Valentine’s Day is almost here and my social media feeds are full of pink, purple and red. I love it all and I promise I’ll post some pink soon! Although there’s no pink or red, the cake I’m sharing today is full of love and great memories. My mom made German Chocolate Cake for my Grandpa (her dad) and my Dad for their February birthdays every year. I liked it but I never loved it until I got older. She always used the recipe printed inside the box. Did you know there’s nothing German about it?
German Chocolate Cake is a dark and decadent triple-decker dessert topped and layered with a buttery frosting loaded with shredded coconut and pecans. I did a little research and the sweet is a creation of Mrs. George Clay of Dallas, Texas, who submitted a recipe for “German Sweet Chocolate Cake” to the Dallas Morning News in 1957. The paper ran the recipe, and it caused such an enthusiastic response that newspapers around the country reprinted it.
German’s Sweet Chocolate, an ingredient originally made by Walter Baker & Co. of Dorchester, Massachusetts. (The product’s name was chosen after Samuel German, who developed the chocolate for the company back in 1852.) It was Mrs. Clay’s recipe that put German’s Sweet Chocolate on the map (THANK YOU!). Within a year of the recipe’s publication, Walter Baker & Co. capitalized on the cake’s popularity by printing a recipe for German Chocolate Cake on every box of its sweet chocolate.
German Chocolate Cake is rich and delicious. You could skip making the cake and just make the frosting and you’ll be all set for the rest of your life. No kidding! I’ve been known to make a batch and eat it by the spoonful. While it’s still warm. Also when it’s cool. It’s perfect for this cake, over ice cream, sandwiched between cookies, you get it.
I actually did eat way too much of it this time around. My first attempt at making the cake failed and I turned to the frosting in my time of need.
I found a recipe online that had some minor changes that sounded good so I gave it a go. The cakes didn’t rise and I had to start over. I went back to the original recipe I’ve used for years and it worked perfectly.
This cake is light and delicately flavored with chocolate. The frosting is the real star.
Let’s start with the cake. The only thing you unique in the ingredients list is the Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate. You’ll also need: AP flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, eggs, unsalted butter, vanilla and buttermilk.
Melt the chocolate in boiling water and set aside. Separate the eggs and set the whites aside. Mix butter and sugar then add egg yolks one at a time, mixing well in between.
Add the vanilla, cooled chocolate mixture and dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, alternating with the buttermilk.
Mix the egg whites until soft peaks form and fold those gently into the cake batter. Once incorporated, fill prepared pans and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes.
Frosting ingredients are simple and rich! Butter, evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla, eggs, pecans and coconut.
I like to toast my pecans to give them more crunch and flavor but you can certainly skip that step. They do need to be chopped. Heat evaporated milk, egg yolks, butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium size pan over medium heat. Cook for about 12 minutes until thick.
Once thick, remove from heat and add chopped pecans and coconut and stir. Let cool. This is the point you’ll be wishing you’d doubled the recipe so you can eat a bowl of it and still have enough to frost the cake!
When the cakes are finished, remove from the oven and let them cool completely on wire racks. Place one cake on a plate or platter and smother it in frosting, add next layer, frosting and the final layer and frosting. That’s all the “decorating” that’s involved!
Gorgeous, right? You can get all fancy and add pecan halves to the top or whip up some chocolate frosting and pipe swirls. That would be beautiful! I keep mine simple because that’s how I like it. I always think about my dad when I make this cake. When he and my mom divorced, I made it for him for his birthday before he moved a little further away from where I live. Now, I make his favorite cake, send him a picture and eat a piece to celebrate how thankful I am he’s still having birthdays!
It’s a huge cake and I would definitely have no problem eating the whole thing but I’m trying to maintain my “everything in moderation” plan. I sliced this beauty up and delivered some to my neighbors. You’d be surprised how happy folks are when you knock on their door to hand them German Chocolate Cake on a cold winter day! The smiles warmed me right up and reminded me that I really love to bake people happy!
German Chocolate Cake is yummy for any occasion and especially perfect for February birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s party (it’s yummy with wine) or to simply hand out to your friends and neighbors. Sweet!
From the heart,
Shannon
Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate Cake
Cake
Ingredients
1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER’S GERMAN’S Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup water
4 eggs, separated
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Cover bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round pans with parchment; spray sides with cooking spray.
- Melt chocolate in boiling water; set aside to cool.
- Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla.
- Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.
- Beat egg whites in small bowl with mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.
- Add egg whites to cake batter; fold in gently until well blended.
- Pour into prepared pans.
- Bake 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Immediately run small spatula around cakes in pans. Cool cakes in pans 5 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
Frosting
Ingredients
4 egg yolks
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans (toasted if you like)
1 pkg. (7 oz.) sweetened shredded coconut (2-2/3 cups)
Instructions
-
- Beat egg yolks, milk and vanilla in large saucepan with whisk until blended.
- Add sugar and butter; cook on medium heat 12 min. or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- Add pecans and coconut; stir well. Cool to desired spreading consistency.
Recipe adopted and modified from various sources, including the Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate box version.
flouredapron.com 