store it once assembled? Can it stay on the counter or should it go in the fridge because of the eggs?
I’m so happy to hear that, thank you! I think it stores best in the fridge, covered well.
I followed this recipe. My cake came out fine.
I’m wondering what kind of cocoa for this cake. Dutch or natural? This is my first time making a German chocolate cake. I keep reading different things. One recipe said it’s suppose to taste like chocolate and the other said there is not much chocolate flavor. Is it suppose to be a dark chocolate or light?
Use natural cocoa for this recipe.
I just made this cake and followed the directions as written. It turned out perfectly. When looking for recipes and reading the comments it can be rather frustrating.
If a recipe didn’t work for you then you did something incorrectly. Maybe try it again and you will realize what went wrong.
Why is it people choose a recipe then comment about all the changes they made? Um, at that point it’s not this recipe 🤷🏼♀️
Publish your own on your own page 😁
Can you use cake flour in the recipe?
That would be fine.
This cake turned out perfect and was a hit at the Octoberfest party I took it to. I made this as a small sheet cake and as cupcakes. Both turned out great. The cake was very moist and rich. The German frosting turned out buttery and not too sweet. This will be my go to chocolate cake recipe for sure. Follow the recipe people, you will not be disappointed!
Thank you for your post this was delightful
Worst cake recipe I have ever used. I am an avid baker, and bake everything from homemade bread to cookies, and layer cakes from scratch. I always receive numerous compliments on everything I bake. One of the most important things when baking is being accurate and precise with ingredients and measurements. I didn’t even include the cup of boiling water because there is already enough liquid in this cake. An unnecessary cup of water would guarantee that this cake will NEVER bake, or be the right consistency. As others have mentioned–their cake fell apart. I’m not surprised. They most likely followed this recipe to the letter. I knew on instinct it didn’t need the cup of water, and needed a little more than 1 3/4 cups of flour if this cake was ever going to bake into anything. Mine didn’t fall apart because I omitted the water and added 2 cups flour. This “cake recipe” produced brownies. So I guess what I baked was some sort of chocolate brownie coconut chocolate icing concoction.
Looks pretty amateur, but it tastes good according to my 8 year old, who loves brownies!
Hi Sally, I’m sorry this didn’t work for you, but something went wrong in your process. This recipe has more than 1000 five star reviews from people who have had success. Depending on where you live, yes, the cake may need additional flour to account for high altutde etc. That’s pretty standard in baking. Also, the cake portion is the same recipe used by Hersheys cake for decades. The hot water is a necessary component for texture and flavor (it allows the cocoa to bloom), and most chocolate cake recipes call for hot coffee or water for the same reason.
It must take an abundance of self control to expose a cherished family recipe to scrutiny and find it bashed by someone who never followed the instructions to begin with. I don’t possess that quantity of patience or grace but apparently you do. In my humble opinion yours is stellar chocolate cake! Most sencerely grateful for you sharing!
Wow! Maybe omitting the boiling water is where you first went wrong. Hard to believe an “avid” baker would be so rude to someone about baking. This cake is fantastic as written. Oh, and mine baked perfectly 🤷🏼♀️
You absolutely, 100% do need that extra cup of boiling water for this particular recipe. You may not need it in other cake recipes, but this one you do. There’s a reason there’s so many 5 star reviews on this cake and that’s because people followed the recipe exactly. Clearly the reason yours did not come out the way that you expected is because you did not follow the recipe and decided you knew better then the actual baker that created this recipe. Just because you’ve baked for a million years with excellent results doesn’t mean that you can change a tried and trued, successful recipe to fit your personal methods. That will never work. I barely bake because it’s a science, I cook instead so that I can experiment with recipes and I’m very good at it. Yet, cooking is not scientific and there isn’t very many recipes that call for the knowledge of chemical reactions when introduced to heat. That knowledge is imperative to baking. It does not matter how long someone has been baking or how many recipes they have made, a successful endeavor means following the authors recipe that they have perfected over hundreds of trial and error attempts. Your comment is so insulting to all the work that has been put into this and thinking that you know better than the person that has created the recipe is arrogant. Do better! This is my first time ever making a German chocolate cake and every single bit of it turned out perfect! I did not use round cake pans, I used rectangular and googled the difference to adjust my baking times. My cake top was round and robust and just for aesthetic purposes I actually decided to cut some of the top off. As someone who as I mentioned doesn’t bake often. This recipe was so easy to follow and turned out 100% perfect. This is my husband’s favorite cake that his mother who has since passed had made for every birthday and I had never attempted it because I didn’t want to mess it up and then have him try to tell me it was good when I thought it might not be. The hubs wholeheartedly says this cake was beyond great and absolutely fantastic! Kudos! 🤌🤌🤌
Confession, I have never made a cake from scratch in my life and I’m 55. I’ve made and decorated plenty of birthday cakes for my kids, but the cake was out of a box and frosting from a can. They’re all grown and in their 20s now and my son loves German Chocolate Cake so I thought ok I’m going to give this a try for his birthday, worst case scenario I bomb and say I tried. Well WOW!!! I did it! This recipe is THE best German Chocolate Cake. Better than my sisters and she is known for her cakes and pies! My son loved it! SUPER moist, so much flavor, and the directions were easy to follow. I was just beaming when he ate his second BIG slice lol. I will never do cake or frosting other than homemade again. I’m inspired to keep trying new things in the kitchen! Thank you!
This cake was fantastic! I’ve never been much of a German chocolate cake fan but WOW! My favorite part was the actual cake! It was so moist, even after sitting all day in the fridge, uncovered. Can’t believe how delicious it was despite being short on the cocoa powder and not having buttermilk. The recommended substitution worked perfectly! Would absolutely make again! Great recipe!
I made this cake for a birthday. It fell apart when I tried to get it out of the pan, so I threw the pieces in a bowl to make something with later. I remade the cake and it was so delicious! The coconut filling is perfect and the chocolate frosting perfectly complements everything. Now let’s get to the cake itself. Wow. What a delicious cake! It was so moiust and perfectly chocolately. It’s simply the best chocolate cake. What I had put in a bowl earlier, my brothers devoured within minutes. It has become my go to base chocolate cake! Highly reccommend this cake to anyone looking for a great recipe!
Amazing! Will be my go cake from now on. I did use a back magic cake but used the coconut filling from this recipe. YUM.
I made this cake with gluten free flour (Great Value brand), and it turned out great! I used two nine-inch pans, and I made the frosting and filling the day before I made the cake. For me, it was a very rich cake, so we could only have small slices. I’m not sure if this depends on the type of cocoa you use. (I used Equal Exchange cocoa for the frosting and Navitas Raw Cacao Powder for the cake). Because of the richness of the cake, I think I am going to double the recipe for the coconut frosting next time. I think this will cut some of the richness of the cake. I also might not use the frosting on the top of the bottom layer as the chocolate butter cream is pretty rich. I refrigerated the cake for a few hours before I frosted it, and it frosted beautifully. I used a much thinner amount of frosting than I typically do, and I had enough leftover for the piping. For the piping decoration, I would recommend thinning out the frosting with some leftover evaporated milk, so it will pipe more easily. This chocolate cake recipe is definitely a keeper for any time you need a chocolate cake!
Can I use coconut oil instead of the vegetable or canola oil?
This was AMAZING!! I have never made a German Chocolate cake from scratch, and I was a little intimidated. But THIS recipe was so well written, easy to follow and perfect!! The end result was a super delicious and very beautiful cake that made my family happy! I’m making it again tomorrow to take to a family dinner. Thank you SO MUCH!!
5 Stars! Absolutely great recipe! Made for my husband and he said “do not lose this recipe!” Such a moist delicious cake!
Hi I’m making your German chocolate cake ! Can thd pecans be substituted with walnuts?
Yes, that would be delicious!
Ok the frosting and the coconut pecan frosting turned out AWESOME however, I think 3 pans would be better, My cake fell in the over and now I have the ugliest cake ever but dude it taste good. I am not sure why it fell in the over but maybe if I used 3 pans it wont. I had cake dripping all over the bottom of the oven 🙁
I made this cake yesterday, for my husband’s birthday. It was absolutely delicious. The cake was moist and chocolatey. Love the chocolate frosting and think I’ll use it for other cakes and cupcakes. Definitely a keeper and will make it again.
I made this cake for my mom for her birthday and she LOVED it! she ate 3 slices. This is the best german chocolate cake I’ve ever had. This recipe is a keeper for sure 🙂
Could dates and chocolate chips be added to recipe? If so would you lower the amount of sugars? My fiancés Mom used to make a German Chocolate cake for him every birthday and she would add dates and chocolate chips. I was hoping to try to make one for him. Any advice or input is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Great cake, my cousin said it was really good. Make a little more of the chocolate frosting though.
Made this for FIL’s 65 birthday. Everybody loved it! It’s a perfect recipe! I had to make more chocolate frosting though.
Absolutely loved every part of this cake!
Absolutely delicious! I did make a little extra choc icing but it was perfect! Very rich but German choc cake is a wonderful rich cake and should be expected.
We made this for my father in law’s birthday and everyone said we should open a bakery. It was the first cake I’ve ever made from scratch! Thank you! We made it in 2 9 inch pans and everything was perfect. Next time I know to put a little more frosting in the middle layer, but everything was great!
I’ve made this cake countless times now and it’s always a hit! Can I make cupcakes with it as well?
Thank you SO much for sharing your love of this cake with us! We have a recipe just for German Chocolate Cupcakes… right here https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
Can this cake sit out on the counter, or does it need to be refrigerated when not eaten?
I think it keeps better stored in the fridge.
I made all of our co-workers birthday cakes each year. This year “John” requested a German Chocolate Cake. I’d never made one before.
I tried a different recipe to begin with and it did not work out. At the last minute, I tried this one. It did take longer to bake (I need to check my oven temperature) because of that, I was worried it would be dry. It was not, in fact it is amazing! So glad I found this site, Thank you!
It is too sweet for my taste. Will further reduce the sugar next time.
Followed the recipe to a T and all of our friends loved it! The actual cake was PERFECT- so rich, chocolatey, and moist. The one negative thing is my partner (who loves German Chocolate Cake) said the chocolate buttercream frosting tasted store-bought, rather than fresh and rich. I’m wondering if it was the cocoa we used (Hershey’s)? I would give it 4.5 stars for that but not sure if it’s my fault for buying low-quality ingredients, so 5 stars is my final vote!
Not nearly enough frosting for either kind. I had just enough evaporated milk so couldn’t make more… it’s a fine cake but needs some adjustments. I used 9” tins and would have been better to come out at 20 mins
It came out absolutely perfect it was for my sister. In-laws birthday she loved it!
I made this today for my husband’s birthday. OMG he loves it. I’ve never made German chocolate from scratch and wanted to do something special. It is delicious, decadent, rich, all things yummy.
This is hands down my new favorite German chocolate cake recipe AND chocolate frosting recipe. I made it for my moms birthday and although she isn’t a fan of the chocolate frosting on her German chocolate, she still loved it! I’ll be using this recipe to make a killer chocolate cake as well as making my mom her German chocolate with just the coconut frosting.
I would recommend using 3 pans. I used 2 nine inch pans and the cake batter ran over the sides and burned on the oven floor. I haven’t tried to get the cakes out of the pan yet, but the frostings taste delicious!
Really REALLY good! I made cupcakes with this recipe and they turned out perfect!
how long did you cook them?
Hi Lauren!
I made this German Chocolate Cake today for my husband’s birthday, and it turned out divine! Sometimes, when we are watching a movie at night, he stops the movie, and asks me, “Is the German Chocolate Cake out of the oven yet?” when there is nothing in the oven. lol hahaha I always tell him that one day, I am going to surprise him with the cake. That day was today! I Googled the recipe, and yours was one that came up. I didn’t think twice because I know your recipes. I have make many of them already. So, I got all the ingredients yesterday and made it today. The cake dough was just perfect, very moist. The filling perfect as well as the frosting. Thank you so much for another amazing recipe!!!!!! I love your recipes! Thank you, thank you!
Made this cake and it turned out perfect. I made the cakes the day before and plastic wrapped them, put them in fridge so they’d be firmer before adding frosting. Also, i was kind of worried because when cakes came out of oven the middle looked a little lower/moister than the sides, but toothpick came out clean. Despite me worrying, it wasn’t noticeable once frosting the top and sides and it was perfect and moist. Will be making again if I ever need a German chocolate cake again. Thank you.
I don’t know what went wrong but my cake fell apart. It was very tasty cake. I was able to taste it before it cooled because both layers fell apart. I haven’t frosted them yet because I’ll try to get them in the freezer.
This recipe is AH-mazing!!! I’ve been making it for years and my husband asks for it for his birthday ever since I started making it. When I say it’s a favorite with everyone that has tried it I really mean it!
I froze the layers as recommended and it really does make it easy to frost. It’s a moist and delicious and was a big hit.
The cake fell apart it was hard to frost the eggs started cooking in the coconut mixture won’t be trying this again
You have to stir the frosting constantly after adding the egg yolk or it will do that.
Worst recipe ever!!! Only good thing was pecan frosting. Cake fell apart. I basically used my hands to push it together in fridge to cool it to frost this mess.
My eggs yolks were beaten but I had to strain the bits that basically cooked when stirring. I bake alot but this I will not mk again!
I’ve been making this recipe for years now, it’s a family favorite. It’s become a tradition to have it on three different occasions every year. The only adjustment I make is to double the German chocolate frosting because my family is obsessed with it.
Turned out great! Easy to follow directions. I toasted my nuts. Plenty of frosting to cake ratio for me! Cake was super moist. I froze the layers to make decorating easier. Thank you!!
I’ve made this several times and it always tastes great! However, I can’t get the German chocolate icing to thicken up. It’s always kind of runny. So my cakes taste wonderful, but look like a sloppy mess. Any suggestions?
Do you mean the coconut frosting? When you add the eggs, be sure to cook it until it has thickened, before removing it from heat.
Add more powdered sugar.
the best german chocolate cake I’ve ever had. everyone loved it, I was sad to see it go. will definetly be making this one again!
A++. Instructions and video made this recipe super easy to follow. Made this cake for my daughters birthday. Everyone said it was the best chocolate cake they ever had. The cake itself was super moist. It was easier to frost frozen. I did not toast the pecans or coconut but it was still super delicious.
Recipe did not make enough chocolate frosting to decorate the top edge, just fyi.
I love German Choc. cakes but always felt the cake itself isn’t that great. Well, heads up, this cake itself is divine. I didn’t make choc.. frosting as I dbl. recipe on coconut//pecan frosting. I always roast the pecans and toast the coconut. Deepens the flavor.
Like the author of this A+ recipe, I’ve made a LOT of GCC’s. Here are my 2 cents: 1) I roast the pecans on a cookie sheet or on the stove to deepen their flavor. Careful not to burn them-it happens fast!; 2) I like a dash of salt in the coconut pecan frosting (1/8 tsp); 3) I heat the coconut pecan frosting in a double boiler until very hot then switch to a burner to get it boiling and thickened. Most of the thickening happens as it cools, so don’t worry if it’s thin; 4) I like unsweetened coconut (flakes and strips) and I use 2-3x the amount of coconut and pecans the recipe calls for so it’s really chunky; 5) leave the cakes alone in the oven until they start smelling ready – maybe longer than 35 minutes. Resist the urge to open the oven or mess with the pans. They’ll set up just fine and won’t sink. Thanks, Lauren, for this terrific recipe!! Yum!
I like your idea of roasting the pecans first. I’ll do that for my boss’s cake next week. It will be my sixth time making this cake, and each time, the coconut frosting looks wet and think – not as dry and textured as the beautiful photo.
Try cooking it a little longer, before removing it from heat. That’s where it will thicken properly.
This recipe was fantastically written and really delicious. I am so grateful for all the extra notes. Very helpful. I made it for my mother for her Birthday and she loved it!
Absolutely yummy…Except… When I took the cakes out of the oven they were nice and fluffy and rose beautifully…then for some reason during the cooling process the cake layers fell…… Became very heavy. I even made a second batch.. It fell too as it cooled. It that supposed to happen? I assembled the second set and it was delicious…. Just really heavy
I made this cake for a friends grooms cake. It was delicious! The grooms cake went much faster than the wedding cake! I will definitely save this recipe!
Hello did you double or triple the recipe?
I’m concerned about trying the triple as I noticed all ingredients are truly tripled except the flour seems a bit more than tripled. Any suggestions?
Made this 4 times now and I get raving compliments!
Made this for the first time for my mother-in-law’s birthday and it was amazing!! Even our uncle who “doesn’t like chocolate” ate a second slice 😂 I used Hershey’s special dark chocolate cocoa powder and I am soooo happy I did! Thanks for sharing the recipe! It’s my new go to!
This is the most amazing cake!!
My daughter wants to make cupcakes with this recipe … do you recommend a baking time?
Lauren has a German Chocolate Cupcake Recipe right here https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
This recipe is my first attempt at baking from scratch. Well except for that one cake in my Home Economics class in 8th grade. 😂
I found this recipe simple to follow. I liked how the ingredients are listed in the order to prepare. Wicked smart. My German Chocolate Frosting didn’t thicken up. Could that be caused by omitting the pecans? (My husband prefers no nuts) Everything else baked and cooked perfectly. I was told the house smelled really good in the process.
Lauren thank you for sharing your passion and talents. I look forward to learning more.
Absolutely omitting the nuts will cause the frosting to be thin!! That is the one thing, for sure, that will give it some “carmelization” for lack of a better word at the moment, coupled with the sugars, it is like sticking your finger in a hole to stop water flow. Without the Pecans though, it is like having all kinds of cracks around your finger, water is going to still flow through all those cracks!! LOL wasn’t sure how else to explain it…
This is an amazing cake! So decadent and full of awesome flavour and texture!
BEST cake ever. You will not be disappointed!!!!
I’ve made it multiple times and it turns out fabulous each time – just follow the directions! Everyone in our family LOVES it!
Its my husbands 48th Birthday and its a bomb. I followed it to the letter and its so dense and gluey. I looked up what could have gone wrong and it looks like its too much liquid. I need to stick to the cakes with butter and no boiling water. Or maybe 1/4 cup of boiling water instead of a cup. Look in his eyes is heartbreaking. He never gets anything for himself. I can’t get him anything because I am sick and have chronic issues. I don’t have money to buy him anything and he doesn’t want me to “waste” money on a present for him. He just wants German Chocolate cake. Me baking him his favorite cake for his birthday is supposed to make him forget all the stress and issues we go through, if omly for a few moments. He was happy that I tried but the dissapointment in his eyes is breaking my heart. Not to mention I spent over 70 dollars to get the best ingredients.
I read everything so It wouldn’t go dense or dry. I watched it like a hawk. The end result is too much liquid. The recipie says it’s supposed to be thin. It’s too thin.
He deserved better. I am in tears thinking of how I ruined the one thing I can do for his birthday.
I still don’t have a “go to” German Chocolate recipie. I don’t know where to find it. If someone has any information I’ll take it. I don’t have the money to make another one though. Just so I don’t mess up next year.😪
So sorry it didn’t turn out for you. Baked goods can be fickle and with all the positive reviews it’s hard to say for sure what went wrong for you. I’ve made this cake myself over a dozen times and it always comes out perfect. I hope your husband had a good day and I really hope you give the cake another try!
DI, quite apparently the recipe author excels not only at baking but also restraint. The subheading under which I ; unforced and using my own free will, share this reads ‘Comments’. To date I’ve been unsuccessful in locating an unpaid blog or site offering any member of the general public both 1) access to knowledge or information that,prior to the internet, required payment in order to obtain and 2) a designated area requesting or inviting said member(s) of the public the opportunity to share lengthy guilt trips and/or otherwise unproductive and unrelated statements of personal thoughts or opinions such as this one of which I take full responsibility for.
I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out correctly for you. This recipe knocked it out of the park for me. Perhaps if you go back and carefully read recipe again you may see what went wrong.
Please don’t be so hard on yourself. If you live at a higher altitude there are some changes you have to make.
Are you kidding? I haven’t made this recipe, but from the looks of it, it looks pretty solid. Reading your review, does not distract from the cake. It makes you pathetic. Of all things in life, you are whining and boo hooing over a cake. Poor you. Keep your victim mentality to yourself, no one cares.
Definitely a winner. I make this as outlined. With the butter cream it was too sweet. The chocolate cake sunk on me, but was delicious.
I tried another recipe but am coming back to this coconut pecan frosting of this one.
This time around I made a chocolate cake in a 1/2 sheet pan and adding this topping. It’s going to be delicious! Definitely better on the colder side.
Thank you for this easy to follow & delicious recipe. I’m not much of a baker or cake maker, but this came out perfect. Did add the extra flour as noted, as we are at 7000′ elevation. Wish I could post a photo because it came out nice. Everyone loved it.
Sooo delicious! And it’s super easy to make! You need this recipe! It is hands down the best German chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten.
I have made this cake for many many years. It’s very popular and folks really enjoy it.
Takes a while to get it made from start to finish but well worth it!!!
This recipe is AMAZING. Everybody gives me rave review. This cake recipe is the ONLY chocolate cake recipe and the chocolate buttercream frosting. I have never melted the butter though and make a 1 1/2 batch or I couldn’t decorate it. I prefer the coconut and pecan frosting to be made the night before as I bake the cake.
I make this recipe as a 9×13, regular and mini cupcakes. You won’t have leftovers. The best!!
does this recipe make one 9×13 or is it too much for it?
This recipe is SOOOOOOOO DELICIOUS! It’s my newest favorite chocolate cake recipe and more simple then it might seem.
Make sure to cool the frostings before you put them on the cake 🙂 I pulled a rookie move and put them on at room temp and the frosting slowly dripped off the cake… after sticking the whole thing in the fridge for a little everything was saved though- and SO YUM!
I would describe this cake as being a rich chocolate cake with german chocolate cake frosting. Other than the coconut/pecan frosting, does not taste like any german chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten. I followed the recipe and instructions exactly and didn’t have any of the issues others have described with batter/frosting being either too much or too little or being the wrong consistency.
Proportions for the chocolate frosting are way off. As listed, you’ll get dry kibble. I added an add’l 1/4 c melted butter, then milk using a stand mixer until I had something that could be spread.
With over 1,000 reviews, I’m guessing this is due to user error.
Maybe you forgot the evaporated milk? I dumped all my milk in and had to add more than 3 cups of sugar to get spreading consistency. But that was me misreading the recipe 🙂
This is the very first cake I’ve ever made from scratch! It was for my husband’s birthday and I was nervous about messing it up but it turned out beautifully and is sooooooo good!! Thank you for the easy to follow and detailed directions. This is a new family fave and I’ll be making it again!
Excellent cake…very moist and delicious! I usually make it in a 9×13 baking pan… I use a baker’s icing made with granulated sugar and add shredded coconut to the top. Family favorite!
So bummed. This did bit turn out for me. Looks nothing like the picture. Hope it tastes good.
Are there any tips I need to know if I leave the nuts out of the coconut frosting?
finely chop nuts then mix with the coconut frosting. Hope this helps you.
Just omit them. Honestly, I have to leave them out too and I don’t feel like it’s missing a thing. Wonderful cake.
Will this German Chocolate cake recipe work with all purpose gluten free flour?
Everything tastes great! One slight issue I ran into was my eggs cooking slightly when making the coconut frosting. Wasn’t a super big deal and I love how it turned out.
Me too but I figured it was my fault for failing to stir constantly as the recipe instructed. 😊
Whenever you are cooking eggs in a recipe like this, thoroughly mix the eggs and liquid and then slowly bring up the temp whole stirring. This will keep the eggs from cooking separately.
Easy and tasty coconut/pecan frosting recipe
Absolutely delicious!! Instead of egg yolks I did the full egg for the German chocolate topping.
We are Vegan and I want to make this for my husbands birthday.
I know I can sub flax seed for the eggs in the cake batter.
For the coconut/pecan frosting it calls for 3 egg yolks. Can I use soy lecithin in place of egg yolks? If so, can you tell me the measurement to use?
I convert a lot of desserts to vegan; but not sure when it calls for just egg yolks.
Thank you!
Thank you!
I am baking this German Cake as we speak for the son’s birthday. I am waiting for the layers to cool so that I can ice the cake. So far it looks and smells great! Thank you for the recipe.
I baked mine in 2 – 9″ pans. They overflowed and so much of the batter was on the bottom and racks of the oven. 🙁
I have no idea what I may have done wrong. I’ve never had this happen before and I’ve made cakes from scratch.
Couple of things – I did use an electric mixer to combine the dry and the wet. Is that an issue?
I didn’t have buttermilk, but I had powdered buttermilk. The recipe calls for one cup, so I followed the directions on the buttermilk container and used 3 tablespoons per 1 cup of water. I combined the dry buttermilk powder with the other dry ingredients.
Took WAY longer than 25-35 minutes at 375.. At 27 minutes, the edges were slightly done, and most of the middle was still liquid. I had to bake it another 30 minutes.
I double checked the rest of the ingredients, and they were measured as per the recipe. My eggs were at room temp.
Help? I’d really love this cake to come out right!
Im thinking you should have actually made the buttermilk with the powder & water, and then measured the completely made buttermilk according to what the recipe calls for. Also when mixing put the freshly made buttermilk in with the liquids.
As for the timing, Im not sure. I baked mine for 25 mins and it was still wet inside. I put it back in for 5 mins and it was almost overbaked. I bet it had everything to do with not using liquid butermilk.
Not sure if someone has asked already.. but for the chocolate frosting is it salted or unsalted butter or it doesn’t matter?…
You can use either (you wont really notice a difference!)
Ive been cake decorating 40+ yrs & I like to use salted butter to help cut the sweetness.
This cake was so moist and the chocolate flavor was amazing. The only thing was the coconut pecan frosting need to double the batch but also yummy
I made this German Chocolate cake for my husband it’s his favorite. I used all fresh ingredients and followed the recipe exactly how it was written. It takes a while but it is worth the time. My husband has raved to everyone about how great this cake was and he refused to share even one piece. Thumbs up for this wonderful cake. 👍
Sorry, that’s not German chocolate cake.
lol?
German Chocolate cake is a layered cake with pecan-coconut frosting. Obviously, any cake made in Germany could be referred as German, but obviously this is a recipe for people NOT in Germany. Why do I know this? The website is in English. So I think referring to it as German Chocolate Cake is being used to narrowly define something.
With that said, what is German Chocolate Cake?
A layered chocolate cake with pecan-coconut frosting. That’s it.
This recipe hits all of those checkboxes.
So I’m sorry to tell you , but this is most definitely a German Chocolate Cake.
Just an FYI for anyone reading the comments (not a slam to yours)
-German chocolate cake is made of sweet chocolate, while regular chocolate cake contains unsweetened chocolate.
-Regular chocolate cake contains one or two fewer eggs than German chocolate cake. That is why the latter’s texture is fluffier than the texture of the former.
-German chocolate cake is made of cake flour which contributes to the cake’s fluffiness. Regular cake uses all-purpose flour.
Hope this helps 🙂
Can this be made in a loaf pan?
Heidi, I believe you are referring to a chocolate cake which was developed by a Baker whose last name was “German” working for the company Bakers Chocolate, which was introducing a new product, “Bakers Sweet Chocolate”. The confusion started when the company published Mr. German’s recipe which had a coconut pecan frosting on their packaging, calling it “German’s Sweet Chocolate Cake”! Germany, the Country, had nothing to do with the name. Soon the apostrophe (‘s) and the word Sweet were dropped, but the frosting remained. Basically, the cake is usually a lighter redish brown, the color is a reaction of the chocolate or cocoa, the buttermilk and the baking soda combining and producing a chemical reaction. Think about the red velvet cake. Yumm
🙄
I’ve been looking for a new German chocolate cake recipe for Easter and this looks perfect! If I make and assemble the cake the night before, does it need to be refrigerated overnight or can it be left at room temperature (in an enclosed cake carrier)?
Store it covered in the refrigerator!
I have made this cake 2x and did not change a thing! Everyone loved it…. individuals can’t believe I am a new baker. Thank you for sharing.
Will the coconut frosting thicken as it cools? I a afraid I may not have cooked it long enough before adding the coconut and pecans.
Yes, it will thicken as it cools.
Can you substitute anything for the buttermilk? Just curious because I don’t have any and wanted to make this now, but if it’ll make or break it I’ll hold off. Lol thanks
You can use regular milk, or dairy free milk.
You can! Use 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice (or white vinegar) to a 1 cup measuring cup and fill it with milk the rest of the way. Buttermilk is acidic, so you must have some kind of acid added to your milk in order to make the leavening (baking powder and soda) rise correctly.
You can also make buttermilk substitute with one cup milk to three tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar, stir and let sit for a few minutes until it thickens.
This cake was amazing! My cake did not turn out as pretty as your picture but it was delicious. I think I will use the recipe for the chocolate cake any time I bake a cake. It was so moist. The frostings were easy and delicious. Perfect cake for a chocolate lover. My son works in a bakery and said this cake was so much better than the ones he makes.
is it ok to use a bundt pan for this recipe? jus for aesthetic i wanted to use a bundt pan so just curious
Sure!! It will be so pretty 🙂
The recipe was super easy to follow and the finished product made me feel like a professional!
The recipe was super easy to follow and the finished product made me feel like a professional!
This was so easy and soooo delicious!!!
Hello, can you please confirm the flour measurement for the cake batter? It has 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour. Is that 1 cup + 3/4 cups?
Yes 1 cup + 3/4 cups
I definitely think this recipe is too much batter for 8″ rounds, other than that, it’s a great recipe!
WOW! The best chocolate/German choc cake. My entire family even my two little children LOVED this cake. I followed everything exactly and it was perfection. Putting this in my recipe box!! Thank you and keep posting new ones!!
I am a home baker and try different recipes. This is one of the best chocolate cake recipes ever. It is moist and light. Both icing and topping are perfect. The best part is it’s easy if you follow the instructions. I didn’t change anything and it came out perfect. Everyone said it is the best cake they’ve had.
My first cake from scratch and it was a big hit! Better than a mix, better than store bought and it’s not that difficult! I did get ahead of myself and ruin my first attempt at the coconut frosting (chunks of cooked yolk) but the second try was right on.
Seriously amazing cake! I added extra coconut but aside from that I didn’t change a thing. Cake is so moist. I will use that cake recipe going forward for sure.
I love this recipe and make it about every other month. The only thing I change is I substitute the pecans for steel cut oats because my son is allergic to nuts. The oats have a nutty flavor and a crunch so you can’t tell much of a difference.
What a great cake recipe. Follow it to the tee and nothing will go wrong. I did three 8 inch cake pans. Cooked them for 25 minutes. Do not flour the pans only grease them And put in the parchment paper. I made it for my daughter‘s birthday and everyone raved that it was the best German chocolate cake they had ever had.
OMG I have experienced German chocolate cake Nirvana the emporic feeling of tantalizing my taste 😋 buds.. just one bite with the most amazing German chocolate cake that I have ever had. This recipe produced by far the best and will be the only, recipe I will follow for birthday German chocolate cake.
This cake was made by my bestest friend for my birthday 🥰
Excellent recipe!!! Very moist cake! Chocolate buttercream icing was also amazing! Thanks so much. 😊
This is the perfect German Chocolate Cake recipe! Do not change or add anything. Make it exactly as instructed, it’s spot on every time.
Without a doubt the best cake!
My cake turned out delicious. I doubled the coconut pecan frosting since I wanted to cover the whole cake in it. For some reason my frosting separated after cooking and the butter seeped out and frosting was dry and gritty. I wish there was more instruction as to how long to cook or how thick the frosting should get while cooking. Overall, it was still really good, just wish I got the right texture in the frosting.
The frosting will do that if the eggs are not room temperature and also make sure you stir all of the ingredients BEFORE you turn on the heat for the German frosting. I learned the hard way. Take two came out perfect lol
This looks amazing but I cant see anywhere to convert this recipe into Metric – can you help?
Really want to try this!
First time making this cake for my dads birthday, he said it was the best German chocolate cake he has ever had (and he’s had a lot!). It was amazing!!
I have now made this cake twice and was pleased both times. It’s made to be shared. Now I’m sharing the recipe!
This cake is truly delicious!
This was my first attempt at a homemade cake. It was a complete success! Looked and tasted amazing. I followed the recipe exactly as instructed.
I had not baked a cake in about 20 years! This recipe is so easy to put together. I’ve now made it about 6 times with no fails and my family and friends love it every time. I highly recommend this and now I’m known for my delicious German Chocolate Cake!
Absolutely delicious! I made this recipe as large cupcakes for my son in law’s birthday. He loved them!!! SO delicious! The cake is moist and chocolatey!
I will definitely be making this again.
Not the greatest frosting, sorry.
This is an excellent cake recipe!
I have made it at least a dozen times over the past year. It is so good.
Thank you
Will this recipe work for cupcakes?
Yep! There’s a post for that too https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
Best cake ever!
My mother can no longer eat nuts (diverticulitis) and she had mentioned missing German chocolate cake. So for her birthday made your recipe but added more coconut and left the nuts out. It is delicious. I had some extra topping that I am going to heat up and serve over ice cream.
Thanks!
Want to make soon, looks yummy ,thank you !!!!donna graham
My family and friends love this cake. I receive multiple requests to make it. Thank you for a delicious recipe!
I don’t usually bake birthday cakes, but wanted to do something special for my fiancé. The excellent reviews persuaded me to try it out. Followed the recipe exactly as is. Froze the layers 2 days before frosting, which helped tremendously. The cake looked good (I don’t have all the fancy decorating tools) and tasted wonderful! Will definitely make again. Thank you!
One of the best cakes I’ve made. Great recipe. Came out tender and moist, without being too sweet.
Flat-out the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. I am going to try reducing sugar on the next one – judiciously- because this is a lot of sugar. It doesn’t need the frostings at all – they actually make it super sweet and heavy. Alternatives: real whipped cream with vanilla; chocolate cream cheese; or a coffee whipped cream. I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa for the cake and that gave it a little extra something. Oil AND flour the pans, then wait 10 minutes instead of 5 before inverting. This is a moist cake and it sunk a bit into the cooling racks. Absolutely splendid flavor and texture.
Showstopper GCC recipe, period!
Follow instructions. Thank you for sharing.
This cake is the best cake I have ever had! It’s funny how people leave comments about the cake not turning out right or not tasting good, obviously they made it wrong! If you follow this recipe exactly it’s going to be perfection!
I’m confused as to what I did wrong with the coconut frosting. The consistency of the mixture in the pan looked right, but then when I added 1 full cup of pecans and 1 full cup of coconut, the ratio of wet to dry ingredients seemed way off, and it turned out super dry – like a praline crunch… it didn’t look anything like the picture. I re-read the recipe several times and I don’t think I made any mistakes… Any ideas what I did wrong?
That sounds like you cooked the frosting too long before adding the pecans and coconut. So sorry that happened!
Hello ! Should the evaporated milk be sweetened ? I’m french so … dont know 🤷🏻♀️
Can should say evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk
No, my friend. Do not sweeten the evaporated milk. This cake has abundant sugar content already.
I want to start off by saying that the pecan topping is the bomb (soo good)! The cake and chocolate frosting both taste good, but I think it was too much chocolate frosting. The next time I make this, I would definitely use less chocolate frosting and more of the pecan topping. Overall, pretty easy to make and tasty.
Oh my, this was sooooo good! 🤤I made this for my brother’s birthday and it was a hit. I did tweak a couple of things- I used Hershey’s dark cocao powder in the cake (brother’s preference) and coffee instead of water. With the frosting I toasted the coconut flakes and the pecans. It really made the cake over the top, thank you!
Made the cake layers exactly as instructed and have moist cake strips around sides and yet the cake is cracking and runny in the middle. I’m not too hopefully at the moment. Very disappointing. By the way, I bake a lot and am good at it.
Wow, I’ve been baking for 35 years. This is one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. And I don’t even like German chocolate cake😆! Made it for work. And even the food critics were impressed! Try it. Just as written. It will not disappoint! Perfect balance between fluffy and ole timey dense texture. Rich chocolate flavor. Not too sweet. Buttery goodness in coconut mixture. Thanks so much for sharing. It’s going into my recipe notebook! Next for my father in laws bday!
something seems off and I think it’s too much baking soda or baking powder. I taste it. So sad. It was a lot of work
Followed the recipe to a T, had 2 8 inch pans and it was WAYYYY too much batter. You’d be better off with 3 pans if you’re trying with an 8 inch. Otherwise tastes alright. Really hotboxed my apartment though..
I have an odd question. My husband wants German Chocolate cake for his 40th birthday. He doesn’t like flaked coconut, it’s a texture thing. What can I substitute the flaked coconut with?
Is this cake really moist? I don’t want to bake a cake for a party and have it delicious but dry.
Oh my, this cake has so much goodness in it. This cake was very moist and delicious. No, it’s not a dry cake at all. If your brother requests it twice, it’s gotta be the Best cake ever! Thank you for sharing!!
I made this for my mother in law,
For her birthday last year .She said it was the best shes ever ate .,so I’m making it again for here 91st birthday !🎂🎈
Thank you for such detailed recipe,I’m a beginner baker,you made it so easy!! And freezing this cake makes it even mister. Anybody making this cake should freeze it before decorating, it makes a huge difference!! Thanks
Does the complete cake need to be refrigerated or can it be left at room temperature?
Ashley, it’s a moist cake so I would keep iit n the fridge or in an ice chest on a bed of ice. Otherwise, it could be at risk for mold. On the other hand, it’s so good that it’s likely to be eaten up quickly. I kept mine on the washing in a cold garage (about 42 degrees) for a couple of days and it was fine.
I made this for my brother’s 55th birthday and he was so amazed at its goodness.
I was amazed of how stinking easy it was to make..I will definitely be making this on a regular basis.❤
Best cake ever Thank you so much for sharing
This is our favorite German Chocolate cake recipe! Everyone asks for it over and over.
Best German chocolate cake recipe I’ve ever used and only one I’ll ever use from now on. Thanks so much!!!
Me and my family love this cake😊😊
Way too much batter. Huge mess in oven. Coconut pecan topping just tastes like evaporated milk. Waste of time and ingredients.
Wow. I am so sorry to hear this. Something went very wrong here. I am very happy with the recipe and results.
Nice and moist
Very delicious
The recipe I usually use always came out dry
I was just wondering this looks a lot like the chocolate cake recipe I use. Can I use coffe instead of the water for the cake or does that throw it off? Thank you!
Yes, you can use coffee. Enjoy.
Deeeliiiciousss! Moist and creamy icings made it scrumptious! I already have a request to make another one!
Hubby’s favorite cake is German Chocolate, so for his birthday each year I’ll get a German Chocolate cake from a different bakery. This year I decided to bake it myself and used this recipe – he loved it and said I’m not allowed to get the bakery cakes anymore lol.
Cake came out rich and moist and that coconut frosting is AMAZING!
I appreciated the make-ahead tips – I made the cake layers the day before and it came out great!
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!! Made it today for hubby’s birthday! It’s his favorite. Rich and delicious and east to follow recipe!
Do you do a crumb coat before applying frosting
You can if you want!
Made this cake for my father-in-law’s Christmas Birthday. Was a beautiful, delicious centerpiece of perfection! Thank you for an excellent keeper of a recipe!
Perfect German Chocolate cake!
It was my first time making GCC from scratch and this was a home run! Best cake I’ve ever made.
The cake and everything is delicious! I’ve made my coconut icing and it’s a little to thin and I want to thickin it up some. What would you add?
Why did my cakes sink in the middle both times I attempted this recipe??
A sunken cake is usually a sign that it is undercooked. Add a few minutes to cook time and check with a toothpick.
Loved this recipe. Taking it to a get together tonight. Let’s see how it goes. I’m sure it will be a big hit.
Can you bake it in a 9×13 (1 layer)?
I’ve made this cake a couple of times and my family loves it. I keep the ingredients handy so that I’m prepared for when someone requests it. Not only is it good, it’s a pretty cake too.
Just made this cake for my husband for his birthday. Everything turned out just as it should and he said it was the best cake ever!! So impressed with this easy to follow recipe!
This is by far the most delicious cake I have ever made and I’ve made my share! I omitted the chocolate icing and continued with the Coconut pecan frosting….I would give this cake 10 ⭐️ stars….my forever favorite 💕
This was seriously amazing! My entire family loved it. Way better than the premade stuff.
Never tried German chocolate cake but I do love chocolate and this cake was rich. Absolutely love and would make again.
Best chocolate cake ever! So moist and delicious. Everything turned out perfectly. Very rich so some vanilla icecream or milk is a perfect pairing.
Best German chocolate cake EVER! I like how she used a chocolate cake instead of the traditional lighter chocolate cake. Way more flavorful and soooo moist. I also like the addition of the thin layer of frosting to finish off the sides. The coconut/pecan frosting was delicious. It got rave reviews from everyone, including my 82 year old Dad, whose birthday we were celebrating. Will definitely save this recipe as it is a “must do again”
This cake was so easy and a BIG hit at the birthday party I made it for. It was really the best German Chocolate Cake I’ve ever had. I actually had a woman offer to pay me to make it for her for Thanksgiving!
What butter do you recommend for the icing recipes?
GCC is my husband’s favorite cake, and I’ve never made it from scratch, ever. Found this recipe and decided that for his birthday this year I want to make this. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. Cake is in the oven now *crossing fingers I didn’t screw anything up* .. wish me luck! If it doesn’t work out, I’ll have to get a cake somewhere, but I’m really hoping I won’t have to. =)
Just to update- it was a success!! Husband loves the cake! We enjoyed it, it was moist and flavors for the frosting were perfect. Thank you very much for this recipe! I’m going to keep this recipe for whenever hubby requests for GCC
Hi. I finally made this cake, frosted it, and presented it to my dad and family for his 76th bday. They all loved it!! I cooked one layer a little over, but it was still great. Between finding this recipe, figuring out the shopping list, going to the store, standing by the ingredients wondering if I am going to be able to do this, to finally baking the 2-9″ layers, took me about 3 hours. LOL! I have one question, why the boiling water? I was worried it would scramble the eggs and really make the buttermilk curl up and die in an disgusting mess. Thank you very much!
Vicky
The boiling water is used to “bloom” the cocoa and bring out more flavor!
I was looking for a delicious German chocolate cake for my dad’s birthday and I found it! The cake had such a good texture and was so moist. The chocolate icing was delicious too. Will definitely make this cake again.
So excited to find this recipe! I’ll be baking it this week for my preachers wife’s birthday!
This was delicious! I thought the chocolate frosting and coconut filling would make it too sweet, but it was perfect! One of the best cakes we’ve ever had.
Amazing cake! My mom loves German chocolate cake, and I’ve always searched stores to find one. Well I decided to make one from scratch for her, and this recipe was the one I used. It was such a huge hit! Thank you so much for your detailed instructions and video!
Great recipe. Seriously one of the best textured moist cakes ever. Delicious.
This cake- particularly the frostings- came out WONDERFUL! And I’m not a big chocolate cake lover. Tip though: roast the pecans and coconut; use a little less powdered sugar in the chocolate frosting to taste the chocolate more- makes a big difference! Also, could the oil in the cake batter recipe be changed out for room temp butter?
I find the oil makes for a moister cake. Don’t know why.
Followed this recipe down to the “expert tips”. One of the best German chocolate cakes I’ve ever had. I love the dark deep color and flavor of the cake…it’s all absolutely delish! My picky 11 year old said she had a new favorite cake!
Hi I made this cake and it was amazing!!! I was wondering if I wanted to use the cake recipe to make cupcakes how long should I bake it? Thank you I’m advance
Here’s my cupcake adaptation: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
This cake was absolutely delicious. It was impossible to resist and I kept going back for more.
This is absolutely the best cake ever! From the frostings to the cake, the best! I have made it several times and it will definitely be my go to cake for every special occasion. Thank you for sharing.
I just made this cake for my son’s birthday and it was excellent. The cake is so moist and rich, and I am addicted to the german chocolate frosting.
This cake turned out amazing. My husband requested I make it for the holiday and everyone raved about how amazing it was. Thank you for an amazing receipe!!
Could you replace the boiling water with coffee? My favorite chocolate cake uses strong coffee!
Yes, of course!
Can I have a substitution for evaporated milk?
Regular milk, or dairy free will all work.
If I am baking the cake today and frosting it tomorrow how would you recommend storing the two cake halves? I never know if they should go in the fridge or if that will dry them out.
All that matters is that you wrap them really well! They can be at room temperature (I prefer to refrigerate them!)
Hiii just finished baking it! If I ice them tomorrow, should I put the icing in the fridge along with the wrapped up cakes or leave the icing out?
Thank you!
Can’t wait to try it
I’d refrigerate the icing, and it remove it from the fridge 1-2 hours before assembly to let it come to room temperature.
This was so good…definitely one of the best cakes I have ever made!
My first German Chocolate Cake- for a friend’s birthday – and this recipe helped me nail it. Thank you.
Delicious! I really enjoyed making this and everyone enjoyed the cake very much! Thank you so much for the fantastic recipe!
I made this today for my sons birthday. I got rave reviews from family and friends. Thank you for sharing this.
Wonderful recipe, I am curious who has the kind of willpower to keep this frosting in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. I have never met such a person and I have been making this kind of cake every year for my dad’s birthday for 30 years.
This is the best cake EVER! I have made it several times and each and every time I get nothing but rave reviews! Everyone LOVES this cake saying it’s the best German chocolate cake they’ve ever had!
My husband asked for a German chocolate cake for his birthday this year. I had never made one before and tried this recipe. It is INCREDIBLE! Thank you very much for sharing! It’s definitely a keeper!
This was delicious!! Soooooo moist. Perfect!
I made this recipe for my Father-in-law for his 79th birthday. It was superb! Honestly the best German Chocolate Cake I have ever had, everyone loved it.
My second cake I ever made from scratch. This recipe may be one of the best cakes I’ve ever eater. Mine looks nothing like ur work of art, but I’m more of a taste over presentation. I also cook my cakes on the crock pot too- takes like 2-3 hours but once you use the pot, u kinda get addicted to the taste- so moist. I used parchment paper, then cut off the edges to me look uniform then made little brownie cookies with both frosting, the perimeter tastes just like end cut of brownie- so good.
This recipe is a keeper. 5 stars probably an under-estimate here.
Thank you for this recipe, it’s now one of my family’s favourites!!!
Yes! I tried this recipe last night. I used deep 9 inch round pans, so I tripled the original recipe. It came out perfect. It is a tall cake, too tall for my cake holder, but it will not be there long. Everyone loved it. Thank you for making it so easy to bake from scratch!
This was my first attempt at this cake. I substituted with Trader Joe’s GF all-purpose flour for our dietary needs, but did everything as instructed otherwise! It was moist and delicious! Thanks for this perfect recipe!
I made this cake for my stepdad’s birthday and he let us all have one piece, then he took all the rest home. He said it was an outstanding cake and all of us absolutely loved it. The best cake ever!!
I made this cake for my stepdad’s birthday and he let us all have one piece, then he took all the rest home. He said it was an outstanding cake and all of us absolutely loved it. The best cake ever!!
I made this for my boyfriends birthday party and everyone loved it. My bf doesn’t even like cake and now I am making another one because he was sad that he didn’t get another slice.
Can I use instant coffee in the frosting? 😳
And if I can how much?
Thanks ☺️🌷
Awesome cake. Copy to the detailed instruction and it came out so good.
Can I use boiling hot coffee instead of water?
Yes, for sure!
absolutely delicious!!!
Has anyone tried cupcakes instead of a cake?
Yes, here’s the recipe adapted for cupcakes: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
Yes I use the exact same recipe as above! I just use cupcake tins instead! And of course change the cooking time.
This is without a doubt the best cake I have ever tasted. It is rich, moist and not overly sweet.
This cake was phenomenal. I made it gluten and dairy free by substituting a 1:1 gluten free flour and using canned coconut milk and vegan butter instead of buttermilk, evaporated milk, and butter. No one could tell it was GF or DF. YUM!!! Thank you!
I substituted unsweetened chocolate for cocoa. Best German chocolate cake I’ve ever made.
Just made your German chocolate cake for a family event tonight. I have made plenty of German Chocolate cakes but never used brown sugar in the frosting. What a great additional ingredient that made the cake and frosting superb. Thanks so much! Outstanding!
Oh my goodness! I made this for my husband’s birthday, and it was lip-smacking delicious! He absolutely loved it! The directions were spot on. The way you organized the list of ingredients and guided through the preparation was amazing! So well thought out and organized! I love to bake and this recipe is definitely a keeper! Instead of using cake pans, I used a 13×9(?) Pyrex dish, and baked it for about 35-40 minutes. I buttered the Pyrex dish, then buttered parchment paper lining the dish. Easy peasy. Thank you for this wonderful and delicious recipe! Can’t wait to pick out the next selection from your array of goodies. Yummy😋 ! Again, thank you!
Thank you Lauren for sharing your recipe “German Chocolate Cake” ..I just baked it today and the result? Is very amazing and very delicious..God bless you😊
Amazing cake! I couldn’t believe how perfect it came out! Thank you.
Ok today I’ve attempted to make this cake twice and both times my cake sunk in the middle? I’m not sure what is going on???
There are many factors that could play a role but I would recommend adding a couple tablespoons more flour and be sure not to open the oven at all while cooking!
I have never really made cakes from scratch, 95 percent of time used cake mixes , however this past year I come across a homemade caramel cake and was looking for a special cake to make for my oldest Daughter for her 40th .And we all know homemade is beyond Special. So good old Mom that has many health issues and has to sit when cooking and baking gave it a shot. It was awesome! Took me about 4 to 6 hours to finish it but was well worth it! So when the newest granddaughters birthday came in July, I decided since she was expecting my first Great Grandchild she needed a special cake to! Her favorite is and yes it’s German chocolate cake,so on line I went to find the best ever German Chocolate Cake! Oh my Loved it more than the Carmel cake. This one took me about 4 hours, however I am very slow nodays. It was worth every minute of it! Just so rich and chocolately and oh the frosting yum yummy 😋. I only got a small piece of that one, so I am back for a second time ,to make and share with my family here at home!
Best German Chocolate Cake I ever eaten!
Combine ingredients for German Chocolate frosting well before heating, otherwise you will have little clumps of cooked egg to fish out of the frosting.
Right!!! lol this only happened to me once, but cripes was it irritating !
This!!!!
I fished out the little albumin bits before heating with a small measuring cup.
PS BEST CAKE RECIPE EVER
The grandkids loved it.
Been going back to your recipe for years to make my dad this cake for his birthday every year. thank you so much! it’s become a tradition!
loved it! wished i had a better measurement of topping it ran over and down a bit but it was so decadent
it didnt matter everyone loved it.
Best German chocolate cake I’ve ever made
If I double the recipe for the German chocolate frosting will it turn out right? I want enough to cover the whole cake, not just the top.
Yes, that’s fine!
If I want to make this cake on Christmas eve for Christmas day should I assemble it and put in the refrigerator or leave out in covered cake dish? Thanks so excited to try this receipe!
I would cover and refrigerate it.
I would give this fantastically delicious, wonderfully coconutty, and sinfully moist, DECADENT cake 15 STARS if I could.
I always hatted my mom and mother in laws German chocolate cake made with the bakers chocolate. It was very dry and not a good chocolate flavor to me. The frosting was the only thing I liked. This is similar to another chocolate cake I love which is very good!!
Just finished baking and it smells great. I may have mixed the coconut frosting wrong or something because it’s kind of watery still. The chocolate frosting come out great. I didn’t grease my pan enough so the cake stuck a small amount. Other than my own mistakes I believe I did great for my first time making anything from scratch. This recipe is amazing. Thank you for such an easy to read bake. As a beginner I was confused at the 1-3/4 flour since it’s the only measurement with a dash. I ended up asking someone and they said it’s just a typo to add it altogether.
I’m making this recipe for my Son-in-Law’s Birthday! The cakes are baking now, and my entire house smells wonderful! Can’t wait to taste them!!
This is not German’s chocolate cake. The chocolate was named from a baker, not the country. If you don’t use German’s chocolate from Bakers than its not right! No cocoa powder…
I’m so glad someone else know’s how German Chocolate Cake got it’s name. I was just going to say the same thing until I saw your post. People need to research before they speak. Love it!
Recipes have been created, adapted, and evolved since we started passing them down. Every recipe is made differently for every person. No need to gatekeep German Chocolate Cake, ‘historically authentic’ is honestly irrelevant to being able to make and enjoy this or any recipe.
This was my 1st attempt at a German chocolate Cake . It’s my husbands favorite and I wanted it to be perfect . I tweaked the recipe (only slightly) to make it my own and it was a hit ! My reservation about trying this was bc of chocolate cakes reputation to have a tendency to be dry . This recipe did not disappoint !
Very moist, the family enjoyed it. Used grapeseed oil instead of vegetable oil. Also used lemon juice and milk to make the butter milk.
I finally made German Chocolate Cake from scratch, this recipe was amazing! Best my family and I have ever had.
SOOOO glad I found this recipe. The cake is so moist that it’s like a pudding cake. The two frostings make all the difference to me.
Excellent recipe. Everyone loved it. Mine didn’t turn out as beautiful as the picture but I will be making it again! Thank you!
AMAZING!!! Easy recipe. Tastes incredible.
Turned out so good!
By far the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made! So yummy and easy to make. Thank you!
I made this for my boyfriend and his family and they absolutely loved it. My boyfriend doesn’t like coconut but said this was the best cake I’ve made so far (the pecan frosting itself is so good he wasn’t overpowered by the coconut in it) They actually requested it again for this weekend! The only change I made was I used Hershey’s Chocolate Frosting recipe instead, because I didn’t like the flavor of the frosting with the evaporated milk, but that’s a personal preference.
Delicious chocolate cake with German Chocolate Frosting. I cut the recipe in half and put in two small round cakepans. I was able to give away one to a sick friend and the other was for my husbands birthday (just the two of us). Thanks for the recipe.
This cake was amazing. Warm and moist and delicious
Perfect gift for my cousin’s birthday. Easy, great recipe explanations. Nothing left to chance.
Not a true German Chocolate cake. Family was disappointed. It was a dark chocolate cake with the pecan frosting. I didn’t bother to make the chocolate cream frosting which is also not traditional German chocolate cake.
This is my son favorite cake even at 48 years old. So We had a bbq and I surorised him with his favorite made from this recipe. Well everyone was blow away ! The cake was so tasty and moist and the frosting we both the best anyone said they had. I was surprise that it’s wasn’t that hard to make and taste devine over box and ready store icing.Thank you for making me super baker of the day and my son cake so special it came just like the picture. Oh I did bake in one 9″ cheesecake pan then half the cake into two layers. Should have taken a picture darn!
So, this tastes great. With all the positive reviews I assumed this would be a fairly straightforward recipe. But somehow, I ended up with cakes that were TOO moist and fell apart causing my cake to just be a puddle of cake bits. Again, tastes great, but I’m not sure why it all fell apart. I followed the recipe exactly.
The same thing happened to mine 🙁
I did a marvel themed cake so my red vanilla frosting covered the mess but I am so so sad that is fell apart with with chocolate icing.
One of the best chocolate cake recipes hands down. My family loved it.
wonderful
I made this for my mom’s birthday and she says it is the best chocolate cake she’s ever had. 5 stars for the rave review! I’d love if weights were provided in the instructions. I converted the cup measurements to grams, which I think helped replicate what you made. The cake was moist and flavorful, with a tender crumb. Very yummy!!
This is my son favorite cake so I give everyone a real treat by making from scratch.The coconut pecan icing was excellant .Cake was moist and rich .The chocolate layer then coconut pecan on top was an excellant idea. Very one enjoyed.
I will never use anything but this recipe for chocolate cake ever again! Everyone loves this cake, including those that are not really cake fans. I’ve made this a few times and there is never even a crumb left. Making another one as I write this. Definitely a keeper! Thanks for the fantastic recipe.
I made this cake and added chocolate chips to the cake portion and had everyone who ate it proclaim it the beat cake they had ever eaten. I am in compete agreement. This is what cake is supposed to be. Not sweet air bread with frosting like a box cake. Lol LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS CAKE!
Amazing cake !!! I’ll be using this recipe for for a chocolate cake with out the filling. I made a double recipe of the filling for a party next week to make German Chocolate sundaes !!!!!Thank you for this recipe !
Delicious…. the only change I made is I used 1 cup of espresso instead of boiling water!
I previously gave this cake 3 stars because I thought it was too dense and too sweet and the center didn’t rise. I ended up giving half of the cake to my sister and the other half to my Sister-in-law my brother and their grandkids. I have been informed by them all that the cake was moist and delicious! Evidently my opinion was not the majority. So if you love dark chocolate, dense, sweet German chocolate cake, this just might be for you.
This German chocolate cake recipe is a-maz-ing!
The cake is so chocolatey and moist, the coconut caramel frosting is the perfect balance of coconut and pecan, and the chocolate frosting is one of the best I’ve ever had!
Only thing I’ll do different next time is grease AND flour the cake pans. Also, I increased the powdered sugar to 3 1/4c. which made the frosting a just-right consistency.
Thank you for sharing such a fantastic recipe!
Easy and deeeelicious.
Can I use cake flour instead of flour?
Can this be made into cupcakes?
Yes–here’s the adapted recipe: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
I made this for my anniversary and it was a hit!! I made it again for a friend and he said it was the best cake he ever had, better than his mother’s (and her ghost might haunt me for outdoing her cake).
Delicious but super rich!! I did everything per the recipe, except I used dark cocoa and did not refrigerate or freeze overnight…everything else was per the directions … I think If i had refrigerated everything after making it it would’ve been better….I assembled after everything was cooled but it was still too warm. The cake was super moist and when I cut in, it was so soft that it didn’t hold up. And the chocolate frosting ran…maybe adding more sugar…I think it was too warm.
I am certain it was my fault and not the recipe…next time I will refrigerate and freeze over night…the taste of German chocolate cake was amazing, but super rich!
My Nephew requested German Chocolate cake for his Birthday April 27/21. I made it the day before. My nephew said it was the best tasting cake he ever had. Easy recipe to follow. Only one question, it called for evaporated milk so I use Carnation evaporated milk. Was this the correct evaporated milk to use??
It shouldn’t matter the brand. Evaporated milk is evaporated milk.
Made this last week for my wife’s birthday. The whole family absolutely loved it – wouldn’t change a thing about it, thank you!
Super interesting process, I’ve never made a cake like this before. But if you follow the instructions, you’ll end up with delicious results. I’d definitely make this recipe again!
This recipe was AMAZING!!! My husband requested a German chocolate cake for his birthday and it was a hit!!! Thank you💕
So delicious! My daughter and I made this cake for my mom’s birthday (German chocolate is her favorite) and it was a showstopper! We followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Does this cake need to be refrigerated, afterward, or is it okay to leave out in a covered container?
Wow! this recipe was right on. I made this cake exactly to the letter and the results was great. I did all of it on the day of my daughter’s birthday and she loved it. She also told me I needed to keep this recipe and “Dad don’t lose it”! So its a keeper thank you for sharing, Robert.
it was awesome
This cake was 10/10 with my family. My husband doesn’t like chocolate cake, but he couldn’t stop eating it. I’m making it again today for our family gathering.
I was so disappointed. I followed the recipe step-by-step and at 35 minutes my 9 inch round cake pans came out with a middle completely caved in, not just a little, a lot. I probably will never try this particular recipe again because it was for a birthday cake for my friend. I don’t know what happened. Maybe it was just too watery or needed to cook longer. At 35 minutes when I opened the oven door the middle of both was completely caved in. Good luck to everyone else as they seem to be satisfied.
These can all lead to middle sinking
Incorrect oven temperature
Under baking the cake
Expired baking powder
Too much baking powder or baking soda
Incorrect measurement of ingredients
Opening the oven door too early
Closing the oven door too sharply
Overbeating the batter in the last stage
Mixing the ingredients in the wrong order
Incorrect moisture levels
Incorrect pan size
Cooling the cake too quickly
Batter sitting too long before baking
I’ve made this cake twice now and it’s come out perfect. It’s surprisingly even to make and I didn’t even use a hand mixer or stand mixer. I wouldn’t change a thing to the recipe. It’s perfect and delicious!
Looks delish and plan to make! Should this be refrigerated? Wondering if I can make it tonight and enjoy tomorrow or if I should just frost in the AM. Would it need to be refrigerated after eating some bc of the buttermilk in icing?
Refer to the make-ahead instructions in the post.
I’ve made this twice already and it’s seriously the best chocolate cake I’ve had. The chocolate frosting is delicious and the German chocolate frosting is divine! The cake is perfectly moist with a soft yet sturdy texture. The first time I made it I split the batter into four 6inch pans and make two smaller cakes. I use the cake recipe for cupcakes (baked at 350 for 19 min) and they turned out perfect! I used vanilla butter cream to frost these.
I’m not sure how the batter turned out so thick for others. It’s definitely a thin batter. Maybe the missed the boiling water? Or the water wasn’t hot enough? I didn’t run into this problem.
My husband wanted a German chocolate cake for his birthday (today!) and this recipe looked the most promising. I wanted to leave a comment to let you know that this cake is an absolute stunner! I made both icings two days ago so they would be ready to go, and baked the cake today. Can I just say how delicious the coconut icing is? My cake batter came out very thin, so I was grateful for the warning. The only change I made was to substitute a cup of coffee from my Bialetti for the boiling water, which is what I usually do with chocolate cakes (I see another person has commented similarly). This was my first German chocolate cake and I am so pleased with how this turned out. It’s a favorite recipe already. Thanks for sharing it!
Best German Chocolate Cake I’ve made. Moist, not too sweet, just right!!
This is almost a copy of my recipe, but I use a cup of coffee instead of the cup of boiling water (I do heat it to a high temperature in the microwave). The coffee enhances the chocolate in the cake, I bake this for our church dinners, and always have rave reviews from everyone.
I would like to make this a 3 tier cake in 9” pans…would I double the recipe??
Yes, you’ll likely have a little extra.
The recipe says the cake batter should be very thin- but mine was VERY thick. It actually reminded me of brownie batter . I am making this for my grandma‘s birthday and I really don’t wanna mess up did anybody else have this problem?
Mine was the consistency of brownie batter as well but came out great anyway!!
This is the best recipe that I have ever made . The cake is moist . The icing ratios are spot on . I doubled the icing recipe because I thought it would be like most recipes—not enough . I didn’t need to do that . The 5 star reviews are well earned ! Must make Recipe
I made this cake for my dad’s 61st Birthday. The recipe was easy to follow and my three older sisters and dad were psyched when I pulled it out. Nothing is quite like the validation of a 61-year-old man freaking out about his own birthday cake. When cooking really try and get it out before it drys, when it is cooked properly, the texture and flavor are awesome. The icings were great too(really slather on the chocolate one)!
Highly recommend this recipe, Thanks for sharing!
This is the best German chocolate cake I’ve ever had. I will never buy one again. Thank you for this great recipe
What adjustments would be needed for bundt cake pan?
If I bake this in one 13×9 rectangle pan do you think the time would be the same? Planning to do one rectangle pan and cut the cake in half, then frost as I don’t have round pans.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, in a 9×13” pan.
Mistakes were made and it was still DELICIOUS! I’m not even a fan of GCC but it’s my husband’s favorite so I made it for his birthday. I made some rookie mistakes but managed to salvage it and it was amazing. I saved a piece for my sister who is an excellent baker and would never make rookie mistakes lol. My husband challenged her to do better and she took her piece home. She later text me to say no challenge necessary as she could NOT improve it! High praise coming from someone we nicknamed Mary Stewart (ala Martha Stewart, but her name is Mary 😉). Thanks for the recipe! Will no doubt make it again! And not just for my husband’s birthday!
The cake itself and the coconut frosting are very good. I feel like the chocolate buttercream frosting is just too much sweetness. The next time I make this I will most likely leave it out
just curious, can I convert this to cupcakes without any extra steps?
Yes, here’s my specific instructions if you’d like them: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
I only want to use the German chocolate icing. What are the measurements to ensure that I have enough icing
I would double the coconut pecan frosting.
Yes what would be the measurements for just the German chocolate icing and to have enough
Is there anything that can be used if I don’t have evaporated milk for the frosting
Regular milk will work.
So moist and delicious! My cakes in a 9inch were perfect at 25 mins. Perfect amounts of both frostings. Thank you!
The Best cake ever! I made this for my husband’s birthday and he is still raving about it. He said I
must have been thinking about him with love when I made the cake as he tasted every bit of the love! What a compliment.
I’m going to try this one more time and hope it actually works. First attempt I put in 2 nine inch pans and now I’m cleaning the oven. They over followed and made a huge mess.
Tried again yesterday and used three pans, so flat and dense they aren’t actually cake but more like brownies. (Still taste great but not a cake)
I did substitute powdered buttermilk and water instead of using regular buttermilk, could this be the issue?? I’ve never had an issue using the powdered buttermilk in any recipe so I’m not sure if this is the problem. I’m also at high altitude and added the extra flour. Need advice before I do take 3 tomorrow…
Made this cake for a family members birthday celebration…it was amazing! Wonderful cake! Moist & rich
Hi,
I made this for my Dad’s birthday and it was sooo delicious! It was super moist and not too sweat or dense. The one thing that happened though, is the top layer split open and almost slid off the cake. Since I had tasted everything and knew it was still going to be good, I just rolled with it and called it my earthquake cake. People loved it!! But I am wondering what I did wrong or what I should do differently to avoid this next time.
My husband requested a German Chocolate cake for his birthday this year. I was disappointed as I do not have good memories of German Chocolate cakes from my childhood (too, too sweet). I found this recipe and it was AMAZING! I did use unsweetened coconut instead of sweetened, since we had two bags of that on hand and I wasn’t going to buy any additional. I gave the link to my mom and she made it the next week, but left off the chocolate frosting and doubled the coconut frosting since the coconut part is their favorite. They loved it as well!
Best chocolate cake ever. Never using a box mix again. By the way, when using this as “just” a chocolate cake I used 8 oz of hot coffee in place of the boiling water. I’ve made this several times now.
I made this German Chocolate Cake last year for my brother-in-law’s birthday and he still talks of it! I made it ahead of time as suggested, perfect! I loved the idea of making it over a few days as we are all so very busy. My father also had some of this cake and he at 85 said it was the best cake that he has ever eaten. My best friend’s birthday is this week so guess what I am making!
This is the only chocolate cake me family will eat now, so moist and delicious!
so much better than using a mix. The cake is so light, the coconut icing is so flavorful, the pecans are still crunchy.
Made this for my extremely picky nephew because German chocolate is his favorite cake. He said it was the best cake he had ever eaten. SCORE!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
This was incredible, I will be using the chocolate cake recipe all the time!
Could you put this in 3 -8″ pans? How long might you bake them? Thank you
I’ll be making this for a friend’s birthday. Very excited to try. Thank you.
I made this for my brothers birthday and the entire family said it was the best cake they have ever had. I’m going to be making this again! Thank you for sharing!
Great recipe. Made for friend’s birthday and she loved it. Question: for the coconut/pecan frosting, was the butter supposed to be softened before getting mixed in? Or melted? Or can it go in straight from the fridge and then melt? Recipe was unclear on this point. Everything else went great.
This cake was amazing and so easy to make. My family could not get enough of it. The only this is, I needed to double the chocolate frosting to cover the whole cake perfectly.
It was so rich we could only handle very small slices. This cake could serve 20 people.
This cake is the best I have ever tasted!
I love to bake but cakes are not my Forte however I took this recipe on for my honey and was pleasantly surprised.
This was sooooo easy to make despite the number of steps. I cut the amount of sugar to 1/3 and it still came out perfectly. I did find the coconut frosting a little runny so I put a little cornstarch in to thicken it which worked beautifully.
I will definitely make this again. Oh, and did I mention it was delicious?
This was easy and delicious
My Dad’s favorite cake is German chocolate so I used this recipe i brought it to Christmas dinner. He said it was phenomenal.
Absolutely unbelievable!!!! Best cake ever! My daughter and I made this (following recipe to the letter) for my dads 60th birthday. It was the biggest hit and the most celebrated gift I’ve ever given! I’ve already copied this recipe into my favorites recipe journal and will be making for my dad (and probably everyone else) for his birthday every year!
Can I freeze the assembled cake or even just pieces?
Yes, either!
First German Chocolate cake i have ever made! Hubs is looking forward to the next one. Lol.
Do you keep this cake in refrigerator? If not home many days out on the counter until it’s bad?
Yes, I store it in the fridge, well covered.
Make this cake. It’s so easy and the results are perfection. I’m a beginning baker and this really boosted my confidence. No softening any butter and the chocolate frosting is ready to be piped as soon as it’s made. I made cupcakes and they were so light and airy while being moist. I did have to turn them 1/2 way through to get them to bake evenly for a total of just 18 minutes I am elated that I no longer have to search for a chocolate cake or frosting recipe and can now just commit this one to memory. Thank You Laura!
Made for Thanksgiving for a friend. I myself do not eat coconut but the cake is to die for. I cut the top to level the two cakes and oh my gosh. Had I not already made the coconut frosting, she wouldn’t have gotten this cake. My husband and I fought over the scraps. This is my go to chocolate cake from now on. Eau Em Gee, this cake is DELICIOUS! The icing is really good. I’m making this for Christmas minus the coconut frosting. Thank you so much for sharing.
Husbands favorite birthday cake is German chocolate cake. Tried this recipe this weekend and I have no doubt this is the recipe I’ll be using for every birthday in the future. Friends were stunned by how rich, moist, and flavorful this cake was. No more searching for recipes, this is it. Also the best CHOCOLATE CAKE for any time chocolate cake. Even without the amazing pecan frosting, I’ll make the cake and just the chocolate frosting. It’s PERFECT
Thank you for sharing I love to back this is my first time make this cake question do the eggs and butter need to be room temperature
Just made this cake for my parents anniversary… It is super moist and delicious! Recipe is easy to follow and execute! Thank you for the recipe ☺️
Made it for Thanksgiving they ate it all !
This cake is so moist and delicious. Love the frosting combo with the coconut filling. I used sheets of parchment, sprayed with pam and floured. Perfect cake!
I made this and everyone loved it. Wondering if I can make it with melted German chocolate instead of cocoa powder and get the same result. I seen one recipe used both on another site but the steps were way different. Has anyone tried using both or Germans chocolate over cocoa powder? What adjustments should be made?
Hi.
Although I love German chocolate cake my husband isn’t a big fan of anything coconut.
My question to you is can I use this recipe for cake, skip coconut frosting, double up chocolate frosting recipe to get little extra layer of frosting and pour chocolate ganache over at the very end. Does that combination sounds good to you?
Hi Lauren! I have used this recipe for the last 3 years for my husband’s birthday cake. He also loves carrot cake, would you be willing to share your Mom’s recipe?
We’ll be enjoying your delicious recipe again next month!
Thank you!!!
I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed the German Chocolate Cake! Here’s our carrot cake recipe: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/the-ultimate-carrot-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/
What type of cocoa powder do you use?
I use Hersheys brand unsweetened cocoa powder.
Amazing recipe! The moistest chocolate sponge I’ve ever made
Lauren, this cake is SO DELICIOUS!! Very moist and rich. I’ve made it 3 x now and love it every time. I do have a question….I use the parchment paper in the baking pan and the cake is still a bit hard to get out of the pan. The cake is sticky and I’ve ended up breaking the cake when I move it from the pan to the cake plate. It’s so delcious, but I’d like to know what I’m doing wrong. I tried baking it a few minutes more, and didn’t seem to make a difference and don’t want to risk making it dry by baking it much longer. Any ideas you can share would be great! thank you!!!!
Hi Connie, I would place the parchment paper into the pan and then spray it and the sides of the pan well with cooking spray. That should do the trick. I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed the recipe!
What about using a spring form pan? I don’t have standard cake pans but I do have a 9″ spring form that I use for cheesecakes. I use parchment but then pop the sides off before I try to unwrap the cake so maybe that would reduce breaking the cake? Thoughts?
Use Baker’s Joy Spray (the one that has flour in it) and spray the pan really well.
Was hesitant because it used cocoa powder instead of chocolate cubes, but turned out really yummy. Frosting is almost like caramel.
How many cupcakes would this recipe make?
Here’s a link to my German chocolate Cupcakes.
Wow! This was very good, and so moist! Everyone loved it! The frosting alone is a gem I’ll use for other cakes now! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Had never made this cake before and it was my moms Birthday request. I knew who’s website to go to when I need a recipe! Every recipe of yours I make always turns out delicious so it was a no brainer to look up the recipe! It didn’t let me down either. It was incredibly moist and so delicious! Thanks for another great recipe!
I would love cup cake recipe for larger cup cake mold Halloween treat for grand children, how !ugh do you think I should fill for larger cup cake non stick dark pan? Thank you Sandra
For a large cup cake cake mold I would fill the pan 3/4 fill with batter. Use any extra batter for small cupcakes.
This cake was amazing! I made it for my grandma’s birthday this year, and my grandpa(who is not a fan of Chocolate) ate two slices. This will definitely be my go to recipe!
I am a baker, and I loved this recipe!! Awesome work you guys.
I will be trying this recipe to make cupcakes. How many would you estimate it makes??
Here’s my recipe or German Chocolate cupcakes 🙂 https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
Delicious and moist! Made this for our Mom’s birthday and the whole family loved it! Will definitely keep this one!
I was planning on baking this cake but can’t find my 8 or 9 inch round pans (I just moved and they must be buried in a box somewhere). Would this recipe work in a 9 x 13 pan?
Yes you can. I would Bake it at 350 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes.
Thanks! I made it for the second time and its been fantastic! Its not always easy to get all the ingredients here in China, but I love having a taste of home sometimes. Xie xie!
This recipe is beautiful. I just made it for the third time. It’s my brother’s favorite cake so I make it for his birthday. Follow the recipe to the letter and it never disappoints.
I made this and the coconut frosting was too thick..but tasted great!
I made this cake last year for my mom’s birthday and we loved it so much I’m going to make it again this year!
I made this cake and it turned out way better than expected! The cake is a darker colour than say German chocolate cakes that i have had at restaurants but to be honest, i prefer the darker chocolate look and taste. I had the perfect amount t of chocolate frosting to frost layers and sides. The pecan coconut filling was the bomb! …perfect amount as well and so easy to make.
It was the first time i have made a german chocolate cake from scratch and i am so proud of the outcome!! It tastes and looks like it was done by a professional! I am so glad i choose this recipe over the several others that were on the website. Thankyou Taste Better from Scratch. Xo
Hi Lauren, made the German Chocolate cake, frosting and filling. I used Splenda sugar, brown and found a recipe to make Splenda powdered sugar (made for a friend of mine whom is a diabetic). All tasted good. I also used cake flour instead of all purpose. I wasn’t real sure what the out come would be other than less crumbs.The cakes were thin (I know no gluten in cake flour) my question is do you think by doubling the cake recipe I would achieve a bigger cake? Similar to a cake using all purpose flour? Cake flour does make a lighter cake. Thank you for your time.
I love this cake already and I’m do excited to try it. But I will kinda reduce the sugar in the coconut filling and use unsweetened coconut flakes(that’s what is available) 😉. I hope it won’t change the end result that much. Thanks for all the tips🙏🙏🙏
I made this for my fiance’s birthday tomorrow and while the cake tasted fantastic, mine fell twice. I was/am very disappointed and can not figure out why. Any tips? I followed to a T
the best German chocolate cake I’ve ever had… because of our elevation I added 2T flour and it was perfect
I have used this recipe MANY times. I worked in a Bar, Closed for now, but Everyone “expects”, this cake. (Birthday’s). I’ve Spoiled Them. Looking it up, Making it Tonight. Another Birthday. Lol! Thankyou for The Best German Chocolate Cake, I’ve ever made. Anyone, Out there, make this cake and leave this Woman a comment. ❤️
This was by far the best German Cake recipe – I am still getting comments on it after serving a few days ago to family and friends. Made everything the day before and assembled the day of our event. I will definitely make this cake again.
I made this for my boyfriend for his birthday, he has wanted to find a recipe like his mom’s. This one took the cake. He thought it was great and so did I. Will make it for my sister next month.
This cake is magically delicious! That is why I’m giving it 5 stars…but with one caveat…it is different from a traditional German chocolate cake. My daughter requested a German chocolate cake for her birthday, and I made this recipe. I could tell she was slightly disappointed as it was not what she was expecting. The chocolate frosting while decadent and fabulous kind of over-powers the traditional “German-chocolatiness” of the usual lighter chocolate and coco-nutty flavor. Also, I barely had enough frosting with this recipe to frost between the layers, atop the cake, and to do the piping around the top. I did not have enough to frost the sides, so I left them bare. It was beautiful nonetheless and we didn’t miss the extra frosting. Hope this helps someone decide. It truly is a fantastic recipe, and it came together easily.
I am about to make this cake and was wondering, since there is sugar added to the coconut filling, would it be advisable to use unsweetened coconut flakes vs sweetened? Or is it not sweet enough if I used unsweetened? Thank you!
Either would work great–whatever you prefer 🙂
Made this for my boyfriend’s birthday, and it turned out great! I used a cup of plain yogurt to sub the butter milk. When I was assembling the cake, the amount of sugar seemed a bit excessive, so I didn’t use quite as much sugar called for in the recipe for the cake and the coconut and chocolate frosting. Overall, a great tasting cake! Surprised how easy it was to bake something so nice from scratch 😋
Delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I used Hershey’s unsweetened DARK cocoa I thought it was perfect.
Thank you so much for this recipe
I have baked more than 20 german chocolate cakes using this recipe.
For a better nuttiness, toast the pecans before adding to the frosting. I then add a toasted pecan half to the center of each chocolate swirl on top! Yummy!
Does anyone have an opinion about using an 8in pan vs a 9in pan??? First time trying this recipe. Thx.
I made this for my dad’s 80th birthday and it was delicious! I will definitely make this again. The chocolate frosting was amazing!
I’d like to make these as cupcakes. What do you recommend the baking time be?
I actually have a specific recipe for this 🙂 https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
This is the first cake I have ever made from scratch and I was so incredibly surprised that it turned out absolutely perfect! The cake layers raised perfectly and did not sink in the middle while cooling. They were incredibly moist while not being too heavy. Both frostings were delicious as well. I will be using the cake recipe from now on, even if not for German Chocolate Cake.
I have been searching for the perfect German Chocolate cake for years. I finally found it!
What does 1-3/4 cups of flour mean? I don’t understand the 1-3 part.
1 cup plus 3/4 cup.
Excellent! Tasty! Easy to make!! I literally just made this cake for Father’s Day…my husband’s favorite. I would definitely recommend this recipe. 💐
I made this for my husband’s birthday in May and my son loved the chocolate cake part so much that’s what I’m using as my base for his birthday cake. We haven’t converted him to a coconut lover yet. Do you know approximately how many cups of batter the recipe makes? I’m using hexagonal, instead of round, for my son.
Good Day.
I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times. But the last couple to times I have noticed that the texture of the cake is very moist but also delicate that it crumbles easily. I follow the recipe again I’ve made it in the past and I didn’t have that happen.
Any suggestions? I couldn’t figure out how to paste the photo for reference. 😞
Did you use raw pecans or salted and toasted?
I use raw but any will work!
This is my go-to recipe. I have made it as a two-layer round cake, a 9 x 13, regular cupcakes, and of course mini cupcakes.
I absolutely love everything about this recipe. The coconut pecan frosting is the best recipe I have ever eaten! If I want chocolate cupcakes with any other frosting, this is the cake recipe I use. My friends and family all rave every time I show up with them! This is a must-try!
Hello! I have made this amazing cake many times. I am wanting to use the chocolate cake recipe and make them into cupcakes. Do you have any tips in regard to consistency, time, and temperature?
Hello! I have two types of cocoa powder. One is “Dutch pressed” Guittard 100% cocoa and one is Ghilardelli 100% cocoa. Does it matter which one I use for the cake?
Don’t used dutch pressed cocoa powder for this recipe. Ghirardelli should work!
Can I use this recipe for a regular chocolate cake if I don’tadd coconut frosting?
Yes!
Could you toast the coconut before adding it to the coconut mix?
Yes! Sounds delicious!
The cake tasted AMAZING!
My husband wanted a German Chocolate Cake for his birthday and the funny part is that I’m actually german but I never had German Chocolate cake before. It was super easy and I just loved the results!!! Really recommend this tasty masterpiece 👑
This cake is amazing! German chocolate is my husbands favorite and we loved it! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
BEST CAKE EVER!!!
Even my husband who doesn’t like chocolate cake likes this cake! I’ve made it twice now and I crave it and try to find any reason to make it.
I followed directions exactly and this cake turned out delicious! The texture is moist and fluffy and the chocolate frosting recipe is perfection. It will become one of your go-to cake recipes!
Best German Chocolate cake that I have ever eaten. My 12 year old granddaughter made this and it turned out yummy.
Don’t make it if you are trying to cut calories. It’s too good for 1 piece only.
Thankyou so much for sharing this recipe among with the many others I have yet to make. I did make this german chocolate cake for my dad’s 80th birthday and it was a huge success. German chocolate cake has always been his favorite and it was really.special that I got to make it from scratch (; thankyou thankyou thankyou. Now.for my sons 2nd birthday I am going to make your Hershey’s chocolate cake. You are so awsome
I made the coconut filling too thick. How can I thin it out? Thank you
You could stir in a little evaporated milk.
I’ve made this cake numerous times, and it never fails to please. I take it to the pot lucks at church, where people from other congregations line up to get a piece of my cake. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told it’s the best cake they’ve ever eaten. Thanks for sharing we me!
Do you think you could use the same amount of batter and make 3 layers instead, or would they just fall apart?
Hi, Lauren
I have a box leftover of cake flour, can use It instead of the all-purpose flour? If yes, will it be the same amount?
Yes, that’s fine.
Very sweet but soo good!! I paired it with vanilla ice cream.
If I use 8″ pans do I need 2 or 3 pans?
Have yet to make it but would this recipe do well for cupcakes? If so how long to bake?
Thanks!
Yes. Here’s my cupcake version https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
My cake also sunk in the middle. I’m at 4600 feet so maybe it was altitude. I loved the frosting and filling but the cake reminded me of the quick “wacky cake” from the 80s. Next time I’ll use a traditional chocolate cake with these toppings.
This was the most delicious cake I’ve ever made!
I’ve baked many cakes before. However, none have topped this one. I’ll be making it again for the holidays.
Made this cake for my BBF birthday. She loves German chocolate cake and loved this one too. Fist time baking it came out super moist and delicious. Only issue I have is my cake suck in the middle could be because of the high altitude but even adding the additional flour still suck a little. Nonetheless, super delicious cake. Was a hit.
Wonderful cake! I’ve never made German Chocolate before and my Dad requested it….amazing. I made too much frosting, how long is it good for in the fridge? Thanks for the recipe!
The frosting will last for a few weeks, stored covered in the fridge. I’m so happy you liked the cake!
Making this cake today looking forward to it quick question though do you use salted or unsalted butter?
My first time making this cake. How many cups of flour do you use? 1 and 3/4 cups or is it 1 to 3/4 cups of flour? Thanks in advance! Excited to try this recipe!
1 and 3/4 cup.
Oustanding! I have now made this cake multiple times, and each time have been told it is the best cake ever made. I get many requests to bake this for special occasions, and it never disappoints. It is very filling and you can easily get 12 servings out of one cake. It is also delicious. I use organic cocoa powder, expensive but worth it. The chocolate flavor is very rich. The cake turns out moist and the frostings are perfect matches for it.
Made this cake today for my daughter’s b-day. Very moist. I modified the coconut frosting a little and used 3/4 cup of brown sugar and no white sugar. Also roasted the pecans. Thanks for the great recipie.
Seriously- the best chocolate cake recipe ever!!! It is super-moist and oh, so delicious!!!
Exceptional! Made this cake for a family birthday and everyone loved it. I baked the cake 2 days in advance, cooled it, held it in the freezer until the morning of the party then frosted it semi- thawed. The coconut pecan filling and chocolate frosting are both delicious. Best German Chocolate Cake we’ve ever had!
Best cake!!! First cake I ever made from scratch! This is my second time making this recipe. A great mothers day gift!! 🥳🤤🤤
Thank you so, much for putting up the recipe. I can now try to make it for my boyfriend.
Wow!! I made this for my husbands birthday and it was a hit! I don’t really ever bake and this recipe was easy enough for a newbie like me to follow. This cake is really out of this world amazing!!
Omg!! I made this THREE (3) TIMES . Two on a Saturday then another on Monday preceeding the Saturday. I tasted it on Sunday after dinner. I followed the 2 steps of cake and coconut frosting . I didn’t want chocolate frosting. The flavor was rich but not overly done. Texture after I let it sit out from being refrigerated overnight was moist. This cake after baking for the last 4 weeks was the BEST all around. I have nothing but high praise in rating a review to help another in whether to choose to bake this for any occasion or just fulfilling a sweet tooth desire.
Amazing, I’ve only made it twice but I love it I was a little unsure about the boiling water but it work out I have nothing but praise for the recipe
The taste was amazing! The cake itself caved in. Not sure if that had something to do with the high altitude but I did not see the instructions of adding more flour till the end.
THE BEST RECIPE OUT HERE🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Best German Chocolate Cake I’ve ever had. I love them but I have never made one so I found this one online and it was the bomb. I cheated and used a box mix cause we had no flour at the time but that coconut frosting was to die for. Thanks.
Hey, I made this cake and every1 in my house loved it, . I wish I could send few beautiful msgs they have sent. Lovely cake truly . Thank you
This cake was soooo moist and the frostings weren’t too sweet either! Such a perfect cake!
This really was fun to make. My first fancy cake ever. It was beautiful (I hated to cut into it) and so delicious (so glad I did). Verrrry rich. Making the cakes ahead of time and freezing them made the process simpler and frosting so smooth.
I never leave comments but I had to once I tried this recipe. It’s really simple to make and has become one of my favorites. I added some espresso powder to the boiling water in the cake batter. Also use a great quality cocoa powder, it makes a difference. Thanks for the great recipe!
I wish I could Give this recipe 10 stars! This was my first time ever baking a German chocolate. It was also my first time tasting one ( growing up i didn’t have the good fortune of anyone in my family baking them).
When I tell You this was one of the best damn cakes I’ve ever baked AND tasted in my Life!!! For anyone concerned about using two icings.. make both! I know That some people make them with only the pecan coconut frosting. Trust me, the chocolate sets it off!
This is My boyfriends favorite cake and he almost lost his mind over how amazing this cake was!
I can’t tell you how happy your comment made me! Thank you, and way to go for making it so well your first time!
I made this cake for my husband’s 63rd birthday, I have not made
a homemade cake since I was a teenager, many moons ago. 🙂
It was easy and delicious! Enjoyed baking during this time. Thanks for your great recipe…..
Lauren,
This cake was WONDERFUL!! I made this for my mom’s 50th birthday today and she loved it! I’ve never baked a cake from scratch before and I was nervous about making this, but it was pretty easy to make! All of your tips and tricks were so, so helpful, especially the one about freezing the cake so it’s easier to frost! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
My oldest sister used to make these and used english walnuts.
But seriously, this and carrot cake side by side?
Did you mom put raises in it too? Yummy.
Yes! So yummy! https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/the-ultimate-carrot-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/
I made the cake yesterday and froze it and am going to assemble it today. How long should you let the cake thaw after taking it out of the freezer before you frost it?
I frost it frozen. 🙂
Ok thanks!
This. Is. Amazing! I’ve never made an entire cake from scratch before. I followed your recipe exactly and it’s the best cake we’ve ever had. I followed a YouTube video that suggested freezing the cake rounds after leveling them and it did make it easier to frost. Thank you so much for your recipes!
Easy to make and the family loved it! Very moist
When making the cake do I need to make two servings of the cake portion and fill two separate 8 or 9” rounds? Do I fill only one 8 or 9” rounds and cut it in half? Or does the portion of the cake batter fill two separate rounds?
The cake batter will fill the two separate pans.
Great recipe! Made it for Valentine’s Day and my boyfriend was very impressed! It was a tad sweet, but so very delicious and moist.
Súper chocolaty, came out perfect, frosting not enough for me to decorate edge. But enough to cover. A little thin slice is enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. When it’s completely cooled you can handle it without it crumbling.
First time baking German Chocolate cake. Cake fell apart and is super salty. I haven’t used cake recipes that use the same amount of baking powder and baking soda. I might suggest using unsalted butter as well. If you plan to pipe around the top of the cake you need more chocolate icing. Will look to make modifications before attempting again.
This is a great recipe. I just subbed steel cut oats for the pecans because my son is allergic to tree nuts. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. Will definitely make this again. The whole family loved it.
The coconut frosting was too sweet for my and my family’s taste, otherwise the cake is really nice.
Will use less sugar next time for frosting
Good thing about this recipe is the chocolate frosting didn’t get wasted, I am always left with leftover frosting but in this recipe I ran out of it and was left with no chocolate frosting to decorate the top of the cake.
This cake was simply amazing! The cake itself was so moist and delicious. A very simple recipe that is foolproof.
Best chocolate cake recipe I’ve ever found! Foolproof since I can make it perfect every time I tried it with Nutella butter frosting and it was a huge hit! This is now my go-to chocolate cake recipe. Thank you!
Finally found the recipe I was looking for! Truly the best German cake and a huge hit with our foodie friends. Thank you!
Thanks a lot.. I made this for my adopted sons birthday since he said he liked German Chocolate cake..
My mistake was having the whole family over to taste it… Now I have to bake one practically every month for someones Birthday.
GREAT CAKE!
I have never made German chocolate cake before nor have I ever eaten it. I chose this recipe in hopes that it would work out for me and be simple enough. I made it last night for my sister-in-law’s 38th birthday and it was to die for! Everybody ate it, enjoyed it, and even the kids! Absolutely delicious! Oh, and now I love German Chocolate Cake 🤗
A great recipe. The first time I made it was late January for the boyfriend’s birthday. He doesn’t like the pecan frosting so we went with just the chocolate frosting. I did something wrong because it turned out really dense and heavy, but he enjoyed it. A friend asked for a German Chocolate cake for her birthday today so I came back to tackle it again and it came out perfect. Since I only had 1 9 nice pan I used a 10 inch for the second layer and just cut it down, gave me a chance to taste test the leavings and light and fluffy and chocolatey perfection! Thanks!
Hi! Do you know what you changed or did differently the second time? My first try turned out dense as well. (I followed the recipe and used her recipe for buttermilk substitute using white vinegar.) Thank you!
I made this cake yesterday for my birthday and it’s very good, only issue was I had to make the chocolate icing thicker than the recipe.
My boyfriend “ inhaled “ it 😂. Great recipe! Thank you!
This cake is so delicious! I didn’t get a chance to make it ahead of time but probably will next time. My only change I would make is to temper the egg yolks instead of adding all the ingredients to a sauce pan. I first made it as instructed but my mix had little cooked pieces of egg in it. So I threw it out and mixed my eggs and sugar, heated up the milk and butter then put together by slowly adding the milk to the egg mixture. Other than that it was so delicious. Due to its deliciousness I ate too
much of the coconut/pecan frosting. Yum!!!
This German Chocolate Cake is absolutely AMAZING!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
What a delicious cake and truly not hard to make. I made it a few days ahead of time like you suggested and then assembled it the day before the celebration. It was nice to break up the process. I made it for a memorial in honor of my late cousin Arthur who loved chocolate cake. When my husband tasted it he “ordered” one for his birthday! We are usually a pie family but this cake is seriously a winner!
Made it exactly as you described and it was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! We made it to honor my late husband’s birthday yesterday. German Chocolate was his favorite! He would have LOVED this one!! This will be our yearly tradition. THANK YOU!
Best cake ever!!
Weird thing happened , I accidentally dropped the white of the egg in the frosting , it hard boils and adds an unusual custard flavor to the cake . It’s not bad , just odd. The cake is crazy delicious ,we gave away pieces to everyone within a minute of our table while we celebrated a birthday . I’d like to thicken up my pecan frosting and avoid the “egg”. Thank you for making the world 1 cake sweeter ❤️
I have not make this cake yet, but am making it for a friends birthday. She wants the coconut frosting inbetween the layers and on top ONLY!! Will the recipe for the coconut frosting be enough to do it that way?
Yes it will! Enjoy!
Made this for husbands bday last year, making it again this year. Delicious and I’m not usually a German Chocolate cake fan. He wants it with all coconut icing this go around.
Thanks for the recipe!:)
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Delicious!
If I could give it 10 stars, I would!
I added halved fresh strawberries to the top & bottom edges of the cake & it’s just beautiful as well as complementing the flavor.
I’m making this cake for the 2nd time today as a gift. I may have to make another one for me! (& my family…)
Delicious!
I’m making this cake for the 2nd time today as a gift. I may have to make another one for me! (& my family…)
My husband is almost 50 and has been enjoying a German Chocolate Cake every year for his birthday. He said this was the best one ever! Yay! Thank you for the great recipe.
I didn’t have much success with the curly cues on top – it just wasn’t good enough. So I smoothed it down and leaf stamped it. lol Great recipe! Best cake ever. I wish I could share a pic.
This is a 5 star recipe! SO delicious! It’s been my go to chocolate cake recipe for a few years already. I’m making a birthday cake for my son this year, which needs to be rectangle, so I’ll be using a 9×13 pan. Would there be a temp change in baking? 🙂
I love this recipe, and have had it two years in a row for a birthday cake! However, I left out the coconut both times; and this latter time, I thought to substitute chopped water chestnuts, which imo worked *amazingly* well. I made sure to thoroughly rinse them before chopping, though, since they give off a very pungent odor; and I didn’t particularly want to taste it that much in my bites of cake. I also kept them on the side, to sprinkle on individual servings, so that the cake would not need refrigerated + get stale faster in the cold.
Great recipe easier than it appears. I used cake flour and sifted ingredients. I will use more of the coconut filling next time my guests loved it. Definitely monitor the time with your oven. Thank you for sharing.
This recipe is absolutely delicious! Super moist.
I was wondering if this would recipe could be use for a wedding cake? Will it hold and stack well?
Haven’t tried yet but looks yummy I’ll be making it in Febtuary Getting ready for my friends B Day
This will be my new go to chocolate cake recipe!! It’s THAT GOOD!!! I subbed plain Greek yogurt for buttermilk and it was INCREDIBLY moist and rich!!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I haven’t made a layer cake in over 15 years, but this came out perfectly (well my piping skills could use some work). It was the hit of the New Year’s Day celebration and my husband said he thought it was the best cake he ever had. I’m usually a pie baker, but this may have converted me…especially the tips for making ahead.
Cake was delicious, turned out beautiful. Next time, I will use the coconut filling and top for the entire cake. It tasted more like a good chocolate cake with a small amount of the yummy coconut filling. It was very moist, will make it again with that variance.
This is literally the best chocolate cake I have ever had. Very rich and creamy, while still being light and fluffy. It also stays fresh for days!
I would love to make this, it looks and sounds divine. Thank you Lauren for sharing your delicious recipes. I am also wondering if anyone has made the chocolate cake part using less sugar. Did it work out?
I used Granulated “Splenda” instead of Sugar
I used “Cup4Cup” (Brand Name) Gluten free flour. Less Calories, and the Cake turned out great.
Love this cake! It seems like a lot of steps but it is not hard or complicated to make or assemble.
I’m going to make this for my birthday. It looks amazing!
Lauren , I tried your German Chocolate recipe and it was absolutely delicious, it’s by far one of my favorite cakes and I’ve been looking for a good recipe and yours is by far the best I’ve tried for a German Chocolate cake , thanks for sharing 🙂👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
do you refrigerate after it’s all together ?
You can but you do not have to.
Turned out great! Made this for my husbands birthday. Now he says I have to make him one every year! 😊
I made this cake today for Xmas!!! OMG it’s for my husband! I didn’t think I like German Chocolate cake! It is amazing! So rich… so moist just pure heaven! I can’t wait to make it again!
I do make my cake in advance and freeze the layers❣️Take it out when it’s time to frost—makes the cake sooo moist! I have made this cake for more than 50 years at Christmas time time!
When you freeze cake, do you take out of freezer and immediately frost? Or do you put wrapped cake in fridge day ahead and defrost in refrigerator, and then day of serving, remove from refrigerator and bring to room temperature?
Make ahead frosting, take out of refrigerator 1 hour ahead. Would cake and frosting be removed from refrigerator at same time (assuming you don’t frost while cake is frozen)?
Just trying to get the sequence straight. I’m making cake and frosting today (Monday) but won’t serve until Wednesday. I do plan to freeze the layers individually like you specified but will refrigerator frostings.
Sorry for the late reply. I frost the frozen cake right out of freezer. I always make coconut frosting ahead. The chocolate frosting can be made ahead or right before your ready to frost. When you frost a frozen cake make sure it has at least an hour at room temp before serving.
Best Wishes.
If you use a 9-x13 what temp and how long. Ty
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes.
How many days ahead can I make the frosting and pecan topping? We’re going away to a vacation home with the family and I’d like to assemble the cake there. Thank you!
1-2 weeks would be fine! Enjoy!
This was the first German Chocolate cake I’ve ever made and it was amazing! It was for a coworker’s birthday. German Chocolate is her favorite cake and she said it was the best one she’s ever had. Another coworker who tried it is actually buying one from me for Christmas this week. Yay!!!
Also, how do you manage to cut your cake and still have it looking so beautiful? Once I cut into mine it’s just a mess 😬
For cake to cut perfectly it should be cold. Also make sure your knife is clean and possible slight wet. Good luck
I made this cake for my Dad for his 75th birthday… it was amazing! So moist and delicious! Perfect balance of chocolate richness and sweetness. Thank you for sharing!
This cake is delicious. I make it with gluten free flour for my son. He really enjoys something that doesn’t taste gluten free
This is the best German Chocolate cake I have ever eaten. I made it for my brothers birthday and got so many compliments. Thank you so much!
Hi! Do you have any suggestions for adjusting this recipe for cupcakes? I’m really looking for to making this. Thanks in advance!
Yes, here’s my German Chocolate Cupcakes recipe: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
Hi, the butter sugar “ base” for the coconut/ pecan frosting is NOT solidifying…? It’s still like soup after rolling bubble for 10 minutes…??any solution?
It should have thickened considerably. Did you remember the egg yolks (not the whole eggs, just the yolks)? That is the main thickening agent in the frosting.
Hi, if making cupcakes, how many would this recipe yield and how long/what temp? Thank you!
Here is my recipe for cupcakes: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
Hello there,
I made 2-4 inch cakes. I did not put any frosting on them. I froze them for almost 24 hours in the metal cake pans lined with parchment paper. The following day, I removed them from the pans, tightly wrapped them in plastic wrap, and then placed each cake it it’s own freezer bag before putting back into the freezer. My question is, because I froze them for a day prior to wrapping them, will they still be moist when thawed in the fridge? I am just hoping that by freezing before wrapping does not cause them to dry out. This is my first time freezing cake.
I have been baking my entire life and this is, hands down, the BEST German Chocolate Cake I have ever tasted in my life. Coming from a long line of cooks and German families, that’s saying a lot. The chocolate cake itself is the most decadent, moist cake I’ve ever had. The only thing I changed here is I left the chocolate icing out altogether as it’s not traditional and didn’t want to be shunned at Thanksgiving! I doubled the coconut pecan icing and it was perfect! This one is a keeper for sure!
This cake is amazing and never disappoints. As it is very tasty and rich, family members take large pieces and cannot eat it all so they always take some home for late night coffee.
Is the butter in the coconut frosting and chocolate frosting salted or unsalted?
Either one is fine,
Made for boyfriends birthday and all I can say is WOW! Moist cake, chocolatey frosting and yummy coconut pecan topping and very easy to make. I knew I had to travel 3 hours next day so made cake the day before and froze, also made frosting and topping and refrigerated. Assembled next day when I got to the country, letting frosting and topping come to room temp. Boyfriend said it was the best german chocolate cake he had ever had…better than his Mom’s. Everyone loved it! This will be the only recipe I use when making german chocolate cake! Thank you!
Does the butter need to be melted for the icing or just softened?
Either way will work. I like to melt it because I think it gives it a richer chocolate flavor.
Lauren,
I made this cake for a 93 year young woman who has traveled the world. She and her husband would try out desserts on their travels. I have never had so many people compliment me for baking a cake. It was the hit of the party and there were no leftovers! Thank you so very much for sharing this! I love everything I’ve ever made of yours, but this cake was above and beyond!
Best,
Judith
I made this recipe and brought it to work. It was a HUGE hit! I will be making this again as my go-to German chocolate cake recipe.
I have practically zero kitchen skills. I do love to cook, but the end results never look like the finished products displayed on sites such at this. However, for my girlfriend’s 50th birthday I decided to go all out and bake her favorite cake, German Chocolate, from scratch. I’ll spare you the pictures – the assembly process didn’t work out too well and some cake repair was necessary – but the final product is probably the best tasting cake I’ve ever had. (Forgive the immodesty here, but I think I’ll never use a box mix again.) This cake was really easy to make – I made a huge mess making it so it was really fun, too – and I’ll never buy canned chocolate frosting again, either. The cake is moist and the frostings delicious. I’m bookmarking this site and hope to use it regularly for more easy to make scratch recipes.
Thank you.
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday!! I have never been known for my baking skills but everyone is pleasantly surprised with this!!! Thank you for this recipe. It tastes delicious and is gorgeous.
I made this for my Dad’s bday last weekend. German Chocolate has always been his favorite. Everyone loved it. People were even telling me that he’d told them about it lol. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us.
Turned out perfect. Thank you for the great recipe!
Amazing!!! I made this for German themed party (I know it’s not actually a German cake) everybody lost their minds!! It’s insanely delicious!! I make cakes for living and I would say it’s one of the best cakes I’ve ever made!!
I doubled the recipe and made it in 3 x 10” cakes tins so there was 2 layers of filling and three layers cake and I put a generous layer of filling on the top. I Highly recommend this recipe !!!!
Made it tonight for my 60th birthday tomorrow!
German chocolate cake has always been my favorite since I was a little girl. Just had my first piece of this new version- delicious!!!! Next time I’ll follow the high altitude by adding 3 TB. extra flour to the cake batter since we live in the mountains near 6000 feet!
Thanks !!!!
Wonderful, thank you for sharing! Happy Birthday!
Amazing recipe, baked it as is and it was perfect! Moist cake, the filling was the perfect level of sweetness, the buttercream was rich and creamy. I’ll definitely be making this again and again. Thanks so much for sharing!
One little tip if I may share, I toasted my pecans before adding to the filling ☺️
Hey,
If I half the recipe would it still come out the same or do I need to change anything?
That should be fine!
I have made this cake several times now, and it turns out wonderfully every time! My friends request it for birthdays and events. Everyone agrees that it is the moistest, most decadent chocolate cake ever. One friend even said it was better than the chocolate cake his German grandmother makes. So delicious that I’m using the chocolate cake and frosting recipes and a raspberry filling for a baby shower this weekend. Thanks for a great recipe– you have made me very popular!
What great compliments! Thank you for sharing Erin! I hope you get to try more of cake recipes soon!
Does the flour need to be sifted?
No, no need to sift it for this recipe. Just measure it properly, with a light hand.
This is by far the most amazing German Chocolate Cake I’ve ever had! Thank you for all the great recipes!
Great recipe, made a few times and everyone loved it. For Christmas I made reindeer cupcakes which were adorable!
This is an awesome recipe! Your instructions were perfect and the cake I made was a huge success. Delicious! A labour of love, we made this for my brother for his birthday, and shared it with family after our Thanksgiving dinner. What a treat!
Hi,
I made this cake for an event at work and everyone loved it! I will definitely be making it again❤️Thank you so very much for sharing your recipe.
Blessings
I made this cake for my co-worker’s birthday, he said it was the best cake he’s ever eaten. I have to admit that was my first time making a cake from scratch, it was simple and amazingly delicious and not thick but moist and did I say how good it was. The buttercream frosting, also my first time making buttercream frosting was amazing as well. Since last week I baked a cake and cup cakes with it. I on the other hand am not fond of coconut so when I made it the second time I just did the cake and buttercream frosting. Thanks for a great recipe to add to my random stack of recipes.
Do these cakes, German Chocolate and the Pineapple coconut cakes have to be stored in the refrigerator once they are made or can they be left out in a covered cake container?
These cakes look and sound delicious and I am looking forward to making them.
Many thanks.
Definitely store Pineapple cake in fridge. German Chocolate is ok stored out but will also last long in fridge.
I have made this cake a few times it’s the best I have eaten .. thanks for sharing
I want to make this cake for my moms birthday on Saturday can I make the cake and assemble it and stick it in the fridge Friday night for Saturday afternoon
Yes, you could do that! Enjoy, I hope she loves it!
Would 2% milk or heavy whipping cream work for the coconut frosting and chocolate frosting or is it imperative to use evaporated milk?
Yes, those would work fine 🙂 . Enjoy!
What kind of round pans do you use? I’m always afraid of them popping out of the pan. Would you recommend spring form or does this cake pop out fine as long as the pan is greased with parchment paper on the bottom?
Hi Kelsey, any high quality round aluminum cake pans will work–do NOT use a spring-form pan. Mine always come out beautifully as long as the bottom is lined in parchment paper and then sprayed well on all over the bottom and sides with non-stick cooking spray. Let them rest in the pan for a few minutes right out of the oven. Then gently run a butter knife around the edge/sides to make sure they’re not sticking. Here are the pans I use 🙂
What instructions for 9×13 pan. What temperature and how long Ty
Yes, you can bake it in a 9×13” pan at the same temperature for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!
Extremely rich and almost feel bad making such a sweet dessert, but this was specifically requested by my mother and everyone thought it was very delicious! Very easy recipe to follow and I very much appreciated the ‘make ahead’ instructions. The chocolate frosting also went on very easily and was delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much!
Hello,
Can I use dutch cocoa powder for this recipe?
Hi seema,
I haven’t tried it, and substituting dutch cocoa for unsweetened in baking recipes can be tricky. Here’s what I would try but I can’t promise perfect results. Dutch cocoa powder reacts better with baking powder rather than baking soda and this recipe calls for 1 1/2 teaspoons of each. Instead, cut out the baking soda completely and use a total of 1 tablespoon baking powder for the cake.
Hi,
I’ve made the cake using a round. Would I be able to use a 9×13 pan next time and if so how will the baking time be adjusted?
Yes, you can. Same temperature for 35-40 minutes.
First of all, I never make chocolate cakes, it’s just not a family favorite, but I needed to bring a dessert to a family function and the words “german chocolate cake” kept popping into my head. So I googled different recipes and I really liked your clear instructions and the addition of chocolate frosting was intriguing. Plus, your cake just looked so pretty! I followed your suggestion and made it into a two day process by freezing the cake layers and refrigerating the frosting. This made it so much easier to put together! The cake was a hit!! So many people told me that they normally don’t like chocolate cake but that this cake was fantastic! My husband even asked that I make it for his birthday six months away! I will definitely be making this cake for future gatherings.
I’m so happy you found me and that everyone enjoyed the cake! Well done! I hope you stick around to try more of my recipes soon!
I made this cake this weekend and I must admit, it was amazing!!!!! I do not like German chocolate cake from the store and was even skeptical about this. I make for my boyfriend for his birthday. I tried it, and it was the most amazing cake I’ve ever had.
I am not much of a baker and plan to try this cake for my sister-in-law’s birthday . For the icing do you use salted or unsalted butter? Thanks!
Either will work!
For baking powder & soda is it
1 & 1/2 teaspoon or 1/2 teaspoon of each
This is the best cake! Everyone wants one for their birthday now!!
Everyone loves this cake. I have made it twice now and have not been disappointed at all. The only thing I did that was different was to make the cake and icing with dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. This is absolutely the best cake recipe I have ever found!
My husband found this and ask me to make it. So glad he did, it’s a HIT and by far one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever made. We have a new favorite around here and I thought nothing could top carrot cake.
OMG!!! This is the best cake ever!!! Moist, just perfect amount of chocolate taste, not heavy, and absolutely delicious. I thought it would be more difficult to make but the directions and measurements made it super simple. Thanks fir sharing this great recipe.
Perfect!!!
One of THE best recipes I’ve ever found! Truly a perfect chocolate cake and the coconut frosting is to die for. I followed the recipe exactly as is, except I used cake flour, as that’s what I had purchased ahead of time before finding the recipe. I also sifted the flour with the other dry ingredients together. I didn’t use the chocolate buttercream frosting as I already had my go to recipe from Ghiradelli for that.
I’m a good snob and an even bigger cake/dessert snob and you nailed this German Chocolate Cake recipe! High five! 🙌
I followed the directions and this cake is absolutely delicious! It is darker chocolate cake than I prefer but the flavor and moistness is amazing! Thank you💖💖💖💖💖
This recipe is very delicious, but it is not German chocolate cake. German chocolate cake is made with German’s baking chocolate and stiffly beaten egg whites.
This cake was super easy and absolutely delicious!
Cake came out great! Must admit, I was a bit skeptical about how liquid-y the cake batter was, but it baked great. I really liked how spongy it was. I lined the top and bottom with fresh, halved cherries, seemed to be a good addition. Made it as a surprise birthday cake and everyone loved it. Thanks for the recipe, will definitely be checking out your website again!
loved this cake, moist, very chocolate! I LOVED that everything came out to be a perfect amt to complete recipe!
Hey,
I am excited about making this cake with so many great reviews! Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Thanks!
You can use either! I usually use salted butter but if you want to use unsalted you can just add a little pinch of salt (or not…you probably wouldn’t even taste a difference) 🙂 Enjoy!
Thank you so much!!
I have never made a german chocolate cake before but do a lot of baking. For my father in laws birthday after the loss of his wife of 49 years i wanted. To make his day special as she always made a german chocolate cake for him but no one hadthe recipe. All raved at how amazing this cake was and it was a big hit. Very easy to make and great tips. Thank you.
Seriously, the best homemade cake I’ve ever made!
Thank you so much for this recipe! Never would have thought of adding chocolate frosting to a German Chocolate Cake! I followed your recipe exactly, with one exception. I did not add the pecans to the coconut frosting until I was ready to frost the cake. I made everything the day before, and then wrapped the cooled cake in plastic and a zip lock bag as you suggested, and then put in refrigerator. The frostings I put in the frig in covered plastic containers. I assembled and frosted the cake the next day. The frostings need more than one hour to out of the frig to be able to be loose enough to frost the cake. I kept them out for @3 hours. Kept cake in frig until ready to serve. The cake, made for a special birthday, was an absolute hit…and I was extremely pleased as to how delicious it tasted!!!!
My mom loved the cake with the pecans! Thanks for the advice.
This cake looks amazing! I am making it because of my moms birthday, and it was a special request. Do you think it would be just as yummy if I did it without the pecans?
Hi Ellie, I hope you mom loves it! I love the pecans, so I don’t think it would be quite as delicious without them, but you can leave them out if you want.
Hello! I made this recipe and friends were scraping their plates! IT WAS A HIT! Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
I made this for a group of my teacher friends and none of us could stop talking about it. It’s the best cake I’ve ever had!!!
This cake is wonderful! Can it be frozen in pieces after its made?
Sure, just be sure to wrap them really well to keep as much air out as possible.
Should I use salted or unsalted butter? The recipe doesn’t specify
Either will work. Unsalted would be best but if you use salted just cut down the amount of salt you use.
This cake was amazing. I baked it on 335 degrees for 25 minutes and it was moist and rich. I will definitely make this again.
Thanks so much for leaving a rating and comment!
Best and easiest chocolate cake ever. Deep and rich flavour. I’ve made it with the coconut and chocolate frosting twice and boiled icing once. I am now getting potluck requests for it. Thank you so much for sharing!
Made into two 8” cakes and cut each into two layers so I ended up with a nice four layer cake, a little extra special without being over the top. Wrapped each layer and froze for a week before assembling the cake. Made the coconut frosting, toasted unsweetened coconut flakes and toasted the pecans first, threw in a dash of bourbon with the vanilla and kept in the refrigerator until day of assembly. Let everything come to room temperature and assembled in 15 minutes, including making the chocolate frosting which is also delicious eaten straight off your fingers! So rich but the perfect chocolate cake recipe, think it might be my new go-to!
Looks delicious! Can I make this in a 9×13 pan??
Also, what are your recommendations if I want to skip the chocolate frosting and use the coconut frosting for all over the cake instead? Would you just double the recipe?
Yes you can! Bake it for 35-40 minutes in a 9×13” pan. You will have plenty of the coconut frosting to cover the cake–no need to double it. 🙂
I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect chocolate cake recipe that isn’t overly chocolatey but doesn’t taste like vaguely cocoa cardboard. I think i might have found my recipe! Quick question: do you think this cake would be suitable for carving, or is it too fluffy?
I think you’ve found it too! When you say “carving” do you mean shaping it into something? It is a softer cake so I would only do it from frozen cake.
I have a question can you use lactose free milk instead of buttermilk
Yes, I think that would work fine!
My pa loved this cake. Amazingly good.
This recipe is truly amazing. I did not grow up with ovens so I am new to baking. My husband always prefer pies over cakes. Yet the only cake he truly loves is German Chocolate. So on his birthday I decided to brave myself with this task. This is my 4th ever cake and oh wow it was such a great hit! Thank you for the wonderful recipe and all the great tips.
German Chocolate cake is my boyfriend’s favorite. I plan on taking it with us to a Painting with a Twist class for his birthday celebration. I am considering making them as cupcakes which I see you said to bake for 22-25 minutes, but does it change the taste without having the icing inside as a layer? Thank you
Cupcakes are till delicious, I frost the center with the coconut/pecan frosting and pipe the chocolate butter cream frosting
around the edge.
Do you have to sieve dry ingredients? If so, before or after measuring?
No, you don’t need to sift them.
I find this chocolate cake recipe is delicious. I am not a fan of the nuts and coconut frosting so when I do make this cake and I level the cakes I devour what I have cutout. Will the cake recipe work well if I convert it into cupcakes?
Yes, you can make cupcakes with this recipe. Bake them for about 22 minutes.
Thank you.
I’m making this cake as we speak! Is it really 1 tablespoon of vanilla, or was it meant to be 1 teaspoon? Thanks!
In the filling I meant!!
Yes, I use that much, but you can use less if you like.
What about olive oil in lieu of the vegetable oil?
If it’s a mild flavored olive oil, that would be fine, although I would suggest a mild flavored oil substitution, like canola oil, or even coconut oil, instead.
I cannot believe how easy and delicious this cake was! I made this for my daughter’s birthday and everyone was blown away! Thank you!!
This is TRULY my favorite cake of ALL TIME. I make it every year for my Birthday but I only use Baker’s Chocolate bar (in the green pkg)… putting coconut pecan frosting on any chocolate cake doesn’t make it German choc…imo
I love baking… have 3 cakes in the freezer now… delivering 2 b’day cakes tmrw… just finished the pineapple filling for my coconut pineapple cake… the recipe I for the filling has more ingredients and for the cake, I just use a mix and add instant pudding and increase the flour, oil and water and separate the eggs adding the whipped whites last… was hoping I could share a pic of my Gorgeous cake
What about the baking time if made in a 13×9?
The cake will bake in about 35-40 minutes in a 9×13” pan. Enjoy!
Very easy to make and great result! My friends loved it!!! I will totally save this recipe for the future and pass it along. The coconut pecan topping is delicious, however I found that if I used all of it the cake was going to be too sweet and heavy, so I did not used it all and the amount of sweetness was just perfect.
I agree that is it better if you prepare it with time and leave it in the fridge. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
So delicious! Best cake I’ve ever had! Do you think this same recipe could be used for cupcakes?
How long do you think the cupcake would have to bake?
Yes! Bake the cupcakes for 22-25 minutes.
Not only the best German Chocolate Cake recipe I have ever made, but I have to say the best cake I have ever made. I reduced the sugar by 1/4 cup to 1 and 3/4 cups. I did not have buttermilk so I did the 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a cup of milk to make buttermilk. (google how to make buttermilk using vinegar or lemon) The chocolate frosting and coconut frosting sweetness make it so you don’t miss that 1/4 cup of sugar in the chocolate cake. I did not have pecans for the coconut frosting so I substituted chopped almonds. We liked the almonds better than the pecans, but that is personal preference. Before I started, I stated that this was the last German Chocolate cake I was every going to make, but this one is SO delicious I will have to make it again. Had to freeze the leftovers right away so we did not eat all in just a couple days. One tip-don’t take your eyes off the pot while making the coconut frosting. I almost ended up with scrambled egg yolks since I failed to keep stirring the mixture.
Can you make the coconut frosting without the pecans for those with nut allergies or those who don’t like nuts?
Sure! Be sure to cook the mixture until it’s thickened, before adding the coconut.
Thank you. Will there be an absence of flavor by leaving the nuts out? How would it be if I could find pecan flavoring to add to it?
I would just leave them out. It will still taste great.
I made this for my mother in law’s birthday this weekend. Best German Chocolate Cake I have ever had. Will definitely make this again. The cake is so moist and both the frosting and filling were absolutely delicious.
I have made this cake several times for family members who love German Chocolate cake and everyone raves about it. I have to say this chocolate cake recipe is Amazing! Do you think I could use it for cupcakes?
Yes, you can use the chocolate cake to make cupcakes. Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes
This is the easiest and most delicious cake I have made! Everyone loved it! It is rich so milk is definitely needed! I have no doubt whoever tries it will love it too!!
Hi! I just made it now! Havent tasted it..still waiting for the kids and their nannies to eat it! But my question is can i put it in the fridge while waiting for the gang to eat it?
Absolutely! I it stores best, covered, in the fridge.
I made this with coconut oil (the boiling water dissolved the clumps perfectly) instead of vegetable oil and with Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. It was phenomenal! Everyone said it was the best German chocolate cake they had ever had. I am saving the recipe to make again!
Thanks for sharing, and I’m happy to hear that coconut oil was a good substitute!
I made this for my boyfriends birthday. The chocolate frosting is to DIE for! I loved making it and it was super delicious.
Thank you for this delicious cake recipe!! Made it for my sons 6th birthday and everyone loved it!!!
The perfect birthday cake! I’m so glad everyone loved it.
Thank you so much for this recipe, I made it a few weeks ago and it was amazing!!!! My husband does not like coconut but I got him to try it and he ate a whole piece!! I love this cake and I will definitely be making it again soon. This recipe is a keeper for sure. =)
I LOVE a darker, richer cake with Coconut Pecan frosting. German Chocolate cake is a little too light with less flavor for my taste. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Hey y’all looking in the comments, this cake isn’t quite the same as a traditional German Chocolate cake, but I have never gotten more compliments on a cake than I have on this one, it was definitely delicious! Unless someone very specifically wants a German Chocolate cake I would totally try it if I were you. 🙂
First time trying a German Choc Cake and want a traditional one. Can you tell me what the difference is and/or direct me to a recipe? I am going to try this recipe but only for me. My friend wants a traditional one for her birthday. Thnak you!
This cake was amazing!! Super easy to follow, the cake was moist and perfect. I brought it to work and it was halfway gone within an hour!!
I’m definitely saving this recipe. Thank you so much!!
This is the best cake I have ever had… everyone loves it! I did change a few things I used a German chocolate bar, half and half and whipping cream instead of buttermilk, butter Instead of oil. , And cake flour. I have make a vanilla cake and a normal chocolate cake with this recipe. I will continue to make different kinds of cake with this recipe. It is just amazing!
About how many cupcakes would this recipe make? I need to make 100 cupcakes.
It will make about 2 dozen cupcakes.
Not quite sure about the negative comments? I followed this recipe to a T and made it for my boss for his birthday who is a chef. His favorite cake is German chocolate. It turned out great! He absolutely loved it! Thanks so much for the recipe!
My husband loved it. Said it was the best cake I have ever made. Thanks for sharing it!
Turned out delicious!
THE CAKE IS TO DARK NOT LIKE THE TRADITIONAL GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE . THE COCOA POWDER IS A MISTAKE I SHOULD OF USED MILK CHOCOLATE. THE COCONUT FROSTING WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTING WITH NO RICH CARAMEL TASTE. I WOULDN’T MAKE IT AGAIN . R SCHMIDT
This is a good cake, but really doesn’t compare with the original recipe on the back of Bakers chocolate package. I have made it twice for two separate audiences and gotten a nice response, but not a great response. The cake is moist, the chocolate frosting is super sweet, but a little flat. The coconut pecan frosting is good. Sometimes, it is better to leave really great alone. I’ll go back to the original.
I was wondering if I could make it in a 9×13 pan and just have the chocolate frosting and forget about the coconut one?
Hi Janet, I would just make my chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, which is essentially the same recipe, but not a german chocolate cake: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/hersheys-perfectly-chocolate-chocolate-cake/ Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 9×13” pan.
Hi Lauren,
I made this cake for a birthday party. It was a big hit! I live at 6500’ so I added the extra flour. My cakes looked dome shaped coming out of the oven and then they sank in the middle. What do you think I could do differently next time so that each round is flat? Thank you for such a great recipe!
Hi Lita,
One thing you can do is slice the dome off. My mother who was a cake baker.Would cut a thin layer from the top of the cake off where the dome is, She used a serrated knife. She then would turn the top layer over so you wouldn’t have the cut part where you would get crumbs. It works beautifully since you are icing the entire cake. Hope this helps.
Can u freeze the icing
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it tonight for a family BBQ and everyone absolutely loved it! They already started requesting this cake for their Birthdays. I’m not a big fan of chocolate (I know, crazy right?!) ? This cake was do delicious and moist. And I think the frosting is probably the best chocolate frosting I’ve ever made. Thanks again!
Amazing. I wish I could eat in every day. Seriously delicious… I did not even make the chocolate frosting. I can’t wait to make it again because this cake is gone!!!
Can I do this in a 9×13 baking dish instead? its easier when serving a lot of people.
Sure! It will take about 35-40 minutes to bake in a 9×13 inch pan.
I made this cake in a 9 x 13 pan with just the coconut frosting, Delicious!!!!
Not usually a big fan of German Chocolate cake but this was DELICIOUS. The added chocolate frosting is the difference. I will no longer be sad when my husband asks for it! Next time I’ll make the cake from scratch too.
This is a good cake. Not at all like the cake mix version which isn’t chocolate tasting at all. It is the Hershey chocolate cake recipe on the back of the Hershey Unsweetened Cocoa Powder container. I made the coconut pecan frosting exactly as instructed but it didn’t thicken up like I expected. The cake was very good though.
Thanks Belinda. Next time cook the frosting a little longer and it will thicken more.
I’ve made this recipe many times, always a hit! It’s the easiest cake to make and so delicious!
I wondered if the recipe can be used for a vanilla cake?
Thanks Cynthia! I would not use this for a vanilla cake–other ingredients would need to be tweaked too much to make it successful.
Hi, I made this recipe into 28 cupcakes and it came out beautifully! Perfect amount of icing, and a lot of cupcakes! baked them for 19 minutes and they were perfect.
I made this cake two weeks ago on a Friday night for a Saturday night dinner party. It was so delicious and such a hit that I made it again on Sunday to bring to work Monday. Everyone asked me for the recipe !!
I was wondering if I can omit the pecans in the frosting as I have a nut allergy.
Sure 🙂
I’m about to make this for my husband’s birthday and was wondering if by unsweetened cocoa you are also referring to regular unsweetened cocoa rather than Dutch-processed cocoa? Can’t wait to try this! German Chocolate is his favourite!
Yes, just regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
This recipe was excellent! I made 1 1/2 x the recipe for the cake. I accidentally left out the oil for the first 2 layers (my computer crashed when I was assembling the ingredients). I added 1/4 cup oil to 3rd layer. All three layers were perfectly moist!
The key ingredient of this cake seems to be the buttermilk.
There was plenty of icing for all 3 layers. Delicious!
Thanks very much for sharing.
Cathy T
Best tasting, moist cake ever. I’m not even a fan of coconut, but this was delicious. Did not change a thing from recipe.
The flavor of each individual element was so amazing!!! But when slicing into the completed cake, the cake part was crumbly. What did I do wrong?
It sounds like the cake may have been overcooked!
I’ve made many a German Chocolate Cake in my time but never one as good as this. I made some of my own variations to the recipe and it came out absolutely decadent!
This recipe is just awesome! I followed verbatim and made a fantastic cake.. it was a great treat for my daughter’s 14th birthday. Best German Chocolate cake recipe ever!! Keep bringing true doable recipes.. thank you so much!!
Could you suspbstitute chopped almonds for the pecans?
Sure, that would be fine!
Hello,
Super excited to make this cake for my dads Birthday coming up! This is his favorite kind of cake! Have a question, was wondering if I leave the buttermilk out on the counter for a while before I make the cake to get to room temperature is that good enough, or should I microwave it. And how long is to long to microwave it. I don’t want to make it TOO hot! And the eggs how long should I leave them out before they reach room temperature?
Look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Sophia,
I am guessing your dad will LOVE this cake. Don’t microwave the buttermilk. I would just get your ingredients out (buttermilk and eggs included) and let them sit while you prepare your cake pans and let the oven heat up. They don’t need to sit out long, it’s just nice if they aren’t cold straight from the fridge.
Awesome!! Thank you so much! I’m making your cake tomorrow! Super excited! I’ll let you know how it is!
Another question,
When you measure out the ingredients, do you weigh the dry ingredients(Flour, sugars, coco powder)?
I made this German Chocolate Cake and followed the recipe exactly. Perfecto! Yummy and gorgeous — I plated it just like your photograph and it is award winning in taste, flavor and eye appeal. It’s very rich and you have to slice it thinly (but eat many slices!) After refrigeration when I am eating a slice, I pop it in the micro for 10 sec. to get the chill off and the pecan/coconut filling is slightly warm—YUM! The recipe brings back memories of my youth as this was my mother’s favorite to make. I took snapshots of photos throughout the process and showed my siblings. We all sighed with the memories. Thanks soooo much for sharing your recipes. Is there a way to upload photos?
Thanks so much for all our awesome comments! I’m so happy to hear that several dishes turned out well for you! I wish there was a way to upload photos hear but you can upload them to my “tried it” page or I’d love for you to tag me on Instagram!!
Thanks Lauren for this excellent recipe..I made it for the first time on my anniversary on 6th Feb and it was a super hit. Everyone at home insisted I make it again for my birthday on 9th..your detailed steps are so easy to follow and believe me this is one cake I love..Feb 28th we have two birthdays and you can guess what I was asked to make..?but I decided to surprise my husband with a carrot cake and our friend’s son with the german chocolate cake…both came out excellent.. tomorrow I’m going to try your Hershey’s chocolate cake and top it with gems..
I have given your website to all my family n friends..Thank you and God bless for sharing your family recipes..
That is so nice to hear, thank you! Thanks for following and for spreading the word. Well done on baking so many delicious cakes!
A perfectly written reecipe. This turned out perfectly; a keeper recipe!! I’ll never use a mix or canned frosting for a German chocolate cake again. Thank you.
I would like to make this cake but i’m wondering if I make the cakes the night before, do I still need to freeze them? Can i wrap them in saran wrap and pop them in the fridge overnight? I don’t like the idea of making a cake and then freezing it when I intend to serve it the next day. Thanks!
Yes you can wrap them and refrigerate them 🙂 Enjoy!
Yum! My first time making German chocolate cake, but wanted to make it for my husband’s birthday (his fave growing up). The only issue I had was the coconut pecan frosting being way too runny. I’m sure I did something just a little off. Maybe didn’t let it boil long enough or maybe I should have refrigerated it like someone else commented? I even ended up straining it, but still had an excessive amount of liquid. Otherwise it was AMAZING!!! The cake itself was great – very moist, and the chocolate frosting was rich. Can’t wait to make this again! I’ll try to boil the coconut frosting longer (just read the author’s comment regarding that). Thank you so much!
Thanks Kimberly. I am glad you enjoyed the cake. Yes, cook the frosting longer next time. It should also thicken while it cools.
Amazing recipe! I made it for my husband’s birthday and he couldn’t believe it was all made from scratch. It is truly scrumptious!
Fabulous! I can see where some people may have issues with this cake if you don’t follow the instructions perfectly. I would recommend doing this is phases (bake the cake, clean up and take a break, come back and make the coconut pecan frosting, clean up and take a break). I made the cake first thing in the morning to ensure plenty of time to cool. Made the coconut frosting and put it in the fridge to quick cool. My husband and mother (huge german choc cake fans) LOVED this cake. It’s a bit of a pain because of all the steps, but you can taste the love in this cake! Better on the second day!!
I made this cake for my brother birthday and this was the bomb.
Everybody loved it. Will definitely be making this again.
I made this cake last year for my brother’s birthday and everyone raved about it. This was the first time I had made a German chocolate cake from scratch and it was amazing. In fact I’m making it again today for his birthday tomorrow at his request. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!
Turned out great after making the coconut frosting 3 times. :/ the egg kept cooking and leaving chunks. I finally just strained it to get the yolk out. What am I doing wrong? I dont have much experience with this stovetop frosting process so I’d love some tips!
Next time be sure to combine all of the frosting ingredients in the saucepan really well before turning the heat on at all.
Made this for my father-in-laws birthday. Big hit. Family thought that it came from a bakery.
My husband’s favorite cake is German Chocolate, so I searched for a “from scratch” recipe and came across this one. I love buttercream frosting and he loves the coconut frosting, so I thought this recipe was a good compromise. What I wasn’t expecting was how well they go together! Absolutely delicious! I made the cakes 4 days ahead of time and froze them. I made both frostings the day before and put them in the fridge. Then, because I wouldn’t have time to assemble the cake the day of, I pulled out the cakes the night before and frosted them while they were still frozen. Worked great! The only thing I’d do differently is probably make the buttercream frosting right before assembling if time allows. Refrigerating it stiffened it up considerably and I had to microwave it to soften it back up, which worked fine, but I think it would have been easier to work with freshly made. I was worried that assembling the cake the day before serving would cause it to get mushy from all the coconut frosting, but it was perfect. The cake was sooo moist and delicious! The right amount of chocolaty goodness! Probably darker than a traditional German Chocolate cake but for me, the more chocolate the better! Served it at a birthday dinner party last night and all four couples raved about it!! Huge hit! This cake would serve 16–but I’m ecstatic to have leftovers!! Thank you for a great recipe! 10 stars!
I’ve never made a German Chocolate Cake from scratch before even though I’ve made tons of cakes. Everything is cooling right now but I couldn’t wait to post because so far everything is coming out perfectly. The cake smells delicious, the coconut frosting is nice and thick(stop me from taking spoonfuls, I won’t have enough!), and chocolate frosting, oh my! I just wanted to add a few noteworthy comments in case others are in my situation.
I used 9-inch pans
I mixed my dry ingredients – check. I mixed my wet ingredients except the buttermilk. I only had a frozen quart that was thawing and taking a while. I looked up what happens when you freeze and thaw buttermilk and found that the whey seperates from the milk (which it did) and to bring it back together use a blender (which I did). The cake still came out perfect!
This will definitely be a hit for my friends birthday tomorrow. Thank you for this recipe!! It’s a keeper.
How long would you bake it if you used this for cupcakes? Thank you!
Hi Mindy,
Here is my German Chocolate cupcake recipe! Enjoy!
Wow! This was amazing! I made it for my son’s 25th birthday and I got “BEST MOM EVER” award! And the best part is that this is only the second scratch cake I’ve made in my entire life and it came out perfect. (Yes, the other one was an epic failure.) In fact, it’s the only birthday cake in family history that got finished off. Everyone takes an obligatory piece of store bought cake after the candles are blown out and the rest is always carted off to work to tempt unsuspecting co-workers so I don’t have to deal with the guilt of tossing it out. Not this one! I think my family was even eating it for breakfast the next day. 🙂 Thank you!!!
This was a delicious tasting cake! However, I ran into problems with the assembly. Although I did not get close to the edge with the coconut frosting on either layer (and did it like the video shows), the frosting ran over the sides on both layers. I guess the coconut frosting wasn’t thick enough. If it had been refrigerated first I imagine it would not have run over, but if the cake were to sit out a while, I wonder it it might start running again as it warms up. The instructions did not call for refrigerating the coconut frosting before assembling the cake. Also, because the coconut frosting was so bulky with the nuts and coconut, it made a big gap between the cake layers and was therefore difficult to frost the two layers to make the cake look like one solid layer. Any advice? Thanks!
Hi Shelley, it definitely sounds like the coconut frosting wasn’t cooked long enough before the coconut and nuts were added. The frosting should already be thick before they’re added. Once it cools you can store it in the fridge. Cooled in the fridge it should look very thick.
my filling is also runny which I’m guessing I under cooked it as well. Would refrigerating help this problem? Or should I put this back on the burner?
Hi Nicole,
It will thicken slightly as it cools but if it’s really runny I would recommend cooking it longer!
Try piping a ring of the chocolate frosting around the edge of each layer before filling with the coconut/pecan frosting. This is a trick bakeries use for any soft filling (jam/curd).
Is that one full cup and 3/4 of flour?
Yes 🙂
I was wondering if unsweetened coconut would make a big difference in the taste of the coconut frosting? Since there is brown and white sugar already in it…?
I’m sure it would still be delicious 🙂
EXCELLENT Cake! Only thing I changed was I used half coffee for the water and didn’t melt butter for the buttercream frosting, so I could pipe it. Delicious, will definitely make again next time I need a awesome chocolate cake.
What altitude are you cooking at? I’m at roughly 7,500 feet above sea level (Colorado to be exact) and I’m curious how to adjust… ☺️
It seems other users had good results reducing the baking soda and powder to 1 tsp and you could add a little extra flour. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I made it yesterday for my husband’s birthday. It was super easy to make and tasted soooo good. One of the best chocolate cakes I ever had. I ate 3 peices!!! And I regret nothing!
I will definitely make it this cake again.
I used 9” round pans….they puffed up very nicely in about 32 mins…checked them…toothpick clean….let them cool about 5-7 mins…..in the meantime they shrunk to about 1/2 the size they were in the oven….I know my baking powder and baking soda were fine. I am stumped…..
I can’t find my other 9 inch round cake pan. Have you ever baked this in a 13×9 inch pan? How long would you suggest I bake it?
Yes, you can use one 9×13” pan. Bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes.
I am going to make this in the next couple of days. My guess is that you used natural cocoa powder and not dutch processed. Is that right?
Yes, that’s right 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Made this for my husband and sister in law’s birthday, was delicious, and a beautiful presentation. Recipe is a keeper. Will definitely make again.
So many comments!! I made it! It came out so beautiful! I was wore because it WAS very thin but it bakes up so nice and light. Great color too! I used a 9×13 pan and cut it in half to make 2 square layers! It’s so cute! It baked for 35 minutes and is perfect…. I snuck a bite! And the frosting is heavenly! Thank you! My DH will love for his 50th tomorrow! Shannon.
Oh my goodness, I made this cake for my son’s 18th birthday, and it was the best part of the whole meal. I have tried other German chocolate recipes before, but they were always a bit on the dry side. This one was moist and fluffy–the best!Br
Hands down the best cake I’ve ever made (and possibly ever eaten too) … and I’m very picky about chocolate cake. This was perfectly moist and the frostings were delicious.
This cake is UNBELIEVABLE. The best cake period. Definitely make this one! But be sure to use parchment to line the bottoms of the pans. I didn’t and had a bit of difficulty. Didn’t affect the taste though. It was fantastic!
I made this cake for my brother’s birthday. Everyone loved it and said it was the best GCC they’d ever had. I am making just the cake for my FIL’s birthday today. Excellent chocolate cake recipe that I will use whenever a homemade cake is wanted!
This is the BEST cake I’ve ever made! Super moist, fudgy cake layers, accented with a magnificent carmelized coconut pecan topping that is rich & decadent without being too sticky sweet or heavy! Lauren, your recipe got raves for me ?!
Thank you!
This cake is great. I made it for a friend’s birthday. The cake is moist and chocolatey. The frosting is delicious. The combination of chocolate and coconut pecan frostings is my favorite part. It’s so good that months later, my young child requested THIS CAKE for his birthday.
The recipe even worked well with an egg substitute. I used plain Greek yogurt as the substitute. 1/4 cup yogurt = 1 egg
First time I tried this recipe & my entire extended family gave it amazing reviews. Said it was the best Gernan chocolate cake they had ever eaten. They’re still talking about it today.
I bake a lot of cakes, & am picky about how they turn out. I’m definitely following your posts after using this recipe to try new ones!
Thank you so much for sharing–that makes me so happy, and I hope you get to try more of my recipes soon!
Hello,
I’m getting ready to make this delicious cake for the second time! I’m the birthday cake baker for our little lunch group, I always ask what kind of cake they would like. Of course she said that delicious chocolate cake you made for her birthday! German Chocolate it is!! I better get busy! Just wanted you to know how easy and moist this fantastic cake is! It looked exactly like the picture! Thank you for sharing!
Merry Christmas!!
Hello, if I am assembling and serving this cake three days after baking it, do you recommend I freeze or just leave in the fridge before assembling? And, if I should freeze, how long will it take to thaw? Thank you!
I’ve copied and pasted my make-ahead instructions from the post:
I like to make the cake, coconut frosting and chocolate frosting at least one day in advance. That way, the cake is really easy to throw together.
I make the cake in 8” or 9” rounds, bake it and let it cool completely. Then I wrap it really well in plastic wrap and stick each layer in a ziplock freezer bag. Freeze for up to one month. Frozen cakes are very easy to frost!
Both frostings (coconut and chocolate) can be made ahead and placed in a covered container in the fridge. Remove them from the fridge about an hour or so before you’re ready to frost your cake. This will allow them to come to room temperature and they will be easier to frost.
Hope that helps!
OMG!! I have tried other recipes and was not satisfied. But THIS ONE is it! I was hesitant when I saw boiling water as an ingredient but it works. Light, Moist and delicious. Even the chocolate icing was the best. Let us not forget about the German Chocolate icing. Have Mercy……Stop looking and save this recipe to your laptop, recipe book, cell phone, safe deposit box, etc……You get the point
Thanks so much Gisele! This is a winner for sure! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Hey,
I am making this for my father for Christmas and want to make him a “Personal” sized one Would this work in 2 6in pans and then make cupcakes with the rest of the batter?
If you think it would any advice on how long to bake it and how high I should fill the pans?
This looks AMAZING!
Yes, that would work! The 6 inch pans will cook a few minutes faster. For cupcakes the temperature is the same. Fill the cupcakes 2/3 full with batter and bake for 22-25 minutes. Hope your dad loves it!
I made the cake today and while it is horrifyingly hideous it is one tasty cake! Thank you so much for the recipe! I’ll try not to butcher it’s looks next time
If i wanted to make a double layer 13×9 cake, do I just make this cake twice?? I am making this for a doctors birthday and lots of people.
I have made this cake in the past and it was an absolute hit! So I am making it again but want to make it larger.
Yes, you would double the recipe for 2 9×13” cakes 🙂 Good luck, sounds like fun!
Loved the recipe however, I have to say, that all the advertising trying to read the recipe is so annoying. I hate being pummeled to death with ads!
Just wondering if the eggs should be at room temperature? Looking forward to making this tomorrow!
Yes, that’s best practice when baking cakes 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
So let me start with saying that this cake looks and sounds like an awesome Chocolate cake. That being said, it is not German chocolate cake. While you are right that German chocolate cake isn’t German, it gets it’s name from a special kind of baking chocolate called German’s sweet chocolate, named for it’s creator. I won’t mention the other ingredients that go into a German chocolate cake that this recipe is missing. Putting coconut pecan Frosting on a chocolate cake, while a very good idea, does not make it a German chocolate cake. The recipe has to have certain elements to it to qualify it as a specific kind of cake. However this does sound like a delicious chocolate cake and I will be trying it myself. Just maybe label it a little differently so not to confuse someone trying to find a real German chocolate cake recipe
Best cake I’ve ever made, my family loves it. Tysm for sharing.
Hello! Would it be possible to bake this cake in 3 8 ‘ pans?
Yes, that would work well, the layers will just be a little thinner 🙂
Absolutely divine. Best chocolate cake I have ever had! So moist and so rich !!!!!
Growing up I would ask my mom to make me a German Chocolate Cake for my birthday. This is my first attempt (I am 53) and so far everything looks good. I mixed boiled coffee with the batter instead of water. So if it sucks, that’s on me! I did taste the batter and it was awesome.
Ms. Lauren, I love this recipe! This is my 1st attempt to make a gcc. from scratch. I made it once from box. I know soooh… many people that love this cake. I cannot eat it because I hate coconuts, but I love, love, loved making it. I will be making more gcc’s! Thank you for sharing this amazing by far the best recipe I have ever seen…..
This was a HUGE hit! Super rich and not dry. GCC is my boyfriends favorite so I will definitely make this one again, thank you!
Why evaporated milk?
Probably the moistest cake I have ever made. Big hit with everyone. Will definitely make this again‼️
Lauren, we have a close friend who adores German Chocolate Cake, he is always asking me to make it and of course I make it for him BUT NOW!!! I made your recipe a very short time ago for him and our other friends who met at their house. I cannot tell you how many compliments and requests I get making your recipe!!! Everyone LOVES THIS CAKE, IT IS SOOO YUMMY!!! Thank you for sharing!! I followed the recipe exactly, except I did not freeze the layers, and it turned out perfectly!! I am already getting requests to make it again for an open house, as well as our 10 person Dinner Group. We love it! Please keep on cooking and sharing! Much thanks, Mrs Pampam
What an amazing compliment and story! Thank you for sharing and following–it means so much. XOX
rebela9111957@sbcglobal.net. What temperature and how long would u cook the cake in a 9×13 pan. Ty.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes. 🙂
How long do you wait to frost after taking out of freezer?
This looks lovely!!
I frost the frozen cakes immediately after taking them out of the freezer 🙂
This is the best, moist, flavorful cake I have ever made. Took it to a dinner party and even the friends who normally pass on dessert, took a piece and left nothing on their plate. The only difference was I toasted the cocunut and pecans. This recipe is a keeper!
Hello! I just made this cake for the first time, presenting it to my Dad for his birthday tonight! Everything g has gone fine so far (both frostings taste so yummy) but I didn’t have enough of the chocolate frosting to make the decoration around the top edge. Did I do something wrong? Can’t wait to try it though!
No never tried the cake looking forward to bakeing this cake it will be my first time ,Plus I like chocolate with nuts and coconut yum
Your cake was delicious. I just want to ask you about the coconut frosting. Do i have to diluted the milk with water or not.
I made this for my Dad’s birthday, and he ordered me to make this every birthday from now on! It was a huge hit!
Can you freeze the German chocolate coconut frosting and for how long and how long does it last in the fridge. Thank you
It will last in the fridge for 1 week or it works in the freezer too 🙂 Enjoy!
Would it be possible to make the coconut frosting without nuts? And would that change the measurements of the other ingredients? My daughter loathes nuts! Thanks!
Sure, you can just leave the nuts out! 🙂
This is a hit with everyone and very delicious. I’ve made this cake about 5 times and every time one or both cakes fall. I follow the recipe exactly. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Rosie,
I am so sorry for your frustration. There are several factors that might be causing your cake to sink in the center. Do you happen live in a humid area? Some other things you may consider trying next time around: Make sure to add the eggs one at a time and mixing them well. The leavening agents can also cause the cake to fall if there was too much added- be sure to be careful with your baking powder and soda. I hope that helps!
This is a wonderful recipe, the cake is so moist and rich, however it always falls a little bit in the center. How do I prevent this from happening?
Hi Shelly,
There are several factors that might be causing your cake to sink in the center. Do you happen live in a humid area? Some other things you may consider trying next time around: Make sure to add the eggs one at a time and mixing them well. The leavening agents can also cause the cake to fall if there was too much added- be sure to be careful with your baking powder and soda. I hope that helps!
Thank you. I have the same problem with the center falling. Never thought about the eggs.
The original recipe, from the 1960’s on the German Chocolate package, in the instructions called for separating the egg whites and beating them separately and folding into the batter.
When I started using that method my cake was light and did not fall.
Is the butter unsalted?
You could use either. I used salted butter (if you have unsalted butter you could consider adding a pinch of salt).
I made this for my daughters birthday, and it was delicious!! Rave reviews all around. Now I’m the chocolate cake maker in the family. Sometimes I leave off the coconut and use cherry or raspberry. It’s a keeper for sure.
If I wanted to do this in cupcake form instead how long would I need to bake them and I wouldn’t need to change anything in the batter would I?
Yes! Cupcakes will cook in about 22-25 minutes.
I made this as cupcakes and they were AMAZING! Don’t fill too full as the batter is thin and bubbles up. I filled about 2/3 full and baked at 25 mins and it was just right. I made the chocolate frosting and just added a star shaped dollop to the top of each frosted cupcake. Rave reviews!!
Can you please tell me how many cupcakes this recipe yields?
It makes about 30 cupcakes 🙂
Hello! What can I use instead buttermilk, I don’t know how to get or ask for in México.
Thanks!!
You can just use regular milk 🙂
mix one cup of whole milk with 1 TBS of distilled vinegar – stir and let set for 5 minutes and “voila!” Buttermilk!
Can I use 1% milk in place of whole and if so what difference do I make to it if any. Making it now.
Sure, it just wouldn’t be as creamy, but it would work great 🙂
You can make your own buttermilk put 1 tablespoon of vinegar in one cup of milk and let it sit for about five minutes stir it and you have buttermilk
You can also use lemon instead of vinegar, but I wouldn’t let it sit more than 2 minuets unless you like a stronger citrus flavor in your chocolate.
Leche agria
Suero de leche o leche agria
You can add a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of milk, stir and let sit for 5 minutes, then you have buttermilk. That’s what I do. ?
This is the best cake recipe ever. Approximately how many cups of batter does this make?
Hey can I please know if I can use desiccated coconut as a substitute
Sure, it just wont be as sweet (obviously) 🙂 . Enjoy!
Okay…
This is hands down the best German chocolate cake I have ever made! It’s my husband’s favorite so, for his birthday this year I used this recipe and everyone went crazy over it! Thanks for making me look awesome girl! It will be made every October from here on out!
Amazing cake recipe! I made it for my husbands birthday .. everyone raved about it!
This recipe is absolutely a keeper. Everyone loved this cake! It was described as decadent and I think that’s an understatement!!
Thanks Pam! I’m happy you liked it!
Wonder if you could use gluten free flour in this.
Very good recipe.
If I didn’t want to include the buttercream and just use the coconut icing all around, how much of the ingredients would I need to add to have enough for the sides?
I would double the coconut frosting recipe.
What size cake pans did you use in the recipe.
Thank you
I used 9” pans 🙂
I could not find where to add my comment so just replied to this one. I made the Gernan chocolate cake for my DiL. She said it was the best ever. Everyone that tried it loved it. So moist.
I made this tonight for a birthday and it was fabulous. Everyone raved about how not dry the cake turned out. Thank you. This is a keeper for sure.
Hi Lauren, The cake looks really yummy. I must make it on my son’s birthday. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
This cake was FANTASTIC! I made it for a family birthday dinner and EVERYONE loved it. So many people told me it was the best cake, several times throughout the night. Such an easy recipe to follow, and I loved that I wasn’t left with an entire bowl of frosting after I was done 😉 The only thing I did differently was make a buttermilk substitute (milk+vinegar).
This is by far the best German Chocolate cake I have ever made. In fact, this is my go to cake recipe whenever I need a chocolate cake. I use this with other frostings as well. It is so good that I had a friend call me up and ask me to make it for his Graduation party. I am not a cake stacker, so I want to use this as a sheet pan recipe. I am making a full sheet. What are your thoughts on increasing the quantities? Sheet cakes are new territory to me. I always make 8 and 9 in round layered. I need this one to feed aproximately 50 people. Any suggestions?
I made your “perfectly chocolate” chocolate cake previously which was delicious! I noticed that the chocolate frosting for that recipe called for milk whereas this recipe calls for evaporated milk for the chocolate frosting. Was wondering why the difference?
I made this cake as requested for my son’s birthday, and it was the best cake I’ve ever made. The cake layers are rich and moist and chocolatey, so much better than the pale layers of the traditional recipe. And the chocolate frosting was amazing, so easy to make and work with. My 6 year old granddaughter was easily able to pipe the edging. I am definitely saving this recipe to try switching out the coconut /nut frosting with cherry or coconut filling. Or just the cake with the chocolate frosting. We loved it!
I’m so happy you loved it! Thanks for commenting 🙂
I prefer using heavy cream versus evaporated milk, any substitution hints?
Yes, you should be able to substitute heavy cream for evaporated milk.
This cake is a keeper! I made this for my husband’s birthday and even his sister, who is not a fan of chocolate cake, praised it. Mine didn’t come out quite as pretty and crumbled quite easily when cut, but no one really minded. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Is it 1 3/4 cup flour or 1 to 3/4 cup flour?
It is 1 and 3/4 cup flour!
good ingredients used for cakes
I assume the boiling water gets added with the rest of the wet ingredients? Im a Total novice here so that what my instinct is telling me. It doesn’t say in the instructions when the water gets added. Other than that this recipe looks awesome.
Hi Keith, you’ll notice the boiling water gets poured in at the very end (see step 1 under “for the cake”). Enjoy!
I don’t have buttermilk and evaporated milk in my whole country i think 🙁
How would you reccomend to substitute them?
For buttermilk substitute one cup milk with 1 tsp. white vinegar in it.
For evaporated milk you can use cream.
Hi Lauren , the cake looks really yummy , cant wait to make it ! Just waned to know the size of the cup you used ? I have always been baking using metric weighing system. Can i use standard Australian sized cup or do you have the measurements in grams please.
If I’m using 6 inch cake pans for a 2 layer cake, would you reccomend cutting the recipe in half?
I’m not sure that cutting recipe in half would be enough. Layers would be thin. I would make full recipe, fill your 6″pans (super cute BTW) and make a few cupcakes with the rest.
I want to make this for my girlfriends birthday on 9/10. I want to make this a four layer cake. Kind of an over the top sort of presentation. Do you think I can get them to stack!
Definitely, just get the coconut pecan frosting in a very thin and flat layer between each cake round. Sounds delicious!
This turned out so well! The cake is so moist and the chocolate icing is so yummy! I’m going to use both recipes for other chocolates cakes again.
I’m going to try this recipe. My mom made this several times but the cake was a tan color and was a very good cake. I love German Chocolate cake.
Baked this cake! Delicious and moist. Will become one of my favorites to bake as well as eat.
Der Kuchen schmeckt, als ob er gerade frisch aus dem Ofen aus der Küche meiner Urgroßmutter kam, als ich ein kleiner Junge war. Wir benutzten normale Schokolade, aber es war immer noch lecker. Die Konsistenz dieses Kuchens war feucht und dicht und die Karamellsauce band das Ganze zusammen. Ursprünglich war dies mein Ur-Ur-Ur-Großmütter-Rezept und ich bin so froh, dass es nach Amerika gebracht wurde. der ursprüngliche Name war “spezieller Schokoladenkuchen” aber ich bin froh, dass Sie es zu etwas einfacherem geändert haben. Ich bin froh zu sehen, dass dieses Rezept immer noch ein Hit ist. Danke aus Berlin, Deutschland
mit all meiner Liebe, Gunter
5 star! I made this for a birthday and it was a hit. Moist and delicious. Will use again !
Made this cake in August 2018. It is the best German chocolate cake ever. Be sure to use waxed paper on the bottom of each pan and oil on top of the paper. The cake will be sticky when dry because of the evaporated milk so also use waxed paper when you turn it upside down to cool. This is not hard to make if you follow the directions, although it did take awhile.
I almost had a Cake-tastrophe on my hands. Between refreshing the iPad and taking my reading glasses on and off I accidentally added an additional 3/4 cup evaporated milk to the cake batter. I didn’t realize it until I’d put the filled cake pans in the oven and started the pecan and coconut topping. I cooked it an additional 10 minutes (never opening the oven door). I was very pleasantly surprised that the cake set up and cooked. It was a bit more dense than an otherwise perfect German choco cake but it beat making the cake over again. I served it to guests and they yummed it up! This is a VERY forgiving recipe! Thanks!
Is there a trick to cutting the cake layers in half… Evenly?
Hi Linda, In truth just having a steady hand and a serrated knife (like a big one for bread) work well. Also: dental floss! But there are assorted tools on the market if it’s something you might use a lot. I went to Google and simply typed in “Kitchen tool for cutting cakes into even layers.” Here is a sample of what comes up (there are lots of other results. https://www.ebay.com/bhp/cake-slicer
I have been making German Chocolate cakes for many, many years, since it’s my husband’s favorite. This cake recipe tastes like brownies, not a nice moist chocolate cake. I could kick myself for trying a new cake recipe on my 40th anniversary. It turned out terrible!
The cakes were extremely moist & decadent, but I had one layer fall completely apart on me when I tried to invert it onto the rack. It worked out in the end, as I made another batch, cooked it a little longer and made a three layer cake that was rich & heavenly and everyone enjoyed. I left the vanilla out of the chocolate frosting and it was still really delicious. For my first time making a German chocolate cake, I found a great recipe and impressed so many people – definitely a repeat!
This cake was so good. I didn’t make a double layer but i used it for a party and they love the cake. Thanks for the recipe sometimes i don’t have the store bought items and never made it from scratch before.
I made this cake with Bobs Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour 1-to-1 and it came out great! Very moist and tasty.
I’m making this cake for my in laws anniversary, how far in advance can I make the frosting?
You could make the coconut frosting up to a week in advance, stored in the fridge. The buttercream frosting will last up to three weeks in the fridge. You could also assemble the entire cake, with the frosting, and then cover it REALLY well and freeze it for a week. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
Lauren,
Is it better to make the cake the night before and store it in the fridge or bake it the same day?
Either is fine. For convenience I like to bake the cakes and freeze them, and make the frostings all in advance, and then frost it and assemble it the day of.
I am a pretty good baker, made this today for my hubby, followed recipe to a tee….IT WAS THE BEST GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE I EVER MADE!…thank you for posting this recipe…
Thank you so much Kathleen!
A friend brought this cake over today. I had never had this combo before and was blown away. I have a chocolate cake recipe almost identical to the cake portion listed here and already know that it is the best cake recipe in existence. The addition of the icing just makes this over the top! Cannot wait to make it myself. Thanks so much!
Good evening, I see you suggest for me to make the coconut cake can I omit the pineapples .
Thank you
Hello I made the German chocolate cake and wow I was amazed how good it was at one point I was add boiling water took me for a loop everything was great now the question I want to know can I use this same recipe and make a coconut cake since I’m only omitting the coco. Thank
Hi Mattie, may I suggest my popular coconut cake recipe: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/coconut-cake-with-pineapple-filling/
I made this for my husband’s birthday and it was a hit! It was pretty and yummy! We will definitely make it again! Thank you for the recipe!
I need help, the frostings and cake taste good but the cake deflated. What did I do wrong? I followed the recipe exactly so I’m not sure why it deflated
Check the expiration date on your baking powder. Same thing happened to me last summer, suddenly all my scones and cakes were flat as pancakes. Turned out my baking powder was old. It loses its rising power.
We have nut allergy in the family, would it take away from the flavor if we do not use the pecans?
I think it would still taste great 🙂 Add a little extra coconut to make up for the missing pecans.
Followed the directions, I am a seasoned baker…the cake completely crumbled coming out of the pan, the German chocolate frosting does not have the flavor I was hoping for….really disappointed after all the time & money spent to make this.
I’m really sorry you felt that way April. As for the cake crumbling, I’d really need to know more to say why you experienced that. It’s never happened to me.
I was wanting to know if there is a German chocolate brownies?
Hi Linda, you could make brownies and use the chocolate frosting and coconut frosting to top them 🙂
Is it possible to use Cake Flour? I have never used all purpose to bake a scratch cake. AP usually causes the cake to be more dry, due to the level of protein. Thank you Heathe
Hi Heather, that should be fine 🙂
I always used cake flour for German chocolate cake. Delicious!
Hi, Can I successfully freeze this cake with frosting and all for about 2 weeks? I am in charge of fellowship at my church and do this with other cakes when I don’t have time to do everything at the last minute. Thanks, Cyndi
Yes. Be sure to wrap the cake really really well and it should turn out!
Does the frosting crust?
Thanks! 🙂
Looks yum!
Hi Lauren
I baked two German chocolate cakes last Saturday night fo a family gathering. Today I am baking another on for the four of July.
This is like what my mom would make, old fashion. This is better and more natural than using the sweet bar chocolate.
THIS IS THE BEST.
Thanks
Peggy w. Chavis…Lumberton NC
It makes me so happy that you’ve made it and enjoyed it so many times! Thank you for sharing Peggy 🙂
If I use 4 ounces of German Chocolate instead of the cocoa, what other changes do I need to make in recipe, if any?
This cake was delicious! And what a beautiful presentation! This is definitely a keeper. I’d give it 10 stars if I could.
Is there a certain cocoa powder that you use or would recommend? German Chocolate cake has been my favorite since I was a little girl. Can’t wait to try it! Thank you god sharing.
Hi Vickie,
I usually use Hershey’s regular or special dark!
I thought German chocolate cake was supposed to be a light chocolate…….
I know that there are many different ways to make German chocolate cake. However, coming from someone who has grown up making this type of cake quite a bit and being German I just wanted to let you know that I have never put two different types of icing on my cake. I only put the coconut and pecan icing on my cake in between the layers and on the top only. I never put icing on the sides of the cake because of the icing being very rich to begin with. I also use German chocolate to make my German chocolate cake as well. You can actually tell the difference because the cake I make is much lighter in color. However your cake does look good and awesome to eat. I just wanted to let you know if ever you wanted to try it that way. Try using the German Chocolate and only use the coconut and pecan icing for the cake. You will be able to see the difference and taste the difference as well.
I also make it your way, and the cake flavor is kind of a milk chocolate flavor when using the German Chocolate..
You mention “you’re German” as Jennifer above post linked to the History of German Chocolate cake has nothing to do with Germany. Mr. Samuel German of the USA developed this cake from his chocolate company. in the 1800’s. Look up the link, it’s interesting. Just FYI
Judie is right. German Chocolate Cake has nothing to do with Germany.Its roots can be traced back to 1852 when American baker Samuel German developed a type of dark baking chocolate for the Baker’s Chocolate Company. The brand name of the product, Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate, was named in honor of him.
On June 3, 1957, a recipe for “German’s Chocolate Cake” appeared as the “Recipe of the Day” in The Dallas Morning News. It was created by Mrs. George Clay, a homemaker from 3831 Academy Drive, Dallas, Texas. This recipe used the baking chocolate introduced 105 years prior and became quite popular. General Foods, which owned the Baker’s brand at the time, took notice and distributed the cake recipe to other newspapers in the country. Sales of Baker’s Chocolate are said to have increased by as much as 73% and the cake would become a national staple. The possessive form (German’s) was dropped in subsequent publications, forming the “German Chocolate Cake” identity and giving the false impression of a German origin
I would love to have a good recipe for German chocolate cake. Would you share yours with me? My family loves German chocolate cake and I would love to make a homemade one.
There’s a bakery in my area that uses both frostings, and I tell you; Oh my goodness, thee best German chocolate cake ever!!!!!
i made it at work today. I was nervous but it was sooooo easy. the coconut icing was divine! Thank you for a super recipe. My dad in heaven would be proud.
This cake looks amazing, and the recipe sounds great! I was curious if this recipe has been tried as cupcakes. I would think it would work well by just shortening the baking time, and maybe lowering the oven temp. Of course you’d lose the middle frosting layer, but you can make up for that by adding extra frosting to the top! Thanks for sharing the recipe, and for any suggestions as far as baking it into cupcakes.
Yes, cupcakes would work great! Cook them the same temp, for 22-25 minutes 🙂
You could add the coconut fillin in the middle. Just use a piping bag insert squeeze as much or as little you want.
Penny Allen
A German Chocolate cake that doesn’t use German Chocolate?
Doesn’t need it, this cake is the best German Chocolate cake I’ve ever baked. I bake a lot f cakes and this cake s by far the fan favorite. Try it and you will be amazed!!!
The name German Chocolate cake has nothing to do with the country of Germany!!!! German’s Chocolate Co, owned by Mr Samuel German, made a German’s chocolate bar, perfect for baking. The cake was developed using this chocolate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_chocolate_cake
I see cocoa powder, but not the bar of German chocolate in the recipe. Your cake looks like a dark chocolate cake, not a German chocolate. I have been making this cake for over 40 years. You use oil, the recipe calls for butter.
I’m well over 40 and saying to you- Looks to me you should get over yourself lady
Wow Chary!
That was a really nasty response! Sounds like you need a chill pill or to get out of the house more. Not cool.
The comments should be about the recipe, not about a poster. You got ad hominem.
Is this sweetened coconut or unsweetened?
I use sweetened 🙂
Wow, so I made this for myself, and I don’t eat eggs so I used ground flax seed in the cake and in the coconut icing also. It worked marvelously for both, and I now can make my own icing whenever I want, dangerous water here….
This cake is divine, so moist, it baked beautifully and came right out of the pans with a little spring to it! I’ll be making this when I really need to score points with someone, for sure! The Icing has a perfect consistency if you simmer it long enough, and I subbed almonds for pecans just out of convenience and I think it turned out amazing.
I bake a considerable amount of cakes and this rates in my top 10. Not too shabby, indeed!
Thank you for a splendid recipe!
Sarah
I’m happy to hear it turned out so well with a flaxseed substitution for the eggs 🙂 . Thanks for sharing Sarah!
I made this Fantastic German Chocolate Cake and shared with family and neighbors and they loved it are already asking me to make again. It was fantastic. I hate throwing anything away so made more layers to use up the buttermilk and froze them. I like the chocolate frosting on the side instead of the coconut pecan frosting all over. Looking to make more of your recipes.
Thank you for sharing them.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it— Thanks for your comment! I hope you get to try more of my recipes soon 🙂
Thank you, Lauren, for this lovely cake recipe.
When I married my husband three years ago, we got married on his birthday. Seemed practical, so that he would never forget our anniversary 😉 Anyway, he requested that I bake German Chocolate Cake, because that was his favourite. Now, I am not American. I have never seen or tasted German Chocolate Cake EVER in my life. But I am a pretty good baker, and I found a recipe that looked good. I could totally do this! Birthday boy and newly wed, of course I wanted to make the most fab cake.
Well, the cake was an epic fail.
He was SO disappointed.
And that cake became a standing joke over the years…
Fast forward to today, 3 year anniversary and Hubby’s big 5-0 … Can I redeem myself? Or will I fail yet again?
Googling for a recipe and yours come out on top of the list as “the BEST homemade German Chocolate Cake” – yeah ok, I’ll give that a go. You’d better live up to your claim, haha. (But my confidence was shot, I just knew I was going to fail and disappoint my hubby again.)
Well, THANK YOU LAUREN!!! My husband said this was the best German Chocolate Cake he has ever had.
Not the best German Chocolate Cake that *I* had ever made for him (because, well… that wasn’t so hard considering my one and only previous attempt), no, the best ever. EVER.
You weren’t lying.
You saved my husband’s birthday. It started pretty crappy, but your cake saved the day. And my reputation as a caker.
Sharing your recipe on FB and sending you lots of love and happiness from Norway.
Your comment absolutely made my night. What a hilarious, amazing story! I’m so happy I played a tiny part in your success and redemption 😉 I hope this becomes your new favorite anniversary cake. Thanks again for your wonderful comment.
Hi I’m going to try this for Father’s Day tomorrow. Would you suggest to toast the pecans and coconut? I didn’t read where you toasted. Is this something you recommend or would it not make any difference?
Hi Natalie, you could definitely toast them if you want! I don’t personally think it makes a big enough difference in flavor to make it worth the time. But you definitely can try it 🙂 Hope everyone loves it!
Could I use this recipe to make them into cupcakes? How long would it need to bake?
Yes! Bake for 22-25 minutes.
This recipe is AMAZING. My husband’s favorite is German Chocolate Cake and I am not a baker. He requested I make him one for his birthday and I used this recipe. I made in stages over a couple of days as described and the cake was so moist. My family loved it, and I’ve now been told I’ll be making this cake for every birthday to come for BOTH my husband and son (the 3 year old said I could keep hers still plain chocolate, LOL). I highly recommend this recipe!
I’m thrilled to hear it turned out so great! Thanks so much for sharing Jodie!
Made this for my hubby’s 60th; my 40th year making German Chocolate for him….so I tried the box cake recipe “doctored up” as suggested…well, I have to say it was the best ever and the easiest ever done, separate parts in advance. Both your icing recipes are perfect, not sugary sweet but flavorful.. I toasted the pecans FYI, thanks for making my weekend simple and enjoyable!!
Thanks for sharing Ronda! I’m so happy it turned out great 🙂
How thick should the coconut mixture be?
Once it cools completely it will be thick like the consistency of frosting. (When cooking over the stove I wait until it coats the back of a spoon really easily, and then I remove it from heat).
Hi there,
I’m making this tonight for a birthday party tomorrow. Should I use sweetened or unsweetened coconut?
Thanks!
Sweetened coconut. Hope you love it!
Wow, just wow!! I made this cake for my boyfriends Birthday yesterday and everyone loved it!! It was sooooo delicious!! Everyone kept raving about it! This will definitely be my go to German Chocolate cake from now on!! So easy to make as well!! Thanks so much for sharing this amazing recipe!!
I’m so happy his birthday cake was a success! Thanks for sharing Jody. Hope you get to try more of my recipes soon 🙂
Thank you for this amazing recipe.. made it yesterday for my friends 29th birthday and she loved it so much.
Hi Laura,
I wanted to ask about the shredded coconut. Is it sweetened or unsweetened? Thank you.
Hi Jody, I use sweetened coconut flakes. 🙂
The best recipe ever! Wow! I made this for my brother and he raved that it was the best cake he had ever had. I love this recipe and found it very easy to follow. I am really looking forward to baking the coconut and pineapple cake next. Thank you so much for sharing. It was amazing and made me so happy to see my family enjoying something I made with love.
It’s always so nice to hear when someone loves this recipe as much as I do! <3 I'm so excited for you to try the coconut cake as well, please let me know what you think!
TOO.DIE.FOR. I made this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday as a surprise. German Chocolate is his favorite cake. He absolutely lost his mind! He told me this was the BEST cake he has had in decades! I can’t have nuts, so I just tried the chocolate frosting and it was literally the most delicious I’ve ever tasted. Thank you SO much for this recipe. I will be making it for special occasions. Just incredible!
I’m thrilled it was received with such high praise!! Thanks so much for taking the time to share. Hope you get to try some of my other cake recipes soon!
I think this was truly the best German Chocolate Cake. I made it for my grandfathers birthday and it was such a hit! I made it with 3 layers to make it extra tall and pretty and received SO many compliments. Not bad for my first from-scratch cake, i can’t wait to make more!! Thank you for the delicious, moist recipe.
Can I add a teaspoon of vinegar to this recipe?
Hi Frank, it wouldn’t hurt to add a teaspoon of vinegar, but I’m not sure why you would want to?
I am making this cake tonight to freeze for a party over the weekend. I plan on taking the cake out of the freezer the morning of and frosting it, then putting it in the fridge to keep the frosting cold. My question is, how long does a frozen cake take to defrost while it’s in the refrigerator? How long until it will be good to serve?
Hi Elizabeth, that’s exactly what I usually do 🙂 I would plan on giving it about 2 hours in the fridge to thaw before serving, OR you could frost it and leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes, before putting it in the fridge. Then it would be ready to serve as soon as you need it. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I left my cake at room temperature all day after frosting it at about 9 am and it was perfect at the party we served it at! (around 7pm)
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for coming back to share!
Thanks for this great recipe, Lauren!
I bake quite a bit and was surprised that the coconut frosting calls for 1 Tablespoon of vanilla. Should it be 1 teaspoon?
I do use 1 full tablespoon of vanilla. It adds amazing flavor, but you’re welcome to use less 🙂
So I missed two steps in the coconut frosting. I added the vanilla before boiling and forgot the egg yolks. I haven’t assembled it yet. It tasted good but didn’t know if I needed to remake it. I’m excited to get it all put together in the morning
Hi Ashley, the coconut frosting it will still taste delicious, but it will be thin because of the missing egg yolks.
It actually was still pretty thick! It was so delicious though! Thanks for your recipe!
I read that boiling water brings out the cocoa flavor and also helps make the cake moist. Not only that but yours calls for oil too so I’m sure this cake will be super moist and good. I like your pictures too, they are nice quality. I’ll have to give you a rating after I’ve made this
Absolutly! I hope you get to try it soon–it really is delicious!
Hi, Lauren.
Sorry, I accidently pressed send before doing a spell and grammar check.
I’m from Holland and I’m used to working with grams and milliliters. If it’s not too much trouble, can you add the measurements in grams and milliliters in brackets? When I converted them for the Coconut-Pineapple cake, I did something really wrong. I don’t want to mess up this one too.
Thank you.
Hi Simone,
Conversions can be a little tricky. I think this website provides very helpful conversion charts!
Hi Lauren.
Thank you for replying. I made the cake and it was perfect this time. Normally, I like chocolate frosting on a vanilla-flavored cake. But your frostings were so delicious that I completely forgot that I was eating chocolate-flavored cake. Thank you for the recipe.
I made this for my daughter’s 15th birthday and am just amazed at how well this turned out! I have a dodgy record with scratch made cakes and this was just spot on. She was a very happy camper. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I’m so happy it was a success for her birthday! Thanks for coming back to share 🙂
I just made this for the first time to take to work and it was soooooo good! I loved that it was from scratch and it was easy! The cake was delicious and so moist! What a beautiful presentation and recipe! Thank YOU!
That is so nice of you, I hope everyone at your worked loved it! Thanks for sharing Andrea 🙂
Is there a gluten free version…recommend a Gluten Free flour.
Hi Vicki, I will be honest, I have never used gluten-free flour (never had a reason to). Sorry! Hopefully someone else can offer a suggestion.
I substituted flour – used Bob’s Gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour. No one could tell. It was amazing!
I’ve baked a chocolate cake very similar to this recipe (almost exact) and used King Arthur’s GF flour. The only difference was that the cake was a bit crumbly, but the flavor was 98% the same and once the frosting was on you really couldn’t tell. In fact my gluten-free friend said it was the BEST gluten free cake she’d ever had. Go for it!
That looks soooo good..
Hi! I was looking through the recipe and saw that the suggested oils for the cake are either canola or vegetable. Would it be fine if I used coconut oil instead?
That should work just fine 🙂 Enjoy!
Thanks Lauren for sharing such a huge and important post on Chocolate Cakes specially Homemade. I love the food made at home and this is yummy and healthy as I am too health conscious. Thanks for your efforts and time to share such a good post.
I made this for my friend’s 30th birthday. It was a hit and OMG its my new favorite cake! I would love to make it as a bunch of cupcakes for her upcoming bridal shower! Can I use this same recipe and just cook as cupcakes!?
I’m so happy you loved it! Yes, you can easily make them as cupcakes–here’s my recipe https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
Made this and it was excellent! I’m curious why you don’t just use your cake recipe for your cupcakes? Why the difference in ingredients?
I must say that chocolates from Europe taste so extra! I bet this homemade German chocolate cake will taste as good. Can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Regards,
Nicky
This is the best German Chocolate cake. Thank you!! I made it for my dad’s surprise birthday party (it’s his favorite kind of cake, though growing up we always did box-style) and everyone was impressed! I love it because it’s not that tired, too-sweet cake. The flavors are awesome (:
Thanks for sharing Liz! I’m so happy your Dad like the from-scratch version! This is my Dad’s go-to birthday cake as well. Thanks for your comment and thanks for following TBFS!
Hi I’m going to make this for my mother’s birthday, but I only have one cake pan. Would it be okay to leave the batter resting while I bake one round, and then bake the next one? Thank you
Hi Vic, that would be fine! Refrigerate the batter while you bake the first cake round. Hope your Mom loves it!
I LOVED this recipe. The only thing I would change is putting it in 9 inch cake pans. I put it in my 8 inch pans and it came very close to running over!!! My husband isn’t as crazy as I am about German chocolate cake but he loved it also. I think having the chocolate frosting too made the difference.
So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!
For some reason the coconut frosting isn’t as thick as I hoped. Any suggestions? I made the cake into cupcakes instead
Hi Amber, Next time, in step 1 of the coconut frosting, be sure to cook it until it thickens. The egg yolks in the recipe will both help it to thicken properly. Once it’s thickened, then you can take it off heat and add the other ingredients. As it cools it will thicken even more. Hope you get to try it again soon!
Hi, I am planbing to make this cake tomorrow, but do not have baking powder. Can i sub with baking soda(1/4tspn) instead or omit bkg powder altogether?
Yes, I would substitute a tich more than 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
Fantastic! I made this cake for a birthday party and everyone loved it. This one’s a keeper! Thank you for sharing.
I’m glad it was a hit! Thanks Bryon
Made this for my sister’s birthday. It turned out very well. Everyone loved it. When I make it the next time, I’ll double the chocolate frosting as there was barely enough to ice complete cake and make squiggle design on top layer edge.
Thanks for sharing Rosemarie! I’m glad everyone loved it!
Can I use low-fat buttermilk?
That should be just fine 🙂 I’d love to hear how you like it!
When you say 1-3/4 cups of flour, do you need 1 cup and 3/4 or is it 1 or 3/4 cup of flour?
1 and 3/4 cup 🙂
Can I make this in a 13×9 pan?
Hi Amy,
Yes you can! Just layer the coconut and chocolate frosting on the top! I’d love to hear how you like it!
I like that..seen recipe also..slice 3 times and layer..its like a big bar cake…
How soon do you recommend taking the cake out of the freezer before it is served? It’s in the oven now and I will freeze it until it is served next Sunday. Thanks in advance!
I would recommend taking it out of the freezer and frosting it at least 1 hour before serving. 🙂 You could even frost it several hours or a day ahead of time and store it (gently covered with plastic wrap or in a cake storage container) in the fridge until ready to serve. Hope everyone loves it!
This recipe looks amazing!! I wanted to know I have self rising all purpose flor can I use that?
Thank you!
Hi there. Self rising flour has salt and baking powder added to it. So to substitute, I would omit the salt and try adding only 1 tsp extra baking powder. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I’m about to make you German Chocolate Cake recipe and I was wondering about the coconut frosting. Have you used 1/2 and 1/2 instead of evaporated milk? Some people say it tastes better. Any comment?
Half and half would definitely taste great. Honestly, I just prefer evaporated milk because I always have some in my pantry, and I never have half and half on hand. But either will work great! Hope you enjoy the cake 🙂
Absolutely the BEST! Made this cake for a surprise birthday party for a friend and I surprised myself. It looked and tasted better than if a professional baker had made it. The best compliment was to make someone’s wedding cake one day. Can’t get better than that. This recipe is a a keeper. FYI: I used unsweetened
DARK Cocoa powder. Thank You Lauren.
How fun to surprise a friend! So happy you impressed yourself, and Im sure everyone there! Thanks for sharing <3
Hello there I was just wondering the benefit of using 1/2 c brown sugar and a 1/2 c white sugar in coconut pecan frosting vs just using 1 cup white?
Thanks!
Hi Karin, the brown sugar adds an extra depth of flavor that you just wont get by only using white sugar (since brown sugar has molasses in it). If you used only white sugar, this recipe would also take a bit longer to cook/thicken.
This looks devine, can i use Olive Oil in this recipe? also i’m using a bundt tin do i need to adjust the cooking time? (I’ve never used the bundt tin before)
Thank you
Hi Yvonna,
Olive oil will substitute fine although it adds a slightly different taste. A bundt pan will definitely require some cooking modifications. It may need to cook for up to an hour! I hope it turns out great!
I need german chocolate sheet cake to feed 35 people
do you think I could triple this recipe and bake in large square pan?
Hi Cindy, It depends on the dimensions of your square pan, but I really don’t think you’d need to triple the recipe… Another idea would be to make it in a jelly roll pan. Make the same recipe, and bake it for about 15-20 minutes in a jelly roll pan. Or, here is a good cake pan conversion chart that you could use to see if the volume of cake for this recipe would work for your size cake pans. http://dish.allrecipes.com/cake-pan-size-conversions/
I made the coconut frosting but then wasn’t able to make the cake because my son got sick. Do you think I can freeze the coconut frosting to make the cake another day?
Hi Christine, you could keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 weeks, or you could freeze it! The only down-side (especially of freezing it) it that the nuts will not have that same crunch, but it will still taste great. You could also add a handful of nuts to it the day you frost the cake.
Making this now. The chocolate frosting looks WAY darker and consistency similar to ganache. Why? Followed your recipe to the T and actually added a bit more sugar to thicken it.
Hi Alesa,
I wonder if you were using a dark cocoa powder? You can adjust the other ingredients to help lighten the color!
I hope the cake turned out well for you!
This is our new favorite cake!!! Our son who really doesn’t like coconut in anything, asks me to make this cake! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
We loved this cake. This is going to be our German Chocolate Cake from now on. I even took some to my office and they couldn’t believe that I made it. I promised to bring the whole cake very soon. This was my second attempt to make a cake from scratch. I failed miserably when I tried many years ago. After that only made cake with Betty Crocker. Now, I am confident that I can make it.
Is it okay if I were to use a Devil’s Food chocolate cake mix? Will it still taste like a german chocolate cake?
I will still taste great, I don’t think anyone would know the difference :-). I’d “doctor-up” the cake mix by using milk instead of water and adding an extra egg
Hey there! I’m attempting to use cake mix as well. Should I use butter milk or regular milk instead of water? Thanks!
I would just use regular milk with a cake mix 🙂 Enjoy!
This was my second cake ever made, from scratch or otherwise. My first attempt at the cake portion didn’t go well, both fell badly… because I didn’t mix my ingredients well enough. My second attempt an hour later turned out great! The icings were easy and I even piped the ribbon on top! It tastes great and I impressed everyone on Facebook with my pictures! Great recipe, Thanks.
Can I make the frosting 3 days ahead or is that too long to stay in the fridge?
Absolutely! It will keep well in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Had to rush this one. Had a last second request. 4 hours for a 4 tier gc cake with German chocolate and coconut frosting. Had to stagger the batters and add a bit more four and egg to the bottom two layers to dense them up a bit to handle the weight but came out beautifully. This has always been my base go to recipe for German chocolate although I have tweaked it a bit it is awesome.
Thanks
I read this recipe, and it looks like a superb chocolate layer cake. However, I am so old school that I use the recipe on the back of the German’s Sweet Chocolate bar, which is the original recipe.
I am definitely going to try this one the next time I need a chocolate layer cake. It has buttermilk in it which is an automatic plus for a cake.
I used 100% shredded organic coconut that was finer. Didn’t think there was a difference but there is. The frosting is still good but maybe you should call out the brand or type you use in the recipe.
Excellent! Made exactly as suggested and would not change a thing. Very easy. I think it’s the best chocolate cake I ever ate!
Can I use light brown sugar? The recipe just says brown sugar.
Yes, light brown sugar is what you’ll want 🙂
This is the best cake ever. You have to make the cake from scratch. Everything is right on the money. I never remembered German chocolate cake being so good!
3s
I made the German Chocolate Cake tonight I used a 9×13 cake pan I wanted to do a double layer but didn’t have the round cake pans. Next time I’ll try it. The cake was very moist.. Raised up beautifully. I did add an extra egg though. This is a great recipe and I will be making it again and again. German Chocolate is my family’s favorite
My son turned 40 in January. His favorite cake has always been German Chocolate. I have always made it from scratch, but the past two times, I have been really disappointed…Your recipe is incredible! By far the best German Chocolate I have ever tasted. I will never use another recipe!! Thanks ever so much for sharing.
Hi – The cake looks delicious and I want to make it for my daughter’s birthday tomorrow. I don’t have a lot of cocoa powder but I do have good German Chocolate. Can I use the real chocolate instead? Thank you.
Hi Kathrin, I honestly can’t speak to how the cake will turn out with real German Chocolate (which sounds delicious by the way!). I’d love to hear how it turned out!
If it is Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate it will do fine. The original German Chocolate cake is made with this chocolate
Fantastic and easy to make! I will make this again. Company loved it.
Thank you for the recipe. My granddaughter requested a German Chocolate Cake for her birthday. I tasted the crumbs & they were delicious. I hope everyone likes it tomorrow – I’ll let you know.
Very moist and rich cake. Was a little nervous ,but turned out geat. Thanks for sharing.
Is it better to use salted or unsalted butter?
Either will work just fine. If you use salted butter, just reduce the salt in the cake by half.
Hi Lauren,
Made this cake for company and it was a hit. My picky brother is requesting it for Super Bowl Sunday but I do have a question. I made this with nine inch pans and would like to try it with eight inch pans, which do you prefer?
Thanks for sharing, I’m so happy everyone loved it, and I hope it makes your superbowl party that much more awesome 🙂
Honestly either size works great! The 8” ones will be a little thicker, making the cake a tiny bit taller. But not a huge difference at all. I use 9” at home.
10+ STARS……Oh My Gosh! This cake was fantastic and amazingly rich, moist and easy to make! I made this at the request of my husband for his birthday yesterday! We had the whole family and friends over and the comments from the table were “this is the BEST german chocolate cake EVER…can I have the recipe?”. I was tickled especially since my hubby is not a cake lover. He’ll only eat something vanilla if I’m lucky so this was a WINNER and plates were licked clean! The only changes I made were: I always roast pecans and coconut to a golden brown to really bring out the flavor; I pour a bit heavy with the vanilla and I used my Penzey’s Dutch processed un-sweetented chocolate so the frosting was a nice dark chocolate. This was absolute perfection! Thank you for sharing this keeper!
Thanks for sharing–I’m so happy everyone loved it, and I love your toasting of the pecans and coconut–YUM!! Thanks for taking the time to comment. I hope you get to try more of my cake recipes in the future!!
Such a great recipe. I like to bake doughnuts so turned this into doughnuts IG: @practice_makes_confection
How FUN! Looks delicious! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
This cake did not turn out well for me at all. Way too heavy. Like it’s too wet. Other recipes call for half cup water….
iFor the chocolate icing doe you melt the butter to a liquid or just soften it?
Yes, melt it completely.
Going to try and make this for Valentine’s Day for my family. Particularly my husband, it’s his favorite kind and his grandma had the best ever German Chocolate Cake but she passed away and I haven’t been able to get her recipe.
This cake got rave reviews from everyone who tried it. The cake was so moist and it did stick a bit to the pan but I was able to fix that with the amazing frosting. The egg yolks cooked when I added them to the boiling mixture and I had to pick out the chunks so I would maybe beat faster.
If I use a bundt pan, how would I adjust the timing? I don’t have round cake pans and I had the mentioned problem with the 9″ x 13″ pan. Thanks.
Hi Maureen, it would need to cook for 45-55 minutes in a bundt pan.
If you love caramel, this is great! But if you don’t care for a strong caramel flavor you, use all white sugar. To me it tasted a lot like the store bought version.
But it did turn out absolutely perfect!!!
I need to restate that it doesn’t taste just like the store bought, it tastes much better!!
It’s just a similar in flavor, but the texture and consistency are awesome!! I will use this every time …..thank you
My boyfriend can’t eat nuts. Should I add extra coconut to the frosting or just leave out the nuts.
Thanks
I’d add a 1/2 cup extra coconut! Hope you both enjoy it!
Your recipe looks good. I do aim to try it. I have a question though, in your blog page you have the nutritional information for the cake. How do get that? Since it’s from scratch, how are calculating that? I’m not questioning it, I just want to know if there is an app or something to create those things.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Liz, the nutritional information is part of my recipe card (it’s a plugin–similar to an app). I tell it what the ingredients are, and how much of each, and it calculates it from there, based on the serving sizeI determine.
Hi, I was wondering, if I wanted to make this a three layer cake.. What would be the difference in the amount of cake batter I would need to make equal layers? Thanks
I used cake flour, adding 1 1/2 Tbs more as the box recommed. I used 8 inch pans. My cake overflowed in the oven! I was glad I had the pans on a cookie sheet! Was it the cake flour that made the difference?
Hi I was curious if strawberries or raspberries would be good on top. What do you think?
Absolutely! I think fresh raspberries or strawberries would be delicious.
I only used the frosting recipes from this, and they are the most forgiving, delicious, beautiful frostings I’ve ever made! They were easy to make and easy to work with. They make me look like a better baker than I actually am! 🙂 I will try the cake next time. Cant wait! Thank you!
I made my cake in 9×13 pan the edges get done before the middle what am I doing wrong
Hi Mary, what material is your pan? If your trying to bake it in a 9×13 I would suggest lowering the temperature and cooking it for longer. I’m sorry I haven’t tested this recipe in a 9×13 but it should work fine!
Made this for my boyfriends birthday. I’ve never been a fan of German chocolate cake, until I made this!! This cake was amazing. First cake over ever made from scratch and it was so good I had to make another to share at work!! thanks for this recipe!
Wow! This recipe turned out amazing. Perfect instructions and portions. My friends think i can bake. Thanks!!
Hi Lauren,
First of all I would like to thank you for sharing such as wonderful recipe of German Chocolate Cake. I have a question for you. You have mentioned “If baking at high altitude add 3 tablespoons extra flour”. I wanted to know is there any specific reason for adding extra flour. What is the relationship between flour in cake and altitude. Please clarify
Hi Priti, thanks so much for using my site and I am glad you enjoyed the cake recipe! Here is a resource that explains a little bit about high altitude and baking! https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Hi Lauren! This recipe is awesome! I made a triple layer round cake for Thanksgiving for the first time and people raved about it, even some who aren’t big on sweets. I didn’t use the chocolate frosting but used a ganache drizzle instead. The cake was moist and tasted way better than a box mix (I did compare lol), and I have requests for another. I wish I could add a pic but I don’t know how in this thread. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe
Hi Tiffany, thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I’m so happy everyone loved it–and your chocolate ganache idea sounds delicious! Thanks again for following TBFS!
Can it be made into a Bundt cake???????
Hi Nadine, that should work fine. Just adjust the baking time.
Hi Lauren, I stumbled on your recipe and I can’t wait to make it.I would like to know how long can I keep the coconut frosting in the fridge ? What is the shelf life? Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi Abi. The frosting should stay good for 1-2 weeks, however be aware that the nuts will soften in the fridge and you may lose some of the crunchiness! I’d love to know how it turns out!
Wow delicious ! I made this cake twice already and both times turned out great . the cake was decadent and the filling was so scrumptious. It is a keeper!
Thanks
This recipe is to die for. I made it for a family member and after everyone tried it I had to make it 3 more times in the month of November. Cake is so moist and rich and the frosting is amazing. One of my all time favorite recipes and the only recipe I’ll refer to when making German Chocolate. The one thing you do have to pay attention to very closely is how long you cook your frosting because if you don’t quite cook it long enough it will come out runny – just follow the directions exactly and you’ll have an amazing product! Thanks for the recipe!
Jeni, thanks for leaving such a positive comment! I am so glad the cake turned out well for you!
Our family tradition is that each year I make a German Chocolate cake for my sister for her birthday Each year I have tried different recipes. This was by far the best of all I have made- well over 10 different recipes! This will be the one I make every year after this!! It was totally amazing!! I have always used recipes using german bakers chocolate and was a little leary of using one with just cocoa powder. This will be my go to recipe from now on! It isn’t light and fluffy like others I have made and the dense moist chocolate was excellent! I have shared your recipes several times since!
Hi Karen, thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a kind comment. I am thrilled that you like the recipe so much! It has been a family favorite of ours for many years!
Hi! Eager to try this cake for my boyfriend’s upcoming birthday…but I’ll need to make the cake a day in advance. Do you recommend freezing then doing the thawing and frosting the next day, or just leave it in a cool place overnight? The one pro to freezing is that he is less likely to find (and therefore EAT) the cake before his birthday, however, I don’t know how quality might be affected by freezing/thawing. Also, if freezing is a-ok, how long does it take the cake to thaw?
Looks delicious, and I’m excited to surprise him with it 🙂
Abby
Hi Abby, freezing it works perfect! Don’t unthaw the cake before you frost it and it will be extra easy to frost. Once it is frosted, give it at least an hour at room temperature to thaw! I hope it turned out great!
Cake freezes magnificently.
I have a super-small kitchen, so I had to juggle a bit to make three separate recipes, but each was easy. I found that with 8″ cakes, there was more than enough coconut frosting to go traditional and cover the whole thing–if you don’t love that frosting, why are you making a German Chocolate Cake?! It is a wonderfully moist cake, and it’s true that it needs to be refrigerated–it can slide apart after the first slices come out. I might not fill the 8″ pans with all of the available batter, it rose up and left a ridge I needed to cut off before frosting. Here’s a question–why do I not see salt in any of the recipes? Many call for butter, and I imagine if you use salted butter you wouldn’t add more, but I am a cake flour/unsalted butter baker and just had to add a bit to make myself feel better.
Susan, there IS salt in cake recipe. 1 tsp.
Could you give me advice on how I could make this a double layer 10″ cake? Would I just double the recipe and fill each pan half full?
Hi Maria, I would suggest making about 1 1/2 of the recipe and filling the cake pans about 3/4 full. I would love to know how it turns out!
Hey Lauren,
Do you use unsweetened or sweetened coconut? I’m excited to make this cake tomorrow!
I use sweetened coconut flakes, but you could really use either 🙂
Hi Lauren
My ten year old daughter made cupcakes with this recipe- so easy and delicious. We substituted the frosting for ganache.
Thank you.Happy Holidays,
Susan and Micaela
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Hello, I’m wanting to attempt this for my friends birthday this weekend (It’s her favorite but I have never made it). I would love to make cupcakes instead of a cake and was wondering if you still make the same amount of both frostings? Thank you.
Julie
Yes, it will be enough for 2 dozen cupcakes! Enjoy!
Hello, are you supposed to sift the flour and if so, do you sift before or after it is measured?
Thanks!
Hi Michele, If you are using all-purpose flour from the grocery store, you do not need to sift it. Hope you love the cake!
My husband is going to try to make this for Thanksgiving.
Great! I hope you love it. I would love to hear what you think!
Can you use self riding flour
Self*
Lauren,
It could work, but you may need to adjust the amount of baking powder and salt. I would decrease the baking powder by at least a 1/2 teaspoon and use less salt. I haven’t experimented with self-rising flour. Good luck! Hope you love it!
Hi Lauren, I wanted to know is it 2 large eggs for this cake or 3 large eggs?
Hi Tonia,
Use 2 large eggs for the cake and 3 large egg yolks for the coconut frosting! I hope you love it!
This cake is fabulous! A German chocolate lovers dream. Follow the recipe relax and don’t rush this one.
Thank you so much! I am so happy to hear it!
Hi Lauren!
I am getting ready to make my first ever German Chocolate Cake (with the help of your beautiful recipe!) and wanted to ask a question (probably a dumb one). For the coconut frosting you have “1 tablespoon vanilla”; is that vanilla extract? It specifies vanilla extract for the cake and chocolate frosting so I wanted to just make absolutely sure.
Thanks!
Angel
That’s awesome–I hope you love it! Yes, vanilla extract! Sorry to not be consistent, I will clarify that. I’d love to hear how you like it! Good luck 🙂
Hi Lauren, can this cake be done as a 2 tier? I want to try it as an order but not sure if the bottom tier will be able be too moist to support the top tier even though dowels will be used.
Really need your help here.
Hi Christine, I’ve never tried it, but if you use dowels I really think it should work. I would also add one extra egg to the cake batter. I’d love to hear how it turns out, or see a photo! How fun. Good luck.
I was wondering, how long do you freeze the cakes before frosting and do you wait for them to cool completely before putting them in the freezer?
Hi Ash, yes, make sure the cakes are completely cool before freezing them. Wrap them really well in plastic wrap and stick each layer in a ziplock freezer bag. Freeze for up to one month. Good luck! I’d love to hear how you like it.
I just made this and the coconut frosting was a disaster. I’m not sure what I did wrong and I followed the recipe to a T. It was super runny and prior to taking it off the heat it never did thicken any at all. I ended up having to strain it and add more sugar and butter and coconut and nuts to have somewhat of a “frosting” type consistency at all. Any ideas???
Hi Shyanne, I’m so sorry you had trouble with the coconut frosting. It definitely should not be runny at all. The 3 egg yolks, and both of the sugars, when cooked correctly together, would make it really thick. Egg yolks are the main thickener…are you sure you added them?
Yes I am positive. I’m going to try again because the cake is amazing. This is a new recipe for me, but I always have trouble with the coconut frosting part in my other recipe as well. I will just have to try again I suppose. Thank you!
Ok, let me know how it goes! Make sure all of your ingredients are fresh. Also, it will thicken up a lot as it cools. I’d even pour it into a tupperware and refrigerate it for a few hours. It will really set up and be thick when it’s cool.
Hi, can’t wait to make this tomorrow. This is my first time baking. I was curious. No electric blender is being used in making this cake, right?
Hi Lisa, No, you don’t use a blender at all for this cake. You could use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer.
Hi Lauren!
I’m making this for hubby’s birthday this weekend. I want to make the components of the cake the night before and then assemble the next day, should I bake the cake rounds and put them in the freezer overnight (to use the next day)? or in the fridge? If so, how long will it take for the cake to soften for eating? (I know you said that a frozen cake it easier to frost, I want to make sure I do it right) =)
Thank you so much for your time!
Hi! Since you are doing everything the night before, you really can’t mess it up! If it were me, I would probably still stick the cakes in the freezer after they cool completely (make sure they are really well wrapped). You could also wrap them and store them in the fridge for the night. Just make sure they are completely cooled off before doing either. The frozen cakes will take about 30 min – 1 hour to thaw 🙂 . Hope that helps! I’d love to hear how you like it!
Can I substitute olive oil or another oil for canola oil?
Hi Allison, The best substitute would be vegetable oil. You could also use coconut oil, but it will change the flavor slightly. Olive oil would probably be my last choice for a substitute, just because of the flavor difference. If you do use it, try a really mild flavored one. Hope that helps!
I made this last weekend. My family loved it!!! Very easy recipe to follow.
Thank you so much for sharing! Happy everyone loved it!
Do you use light brown or dark brown sugar for the coconut frosting?
I use light brown 🙂
I plan to make this cake in a 9 x 13 pan mainly for ease of storage and transport. Should I make both frostings or just the coconut. What do you advise?
Thank you!
Hi Sue, if I were making it in a 9×13” pan I would make a half batch of the chocolate frosting, spread it on the cake and then add the coconut frosting on top of it. I really love both on my cake. But it’s up to you 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
I would really love to try this for my boyfriends birthday… do you use cake flour for this recipe?
Hi Tiffany, no I just use all-purpose flour 🙂 I’d love to hear how it turns out! Hope he loves it 🙂
Hi Lauren, I have a question about the unsweetened cocoa powder. Could I use Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa in this recipe. I inherited a couple of cans.
Yes, you can! It will be a “dark chocolate” cake, but I think it will taste amazing, especially if you like dark chocolate 🙂
Delicious cake. I made this into a bundt cake for a birthday in my husband’s office. Cooked it about 35 minutes. Had batter left over and made a small loaf sized cake. Everyone loved it. I made it a week ahead and froze it well wrapped. Wish I could post my picture.
This cake was AMAZING!! I’m not sure what the boiling water does to the cake but it was the most moist cake I’ve ever had. Definitely need parchment paper. I did not use the chocolate frosting, the coco pecan icing was perfection. THANK YOU!!
Thanks so much for the feedback–I’m thrilled you liked it so much!
My aunt made this cake 30 years ago. She used butter and made a chocolate frosting. That was the first time I ever saw and ate a German chocolate cake made that way.
Hi! I’m going to make this for a birthday next weekend and was wondering if I frost the cake straight out of the freezer or let it sit out at room temperature with the frosting before assembling? Thank you and looking forward to trying it!
I like to frost my cakes when they’re frozen! I think it’s easier because the cakes are so firm while you’re frosting. Hope that helps. I would love to hear how it goes!
I tried to make the coconut pecan icing, but for some reason it had chunks of egg white when it was done. What did I do wrong? Such a waste of time and money. It was like i had thrown chunks of hard boiled egg whites in it.
Hi April, it sounds like you may have added the entire egg to the pan, instead of just the egg yolks. The pecan frosting uses egg yolks only, to help thicken it.
What is evaporated milk ?
Are there any modifications that need to be made for high altitude?
Yes–see the “NOTES” below the directions in the recipe 😉 (If baking at high altitude add 3 tablespoons extra flour.)
I didn’t know how much I loved German Chocolate cake until I made this recipe as a birthday request for my friend’s daughter. It was amazing!!!
Thank you! I really appreciate you coming back to comment–I’m so happy you liked it!
Wow! This was amazing. I made it for my friend’s birthday party, it was his favourite and my first time making a German chocolate cake. I followed the recipe exactly and it was absolutely delicious. Lovely and light, moist cake, Ric has and decadent without being too sweet ( I used unsweetened shredded coconut).
I haven’t done any piping in probably about 25+ years, so I was a little unsure of the best consistency for the chocolate frosting and it was a little too thick, even though I used just under 3 cups icing sugar. So I loosened it up with a dash more evaporated milk.
All in all, this was an excellent recipe and the party attendees all LOVED it and gave me major kudos.
Thank you 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so happy to hear that everyone loved it 🙂
Can I use swan down cake flour
Hi! My girls are so excited to bake this for my birthday, one quick question though-is the coconut it calls for sweetened or do you think flaked coconut would work as well (how obvious is it that I don’t want to run to the store? Lol!). Thanks!
How fun! I think flaked coconut should work–it may change the taste and texture slightly but I still think it would taste great 🙂
Thinking about trying this for my daughter’s birthday this weekend. Do you use cake flour or all purpose?
I use all purpose flour, but cake flour would work too!
This cake was a HUGE hit with my family and not incredibly complicated to make – I also love that you can make all the components in advance, freeze / refrigerate, and then just assemble when you’re ready to eat. Would definitely recommend and make again. Thanks Lauren!!!
Made this for my husband’s birthday yesterday… was SO AMAZING!
Ashley @ herheirloom.blogspot.com
Wow, this German Chocolate Cake turned out amazing! I was dubbed the “best baker” at our last potluck when I showed up with this cake. I had always wondered how the caramel coconut pecan frosting was made, and now I know! Thank you so much for the great recipe and I really appreciated the high altitude adjustment. I live over 6,000 feet above sea level. I am definitely going to make this one again!
I made this cake and it was devine!! The chocolate cake was delicious.. Can I use the same recipe for cupcakes?
Thanks so much for providing this great recipe, looks delicious!
Quick question – I’d like to make the cakes and frosting 24-48 hours in advance and freeze the cakes in order to bring to my mom’s birthday weekend. Do you think the cakes will hold up being frozen for that long?
Thanks so much!
Hi Rachel, that will work wonderfully! I’ve frozen the cakes for longer than that with great results.I think it’s ideal to have them frozen for at least 24 hours because it makes them so much easier to frost. Also, make sure to take the frosting out of the fridge a few hours before decorating to allow it to soften up. Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks so much Lauren – I did exactly what you said and it worked like a charm! The cakes ended up being frozen for about 72 hours but still tasted delicious when they came out, and the frosting worked perfectly too (I microwaved each container of frosting for a few seconds to help with the softening). The cake was a huge hit with my mom and the rest of my family. Thanks again!
I couldn’t be happier to hear it! Thank you so much for coming back to comment!!
How many cupcakes would you say this makes?
About 24 cupcakes 🙂
I’d like to make the German Chocolate Cake. Can you tell me how to convert it to a 9×13″ sheet cake? More or less baking time? The same ingredients?
Hi Julie, it should work to use the same ingredients in a 9×13” cake. Try baking it for around 24-30 minutes. Hope you enjoy it!
If I’m doing a 2 layer 9 x 13, would I just need to double the icing recipes?
Hi, what is the best way to make buttermilk or is there any substitute for it ?
You can use 1 cup of milk with 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar added to it.
My ALL-TIME favorite cake recipe!
Hi! I have a silly question. Do you mix the wet and dry ingredients first, then add the boiling water? Or add the boiling water to wet ingredients, then mix with dry?
thanks!
I have clarified that–thanks for asking! Combine the wet and dry ingredients first, then add the boiling water last.
This German chocolate cake looks so satisfying! YUM!
If you frost the cake while the layers are frozen, about how long do you think it takes for it to be completely thawed and ready to serve? Thanks!
Thanks Kelsey! It should take about 2 hours!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I made this cake for my husband’s birthday a few weeks ago. He said this was the best cake he has ever eaten. I am making it today for Father’s Day since my Dad’s favorite cake is also German Chocolate Cake. Have you ever made a cupcake version of this cake? I’m thinking about trying a cupcake version today. Thanks again for your wonderful recipes.
Thanks so much for sharing! I’m so happy everyone loved it–it’s one of my husband’s all time favorites as well. I’ve made these into cupcakes lots of times! https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/
You can use the exact same recipe for everything. Just bake the cupcakes for around 17-25 minutes. YUM!
I’m eager to try your recipe. My mother made the best German Chocolate cake with almonds instead of pecans and used German’s Sweet Chocolate. I lived in Berlin in the late 60’s for 2 years and looked all over for German Chocolate Cake and I could only find Black Forest Chocolate Cake. Later my mother told me it’s a cake made with German’s sweet chocolate. Go figure. Thank you for your recipe. Caryl
Just wondering if you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut shreds? Also, do you toast the pecans or just toss them in raw? This looks SOOO delish and I can’t wait to make it this weekend!
Hi Petra, I use sweetened coconut flakes and raw pecans–it’s fabulous! I’d love to hear how you like it!
So, I tried a first attempt on a Friday after work. Got impatient, cake broke coming out of the pan. Had a pregnant lady meltdown. Attempted again after a good night’s rest and MUCH BETTER results. Chocolate frosting is so good my sweetie was sucking it out of the piping bag while stealing spoonfuls of coconut pecan goo!
This is a definite winner. My boyfriend said to just make him a cake from a box (ew). This recipe really highlighted why we do things from scratch in our house. Thanks so much, Lauren! You made this a great birthday weekend!
I’m so happy everyone liked it–and especially glad you had better success round 2! Thanks so much for commenting 🙂
Can I use butter instead of oil in the cake?
I’m sure that substitution would work great–I haven’t tried it in this recipe. It may change the texture a little. But it should still be delicious!
Hi Lauren,
Did you double the chocolate frosting recipe or was one recipe plenty for icing and piping your cake? I was thinking of cutting each 9″ cake to give me 4 layers. Should I double on the coconut frosting?
Hi Pauline, If you’re going to make 4 layers out of it I would probably double both recipes, just to be safe. The coconut frosting does make quite a bit, so it just depends how much you want between each layer. You could just make one batch of coconut frosting and then only frost the middle layer of cake and the top. I would definitely double the chocolate frosting though. Good luck, I’d love to hear how you like it!
Hey Lauren! I made this cake for my friend’s birthday party…we all loved it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
How should this cake be stored? I want to make on a Sunday for a get together on Tuesday.
Hi Crystal, I think the best way would be to cover it really well and stick it in the freezer–it will stay freshest that way! Hope you like it!
This is an amazing cake ! Thank you for keeping it posted!
Making this cake for my dad’s birthday this weekend! Question about the coconut frosting: About how long should I be looking to stir and what consistancy am I looking for?
Looks great! Can’t wait to try!
Hi Carmen, you will bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium heat (should take 5 minutes or so) and once it starts to slightly thicken you can remove it from heat and add the coconut and chopped nuts.
I made Just The Cake The First Time With A Butter cream Icing – this Cake Is Delicious. Last night I made it as shown for a birthday party tonight. I know it will be delicious as well. I did taste the coconut and chocolate frostings and they are delicious.
This is an awesome recipe. I made for my aunt’s birthday this week and she loved it. I didn’t use the chocolate frosting so I doubled the coconut frosting.
This looks amazing! My mom wants a chocolate cake for her birthday and I think this is it! I see it only takes 1 3/4 C. Of flour, shouldbi double it to get a double layer cake? I’m new at this cake baking & decorating.
Hi Brenda, I always make a double layer cake (with an 8” or 9” round pan) using this recipe! Enjoy!
Is chocolate frosting that is piped around the top and bottom of the cake the same chocolate frosting that is spread all over the cake? I am making this for my dad’s birthday this weekend. I can’t wait to try it!!
Hi Courtney, yes it is the same frosting! Enjoy!
hi Lauren, I am looking forward to making this cake! A couple of questions, do you use unsalted butter or regular? Are your ingredients used at room temperature?
Hi Teresa, I use salted butter and room temperature ingredients
I used your recipe today and the cake turned out delicious! In fact, I was told it was the best German Chocolate they’d ever had! But I do have a question… My cake always seems to fall on the side and I’m not sure why?? I follow the recipe exactly and my cake was fully cooked. Any ideas?
Thanks Ashlee, I’m so glad you liked it!–it’s my go-to birthday cake!
The most common reason for cakes sinking is from over-mixing the batter. When you incorporate the wet and dry ingredients you just want to stir them until they are barely combined. Also, make sure your cake batter goes immediately into the oven to bake (don’t let it sit on the counter for a long period of time). Also, your altitude could effect the cake sinking.Where do you live? For high altitude, add a tablespoon or two of extra flour to your batter. I hope one of these suggestions helps!
I live in salt lake city, utah. I will try the extra flour for sure! Thank you so much for your reply! My dad’s b’day is on Monday and he requested this cake for me to bake!
What kind of cocoa do you use, sweetened or unsweetened?
I always use unsweetened 🙂
This is the 2nd time I’ve made this cake. I don’t do the choc frosting but double coconut frosting. My boys and husband rave everytime….
I’m so happy to hear you’ve liked it! The coconut frosting is amazing! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Hi Lauren,
Could you do this cake as a sheet cake as well? I’m new to baking and not sure if it makes a difference or not.
Thank you,
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie, I haven’t played around with this recipe as a sheet cake to stay for sure, but it should work! You may not need all of the batter–only fill the jelly-roll pan 2/3 full. Try baking it for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Good luck!
Will it taste weird if I use sweetened cocoa powder instead of unsweetened ?
The only sweetened cocoa powder I’ve seen is Nestle’s Quik, which is actually for flavoring milk to drink. I don’t think that would work. I made the cake according to the original recipe and it was delicious.
This looks delicious!
I have to try it.
Tks