Desserts / Cakes & cheesecakes
German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting
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Stir the frosting the whole way. The year we wandered off mid-stir it turned to sweet scrambled eggs, and we ate it anyway. Stirred right, it goes thick and golden, ready for toasted coconut and pecans.
The short version
Stir melted chocolate into a buttermilk batter, bake three 9-inch layers at 350°F for 25 to 35 minutes, and cool. Cook the frosting of yolks, evaporated milk, sugar and butter until thick, stir in toasted coconut and pecans, cool until spreadable, and stack.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
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Melt the chocolate in boiling water. Hot water melts the chocolate completely and brings out its flavor, and it keeps the crumb moist. No lumps to chase later.
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Toast the pecans and the coconut. Ten minutes in the oven turns flat, sweet coconut and nuts into the toasty, nutty part of the cake people remember.
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Stir the frosting the whole way. Cooking it constantly over medium heat gives you a thick, glossy custard that doesn't scramble. Egg yolks need steady heat and a stirring spoon.
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Leave the sides bare. This is the traditional look, and it means the frosting only has to be spread between layers and on top. Less work and a prettier cake.
What you need
the usual suspects
- Cake flour2¼ cups
- Bittersweet or semisweet chocolate4 ounces
- Vanilla extract1 teaspoon
- Unsalted butter1 cup
- Granulated sugar2 cups
- Eggs4 large
- Buttermilk1 cup
- Pecans1⅓ cups
Cake
Coconut-pecan frosting
yes, all of the butter
Steps
nobody opens the oven door. looking at you, Dad.
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Prep the pans
Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment and grease the parchment. Spread the pecans and coconut on separate sheet pans.
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Toast the nuts and coconut
Toast the pecans for 7 to 9 minutes and the coconut for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once, until fragrant and light golden. Watch the coconut closely since it browns fast. Cool both completely.
About 8 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Melt the chocolate
Put the chopped chocolate in a small bowl, pour the boiling water over it and stir until it is smooth and glossy. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and let it cool to lukewarm. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt.
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Make the batter
Beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy, then add the sugar and beat on high speed for 4 to 6 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. On low speed, add the chocolate mixture. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 parts, mixing until just smooth.
Scrape the bowl between additions. Streaks of butter hide at the bottom.
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Bake the layers
Divide the batter among the pans and smooth the tops. Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks, peel off the parchment and cool completely.
About 30 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Cook the frosting
Whisk the sugar, evaporated milk, yolks, butter and salt together in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and bubbles gently around the edges, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Keep the whisk moving across the bottom of the pan. The yolks catch there first.
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Add coconut and pecans
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the toasted coconut, pecans and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Let the frosting cool for about 45 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick enough to spread.
About 45 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Stack and frost
Set one layer on a plate and spread a generous third of the frosting over it, right to the edges. Repeat with the second layer, then set the third on top and cover with the rest of the frosting. Leave the sides bare.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- No cake flour? For each cup, measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons, then add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and sift together.
- Use full-fat sweetened coconut flakes. Unsweetened coconut makes a drier, less sweet frosting.
- Evaporated milk gives the frosting its caramel tone. Heavy cream works, but the color is paler.
- You can bake the layers a day ahead, wrap them and frost the next day.
- Storage. Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days; the frosting needs cold. Bring slices to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Freeze unfrosted layers wrapped for up to 2 months.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Why is German chocolate cake called German?
Not for the country. It's named for Samuel German, who developed the mild, sweet baking chocolate the original recipe called for. The name stuck.
Why is my coconut pecan frosting runny?
It either wasn't cooked long enough or hasn't cooled yet. Cook until it bubbles gently and thickens, then let it cool at room temperature, stirring now and then. It firms up as it cools.
Can I make German chocolate cake ahead?
Yes. Bake and wrap the layers a day ahead, or make the frosting up to a week ahead and keep it in the fridge. Let the frosting soften at room temperature before spreading.
Can I use baking chocolate instead of semisweet?
Yes. Use the same weight of mild sweet baking chocolate if you can find it. It makes a sweeter, milder cake, so the balance is closer to the original.
Do I have to toast the coconut and pecans?
You don't, but toasting is the difference between a good frosting and a great one. It takes a few minutes and adds the nutty flavor that makes people reach for seconds.
From the table
Made it? Tell me everything. Especially if somebody said it was better than their mother’s. I’ll keep your secret.
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Published October 29, 2026.