German Chocolate Cake

4.75 from 4 votes

German Chocolate Cake is one of those desserts that feels super luxurious to eat and the flavor combo is incredibly satisfying.

Prep Time35

Cook Time45

Cooling Time3

Total Time4 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: German Chocolate Cake

Servings:

Calories: 832kcal

Author: Kelly Anthony

2 cups room temperature, unsalted butter
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
3 tablespoons whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
Extra sweetened coconut and pecans (whole and chopped) for decorating, if desired

Add the butter, milk, and sugar to a large saucepan over medium heat and allow to melt, stirring occasionally.
Add the egg yolks to a small bowl and ladle in about 2 tablespoons of the warm stovetop mixture. Stir, and repeat once more.
Then, add the egg mixture to the saucepan and stir. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture has thickened.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt, followed by the coconut, and pecans.
Transfer to a bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool for about 2-3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have ready 2 greased, 9-inch round baking pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and set aside.
Add the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Make a well in the center and add in the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated with the wet.
Add the coffee to the cake batter and mix in on medium-low. The batter will be thin.
Divide the batter amongst the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the cakes spring back at your ever-so-slightly when gently poked.
Allow to cool in the pans for about 10-15 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack and allow to cool completely before icing.

For the frosting, you will need a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter to the bowl, along with the powdered sugar, cocoa, milk, vanilla, and salt, and begin mixing on low.
Once the sugar is mostly incorporated, you can begin mixing on medium-high. Mix for 2 minutes more, until light and fluffy.

Level out any uneven cake layers using a long, serrated knife. Place one of the cake layers on a cake stand or serving dish, and top with large dollops of the chilled coconut-pecan frosting. Spread the frosting to the edges and top with the second cake layer.
Add a thin layer of chocolate buttercream frosting across the sides of the cake and across the top and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Once the frosting has hardened, pull the cake from the refrigerator and use an icing spatula add a thick layer of icing on the sides, allowing the icing to build upward as you swipe, forming a wall about a ½" tall around the top of the cake. You can also create the wall by piping a thick border around the top.
Add more chilled coconut-pecan frosting to fill in the top of the cake and spread toward your wall of icing. Top the cake with a final spread of the remaining buttercream frosting and decorate with sweetened coconut flakes and pecans, as desired.