German Chocolate Cake
A classic two-layer chocolate cake with rich coconut-pecan filling and topping, smooth chocolate frosting around the sides, and a piped chocolate border. Makes 15 generous snack slices. Batch yield: One two-layer 23 cm cake, approximately 2.6 kg after baking and cooling, cut into 15 slices. One serving: 1 slice, approximately 175 g. Allow about 3 hours 30 minutes from starting to serving. The schedule is 20 minutes preparing the batter, 40 minutes baking both tins together, 90 minutes cooling, 10 minutes making frosting, 20 minutes assembling and piping, and 30 minutes chilling. The 20 minutes of active filling preparation, including hob cooking, happen during the oven time. Its cooling overlaps the cake cooling, and the frosting butter softens during baking and cooling. Preheating overlaps batter preparation. Prep_minutes is the total elapsed time outside the oven, including mandatory cooling and chilling, with overlapping tasks counted only once; cook_minutes is total sequential oven time. Active preparation therefore does not add directly to the cooling and chilling figures. Extend cooling if the cakes or filling remain warm. Appliances: Oven; Hob; Electric kettle; Electric hand mixer; Refrigerator. Equipment: Two 23 cm round cake tins, at least 5 cm deep; Baking parchment; Digital kitchen scales; Heatproof measuring jug; Mixing bowls; Sieve; Whisk; Flexible spatula; Saucepan; Digital food thermometer; Wide shallow heatproof bowl; Cooling racks; Skewer; Thin knife; Serrated knife; Palette knife; Piping bag; Large star piping nozzle; Serving plate. Allergens: Contains wheat/gluten, eggs, milk and pecans. Check packaged ingredients for additional allergens and cross-contact warnings. The chocolate flavour comes from cocoa powder rather than a chocolate bar; if your chosen cocoa product contains soy, include soy among the allergens. Storage: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days because of the cooked egg-and-milk filling. Limit time at room temperature to 2 hours in total, or 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F. For a softer texture, optionally let an individual refrigerated slice stand for 20–30 minutes within that limit. Freeze well-wrapped slices for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
170 min
Prep
40 min
Cook
15
Serves
661
Calories
Macros · per serving
8g protein
87g carbs
32g fat
Ingredients
For 15 servings
- 400 g Granulated sugar, for the cake
- 210 g Plain all-purpose flour
- 75 g Unsweetened cocoa powder, for the cake
- 6 g Baking powder
- 7.5 g Baking soda
- 5 g Fine salt
- 2 large eggs Eggs, for the cake
- 240 ml Buttermilk
- 120 ml Vegetable oil
- 10 ml Vanilla extract, for the cake
- 240 ml Water
- 100 g Light brown sugar, for the coconut-pecan filling
- 100 g Granulated sugar, for the coconut-pecan filling
- 115 g Unsalted butter, cubed, for the coconut-pecan filling
- 3 large yolks Egg yolks, for the coconut-pecan filling
- 180 ml Evaporated milk, for the coconut-pecan filling
- 15 ml Vanilla extract, for the coconut-pecan filling
- 120 g Pecans, chopped
- 80 g Sweetened shredded coconut
- 115 g Unsalted butter, for the chocolate frosting
- 65 g Unsweetened cocoa powder, for the chocolate frosting
- 360 g Icing sugar
- 80 ml Evaporated milk, for the chocolate frosting
- 5 ml Vanilla extract, for the chocolate frosting
Instructions
- 1
Cut the frosting butter into small cubes and leave at room temperature to soften while you bake and cool the cake; it should eventually dent easily without looking oily. Preheat the oven to 175°C conventional / 350°F, or 155°C fan / 310°F. Line the bases of two 23 cm round cake tins, at least 5 cm deep, with baking parchment. Leave the sides ungreased.
- 2
Sift the flour, cake cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add the cake sugar and salt, then whisk thoroughly. In another bowl, whisk the 2 whole eggs, buttermilk, oil and cake vanilla until evenly blended.
- 3
Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth, scraping the bottom of the bowl. Boil water in the kettle, measure 240 ml into a heatproof jug, and carefully whisk it into the batter in two additions. The finished batter will be thin.
- 4
Divide the batter equally between the tins, approximately 700 g per tin. Bake both tins together for about 40 minutes, using two shelves near the middle if necessary. Swap shelves and turn the tins after 25 minutes, once the surfaces have set. The cakes are ready when their centres spring back lightly and a skewer comes out without wet batter; a few moist crumbs are fine.
- 5
During the final 20 minutes of baking, make the coconut-pecan filling. In a saucepan, whisk the filling sugars, 3 egg yolks and 180 ml evaporated milk until combined. Add the cubed filling butter. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the base and corners, until the butter melts and the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 10–15 minutes. Check that it reaches 82–84°C / 180–183°F; do not let it boil.
- 6
Remove the saucepan from the hob. Stir in the filling vanilla, chopped pecans and coconut. Scrape into a wide, shallow heatproof bowl and leave to cool for about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely cool and thick enough to spread without running. This cooling happens alongside the cake cooling. Refrigerate promptly if assembly is delayed.
- 7
Let the baked cakes stand in their tins for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the sides, turn onto cooling racks and remove the parchment. Cool for another 75 minutes, or until completely cool through the centre. Do not fill or frost warm cake; extend the cooling time if needed.
- 8
Make the chocolate frosting once the cakes and filling are cool. Beat the softened frosting butter with an electric hand mixer for 2 minutes until creamy. Sift in the frosting cocoa and icing sugar in three additions, alternating with the 80 ml evaporated milk. Add the frosting vanilla. Start each addition on low speed, then beat on medium for 2–3 minutes until smooth and spreadable. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- 9
If either cake has a pronounced dome, carefully level it with a serrated knife. Place one layer on a serving plate. Spread half the cooled coconut-pecan filling evenly over it, stopping about 1 cm short of the edge. Add the second cake layer, flat side uppermost.
- 10
Put approximately 100 g chocolate frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Spread the remaining frosting smoothly around the cake sides and over a narrow band around the top edge. Spoon the remaining coconut-pecan filling onto the exposed top, leaving the outer edge clear. Pipe the reserved frosting around that edge to form a continuous border.
- 11
Refrigerate the finished cake for 30 minutes to firm the filling and frosting, then cut into 15 slices.
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