German Chocolate Cake
Chocolate cake, coconut- pecan filling, and chocolate frosting! What's not to love about a homemade German Chocolate Cake
Servings 24 servings
Calories 488kcal
Ingredients
Coconut- Pecan Filling
- 4 egg yolks
- 7 oz sugar (1 cup)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 oz unsalted butter softened, but still cool (1/2 cup)
- 8 fl oz heavy cream (1 cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 6 oz chopped pecans (1 ½ cups)
- 6 oz sweetened shredded coconut (2 cups)
Chocolate Cake
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
- .75 oz cocoa powder (1/4 cup)
- 10 fl oz boiling water (1 1/4 cups)
- 3.75 oz all- purpose flour (3/4 cup)
- 3 oz cake flour 3/4 cup
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 oz unsalted butter softened, 2 sticks (1 cup)
- 10.5 oz dark brown sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 4 oz sour cream (1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate Buttercream
- 12 oz unsalted butter softened
- 18 oz powdered sugar sifted
- 2.25 oz cocoa powder sifted
- 4- 6 Tbsps cream or milk
Instructions
Coconut- Pecan Filling
- Combine the yolks, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Make sure they are thoroughly incorporated. Beat in the butter. Slowly add in the cream and vanilla. Beat until combined.
- Pour the mixture into a saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened and hits 180°F. This will take about 20 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool to room temperature. While that cools, toast the chopped pecans at 350°F for 5- 8 minutes.
- Once the mixture is room temperature, stir in the pecans and coconut. The mixture may seem loose, but it will thicken. Chill for 3 hours, or overnight.
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and spray the five 6 inch baking pans with baking spray. Set aside.
- Place chocolate and cocoa powder in a small heat proof bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, and salt. Whisk and set aside.
- Beat butter on a medium- high speed for about a minute, or until creamy. Add brown sugar and beat on a high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl down.
- With the mixer on a medium- high speed. Carefully add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. Scrape the bowl down.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat on a medium speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Scrape the bowl down.
- Add a third of the dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined. With the mixer running, add half of the chocolate mixture and beat until just combined.
- Add another third of the dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined. With the mixer running, add the remaining chocolate mixture and beat until just combined.
- Add the last of the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Do not over beat. Scrape the bowl down and fold gently to combine.
- Scoop 5.5 oz (¾ cup) of batter into each cake pan and bake for 15- 17 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5- 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before assembling.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Beat the butter in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add the cocoa powder, a third of the sugar, and a tablespoon of cream or milk. Beat on low until combined, then on medium for a minute or two until creamy. Scrape the bowl.
- Add half of the remaining sugar, a pinch of salt, and another tablespoon of cream. Beat on low, then on medium until combined. Scrape the bowl.
- Add the rest of the sugar, another tablespoon of cream and beat on low, then medium- low until creamy. If necessary, add cream a tablespoon at a time until you have the right texture.
Assembly
- Place a layer of chocolate cake on your cake board. Pipe a border of chocolate buttercream around the edge. Add roughly a ¼ cup of the coconut- pecan filling. Top with a second cake layer and repeat with the remaining layers.
- Place the final cake layer upside down on the stack. This will give you a flat top. Cover the cake in a thin crumb coat. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Cover the cake in a final layer of chocolate buttercream and chill for another 30 minutes.
- Add a border of chocolate frosting to the top of the cake. Fill in the center with another ¼ cup of coconut pecan- filling.
Notes
- Bake cupcakes at 350℉ for 15- 18 minutes. You can make this entire recipe as cupcakes. Pipe a ring of chocolate frosting and fill the top of the cupcakes with a spoonful of the filling.
- In addition to the cake, it will make 12 cupcakes.
- I used pecan chips so that I didn't have to chop any nuts. (Lazy pants over here.)
- I maybe used half of the filling recipe. You could probably just make a half batch, but I didn't want to run out.