Today’s German Chocolate Cake is a recipe used for decades in the Luna family!
If you haven’t had it before, this is a rich, chocolatey dessert layered with a coconut pecan frosting everyone loves. Over all these years, it has become a go-to cake for birthdays, holidays, or anytime we need something special.
Plus, this cake is perfect for all chocolate and coconut lovers with its soft, moist chocolate layers paired with the sweet and nutty frosting. And although it’s a layered cake, we have shared all our tips and tricks to make sure it’s as simple and delicious as possible!
If you love classic desserts, try our Chocolate Cake, Texas Sheet Cake, and Coconut Cake. You can also find more family favorite treats in our dessert collection.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Rich Chocolate Flavor: Deep chocolate taste in every bite.
- Homemade Favorite: A from-scratch cake that feels extra special.
- Moist Texture: The oil and boiling water create a soft and tender crumb.
- Balanced Layers: The sweet frosting pairs perfectly with the chocolate cake.
German Chocolate Cake Ingredients
Cake
- All purpose flour (2 cups): Gives the cake structure and stability. See How to Measure Flour.
- Sugar (2 cups): Sweetens the cake and keeps it moist.
- Cocoa powder (¾ cup): Adds rich chocolate flavor.
- Baking powder (2 teaspoons): Helps the cake rise.
- Baking soda (1½ teaspoons): Works with the other ingredients to create a light texture.
- Salt (1 teaspoon): Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Milk (1 cup): Adds moisture and helps create a smooth batter. See How to Make Buttermilk.
- Eggs (2 large): Binds the ingredients and add structure.
- Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons): Enhances the flavor of the cake.
- Vegetable oil (½ cup): Keeps the cake soft and moist.
- Boiling water (1 cup): Helps bloom the cocoa and creates a smooth batter.
Frosting
- Evaporated milk (1 cup): Forms the base of the frosting and adds richness.
- Egg yolks (3): Thickens the frosting and gives it a creamy texture. See How to Separate Egg Whites.
- Sugar (1 cup): Sweetens the frosting.
- Butter (½ cup): Adds richness and smoothness to the frosting.
- Vanilla extract (½ teaspoon): Adds flavor to the frosting.
- Sweetened flaked coconut (1½ cups): Gives the frosting its classic texture and flavor.
- Chopped pecans (1 cup): Adds crunch and a nutty flavor.
Fun Fact
American baker, Samuel German, developed a type of dark-baking chocolate for Baker’s Chocolate Company. The brand name of the product was “Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate”. And that is where the cake’s name originates – not from Germany.
How to Make German Chocolate Cake
PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9″ round cake pans with non-stick spray. Place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan and lightly spray the tops of the parchment.
BATTER. Whisk 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, ¾ cup cocoa powder, 1½ teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
Add 1 cup milk (or buttermilk), 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and ½ cup oil to the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl and use an electric hand mixer). Beat until well combined. Slowly pour in 1 cup boiling water and beat till smooth.
BAKE. Divide batter between two pans. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
COOL. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 8-10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto cooling racks. Cool completely.
FROSTING. Whisk 1 cup evaporated milk, 3 egg yolks, and 1 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan. Add the ½ cup butter. Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened about 10-12 minutes.
Let cool for about 10 minutes, then stir in the ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1½ cups coconut, and 1 cup chopped pecans. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before adding to the cake.
FROST THE CAKE. Place one layer of cake on a plate stand and spread half of the frosting onto one of the cakes. Add the second layer, then spread the remaining frosting on top.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Frosting: Stir the frosting constantly to prevent burning.
- Easy Clean Up: Use parchment paper for easy cake removal.
- Cupcakes: Mix up the cake batter and make about 24 cupcakes. Fill each liner ¾ full and bake for 16-19 minutes at 350°F. Add frosting.
- Sheet Cake: Spread the batter into a greased 9×13 dish and bake for 25-35 minutes (or until the top springs back to the touch or a toothpick comes out clean). Top with a generous layer of frosting.
- Box Mix: I prefer to use an Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe made from scratch, but you can use a boxed cake mix if preferred. Prepare the cake as directed on the box in two 9-inch round pans (be sure to use room temperature ingredients). Cool the layers completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Toast Pecans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spread the chopped pecans in a single layer. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until aromatic and browned. Fold toasted chopped pecans to make a coconut pecan filling.
- Add a Ganache: While the coconut frosting is the signature topping of German chocolate cake, you can apply an extra layer using chocolate ganache. I suggest not using too much of the signature coconut frosting will be overshadowed.
German Chocolate Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup boiling water
Frosting
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup butter
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9" round cake pans with non-stick spray. Place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan. Spray parchment.
- Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and oil. Beat with a hand mixer till well combined. Slowly pour in the boiling water and beat till smooth.
- Divide batter between two pans. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 8-10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks. Cool completely.
- Spread half of the frosting onto one of the cakes. Add the second layer, then spread the remaining frosting on top.
Coconut Pecan Frosting
- Whisk together milk, egg yolks, and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Add the butter. Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened, about 10-12 minutes.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes, then stir in the vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before adding to cake.
Notes
- Cupcakes: Mix up the cake batter and make about 24 cupcakes. Fill each liner ¾ full and bake for 16-19 minutes at 350°F. Add frosting.
- Sheet Cake: Spread the batter into a greased 9×13 dish and bake for 25-35 minutes (or until the top springs back to the touch or a toothpick comes out clean). Top with a generous layer of frosting.
- Box Mix: I prefer to use an Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe made from scratch, but you can use a boxed cake mix if preferred. Prepare the cake as directed on the box in two 9-inch round pans (be sure to use room temperature ingredients). Cool the layers completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Toast Pecans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spread the chopped pecans in a single layer. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until aromatic and browned. Fold toasted chopped pecans to make a coconut pecan filling.
- Add a Ganache: While the coconut frosting is the signature topping of German chocolate cake, you can apply an extra layer using chocolate ganache. I suggest not using too much of the signature coconut frosting will be overshadowed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
We actually love it better the second day after the frosting has soaked in a bit. This is a perfect cake to make in advance.
Cover tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days. A large cake dome works the best. It can also be refrigerated for 4-6 days.
Freeze the cake layers and frost separately. Cool and wrap each layer with plastic wrap, then wrap them together with aluminum foil.
Freeze a fully decorated cake. Place the entire cake in the freezer. Once solid, wrap it with plastic wrap and again with foil. Freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
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This recipe was first shared May, 2019.
Made this a week ago and it will now be my go-to cake forever! It is so good!
Oh that makes me so happy to hear! So glad you enjoyed the cake.
Made this for a co-worker’s birthday. I tripled the recipe to make a full sized sheet cake. Amazing! Everyone raved and now I have been asked to make a smaller cake for another co-worker’s husband’s birthday. This is my go to recipe for chocolate and German chocolate cake.
The best chocolate cake ever! I made it for my son’s birthday and now my other son asked me to make it for his birthday!! Love it!
This is so rich, fudgy and super decadent! Kids super love this version of German chocolate cake. We are having this again tomorrow and they can’t wait!
Yay! So glad to hear it is a hit with your kiddos!
I had never heard of a German chocolate cake but I am glad I found this since this is so much better than just a regular chocolate cake.
I made these for the first time yesterday and it turned out great! Really appreciated the variations provided and decided to go with cupcakes. For the frosting, I didn’t have evaporated milk so I used a 1:1 ratio of unsweetened coconut milk and it turned out great!
Thanks for sharing what you did. I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake!