This classic German Chocolate Cake recipe features three layers of moist, tender chocolate cake and rich, sticky coconut-pecan frosting. Everyone loves this easy-to-make, decadent cake!
German Chocolate Cake could very well be renamed “Dad’s Birthday Cake” in our family. Mom has made this triple-layer goodness nearly every March, for as long as I can remember. She even baked it in Florida last year, when our entire family was gathered to celebrate Dad’s 80th birthday. Yes, this fabulously moist cake with its signature light chocolate flavor and sticky coconut-pecan frosting is just that special!
Why This German Chocolate Cake Is a Family Favorite
Besides its sentimental value, being my dad’s birthday cake of choice each year (that’s me in the photo above, blowing out Dad’s candles!) – one bite and you’ll understand why this German chocolate cake has stood the test of time. Here’s why we make it year after year after year:
- A classic German chocolate cake. If you’re looking for an old-fashioned, traditional German chocolate cake to satisfy a craving, this recipe is the one. And if you’d prefer a classic reinvented, then this German Chocolate Sheet Cake or German Chocolate Macaroons would be great!
- Awesomely contrasting textures. If you’re a “texture person” — that is to say, you appreciate a recipe where there’s a good mix of crunchy, chewy, moist, and tender — German chocolate cake is for you, my friend. The combination of moist, tender chocolate cake layered with thick, sticky, crunchy, coconut-laden frosting is over-the-top delicious.
- MORE frosting! I’ve always wished for more of that sticky coconut-pecan goodness slathered over my piece of German chocolate cake; I just can’t get enough. So I always take the liberty of adjusting the cake to frosting ratio, to give my cake MORE of that gooey, nutty awesomeness – I’ll never make German chocolate cake any other way! I include several different options for frosting the cake, with different frosting amounts, at the bottom of my recipe card.
“Hands down, this is the best German Chocolate cake I have ever had. Thank you for sharing your family’s recipe with us. Your dad was a very lucky guy.”
Susan
What You’ll Need
Grab some German’s sweet chocolate from the grocery aisle; the rest of the ingredients are likely already in your pantry! Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Cake:
- Water – You’ll heat the water and combine it with the chocolate to melt it.
- German’s sweet chocolate – The namesake of this classic cake! Read on for a bit of backstory on this special ingredient.
- Flour – All-purpose flour provides structure to the cake.
- Baking soda – A leavening agent to help the cake rise; it reacts with the acid in the buttermilk.
- Salt – This enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Eggs – These add rich flavor and moist texture; bring them to room temperature.
- Butter – Adds moisture and flavor to the cake; ensure it’s at room temperature for easy creaming.
- Sugar – Your everyday white sugar sweetens the cake.
- Vanilla extract – Another ingredient that enhances the overall flavor of this cake. Use pure vanilla extract, which has more complexity than imitation.
- Buttermilk – This should also be at room temperature. I highly recommend using store-bought buttermilk; I just always have better results than when I use a homemade buttermilk substitute.
For the Coconut Pecan Frosting:
- Egg yolks – These add richness to the frosting; make sure they’re room temperature. You can keep the egg whites in the fridge for a few days – save them for making an egg white omelet.
- Evaporated milk – Not condensed milk, which is sweetened.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar adds sweetness, plus that wonderful and unique German chocolate cake frosting texture.
- Vanilla extract – Just like above, use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Butter – At room temperature.
- Flake coconut – I use Baker’s Sweetened Angel Flake Coconut.
- Pecans – Roasted, salted pecans deliver crunch and balance the sweetness of this recipe. I really like the ones from Trader Joe’s.
What Is Baker’s German’s Chocolate?
You might assume from the name that German chocolate cake hails from Germany, but it’s actually named after Sam German, an American baker who developed a type of sweet baking chocolate in the 1850s; it has a higher sugar content than typical baking chocolate bars. While Baker’s sold German’s chocolate for over a century, it didn’t become popular until the 1950s, when a Texas homemaker shared her recipe for German’s chocolate cake using the ingredient. After that, sales skyrocketed!
How to Make German Chocolate Cake
German chocolate cake is an indulgent dessert that’s simple to make at home. (Yes, really!)
- Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line three round cake pans with parchment paper, then grease them.
- Melt the chocolate. Heat the water in the microwave until boiling, stir in the chocolate until it melts, and set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Whip the egg whites. Separate the eggs – place the yolks in a small bowl for later, and add the whites to a mixing bowl. Whisk the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped whites to a smaller bowl and refrigerate.
- Start the cake batter. In the same mixing bowl you beat the egg whites in (no need to clean it first), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks one at a time. Mix in the melted chocolate and vanilla.
- Add the flour and buttermilk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and buttermilk in three parts, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
- Finish the batter. Gently fold in the egg whites and divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Run a knife along the pan edges, cool for 15 minutes, then turn out the cakes onto wire racks. Remove the parchment and cool completely.
- Make the frosting. In a saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, evaporated milk, sugar, and vanilla. Add the butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and golden in color. Stir in the coconut and pecans, then cool.
- Assemble. Layer the cakes and frosting, spreading the frosting evenly on top of each layer. Decorate with additional whole pecans if desired.
Tips & Variations
Here are some helpful tips and variations to make this recipe your own.
- Start it ahead of time. The cake layers can be baked a day ahead of time if you want to get a jump start. Let them cool completely, wrap them in plastic wrap, and store them at room temperature. The frosting can also be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator; just bring it to room temperature before assembling. Or simply bake and assemble completely the day before, cover the cake with a dome, and store at room temperature or chill it in the fridge – this cake takes well to being made ahead of time.
- Adjust the amount of frosting — or add chocolate frosting too. At the bottom of my recipe card I share my best tips about frosting this cake, including different ways to frost it, and different amounts of frosting. You could also use the coconut pecan frosting on the top and between the layers and frost the sides of the cake with Chocolate Buttercream. Or you could add swirls of yummy Chocolate Ganache!
- Just chill. I always find that the cake cuts a little better, with cleaner cuts, if it’s slightly chilled. Plus I always just prefer a chilled chocolate cake!
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Cover the cake and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or store smaller portions in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Place cake in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
More Classic Cake Recipes
German Chocolate Cake
Yield: 16 servings
This classic German Chocolate Cake recipe is a moist, rich three-layer chocolate cake topped with a nutty coconut-pecan frosting. Perfection!
Print
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup water
- 4 ounces Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate Baking Bar, roughly chopped
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup full-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
Coconut-Pecan Frosting (See Notes below)
- 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2½ cups Baker's Sweetened Angel Flake Coconut
- 1½ cups chopped roasted and salted pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three light-colored 9″ round cake pans with rounds of wax paper or parchment paper. Grease the insides of the pans. Set aside.
- Cake: Add the water to a liquid measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it just starts to boil. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Place yolks in a small bowl; set aside. Place whites in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer). Using the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Gently transfer stiff egg whites to a smaller bowl and refrigerate until ready to fold into the cake batter.
- Add butter and sugar to the same mixing bowl (no need to clean it first). With the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until mixture is light and creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add reserved egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add melted chocolate and vanilla, and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating in three additions, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients only until incorporated – do not over mix.
- With a spatula, gently fold in the stiff egg whites until you see only small specks of egg white in the batter. Divide batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans.
- Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out just barely clean. Remove cakes from oven and immediately run a thin, sharp knife around the inside edges of each cake pan. Let cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes, then invert each cake onto a wire cooling rack. Peel off wax paper rounds and let cakes cool completely.
- Coconut-Pecan Frosting: Add egg yolks, evaporated milk, sugar, and vanilla to a large saucepan and whisk until well blended. Add butter and cook over medium heat until thickened and golden, stirring slowly yet constantly, about 12 minutes.
- Remove saucepan from heat and stir in coconut and pecans until fully combined. Let cool to room temperature and of desired spreading consistency.
- Assemble: Place first cake layer on a serving platter. Spread with an even layer of frosting. Repeat with second cake layer and frosting. Then add final cake layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top.
Notes
Coconut-Pecan Frosting:
- The frosting amount is meant to frost the top of the cake and in between the cake layers only. This is a nice, adequate amount of frosting, but not “generous”.
- You can also use this same amount to frost the top of the cake, in between the cake layers, and the outside perimeter of the cake. Just know that each layer will be very thin. I’ve done this before – it does work.
- To frost the entire cake (including the layers and the outside perimeter of the assembled cake), consider doubling the frosting recipe – especially if you really love frosting! This will add a little time to the total cook time of the frosting.
- How I make my German Chocolate Cake: I make 1½ batches of the frosting, so I can be a bit more generous with the frosting – because it’s so dang good! You will need to add a little time to the cook time. I still frost only the top of the cake and in between the cake layers (not the outside perimeter of the assembled cake). You can see what this looks like from the photos included in this post.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 691kcal Carbohydrates: 79g Protein: 7g Fat: 40g Saturated Fat: 21g Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 149mg Sodium: 389mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 62g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
This post was originally published here in 2011, then updated in 2025.
Hands down, this is the best German Chocolate cake I have ever had. Thank you for sharing your family’s recipe with us. Your dad was a very lucky guy.
Hands down, this is the best German Chocolate cake I have ever had. Thank you for sharing your family’s recipe with us. Your dad was a very lucky guy.
What kind of flour do I need?
How many servings does this recipe make? I’m just curious.
For years I have been making this cake at least twice a year. Once in May for my son’s birthday and then again in August for my husband’s birthday! I make it the way your mom does with the sides not iced.
OH…this looks SO good! Will be making this soon. Thanks for the recipe…
Delicious recipe, thank you!! The BF wanted a german chocolate rum cake for his birthday, so I poked some holes in the baked layers with a fork and drizzled on some rum… kept it nice and moist. :)
Yum! My favorite cake ever, and I make it exactly like this, only I toast the pecans and the coconut before making the frosting. Amazing! I just found your blog this morning and I love it! :-)
I just made this cake
I just wanted to say that this was absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe. I discovered your blog a few months ago and I have gained a lot of love for it. Thanks for blogging! :)
this was always my favorite bday cake but I’m sure it came in a box..but maybe not-I’ll try this again! thanks
Thanks for stopping by, Rae!
Truly I don’t think I would be able to stop myself if I got my hands on your dads b’day cake. It looks amazing!!
Hi Marla – so nice to hear from you! Thanks!
Hey! I wanted to let you know that I’m featuring your recipe today. Thanks so much for sharing it. I’d love for you to stop by if you get a chance.
Katie
I just paid you a visit, Katie – thanks for featuring my cake!
Maybe I should invest in a third cake tin though so I can make one!
So much yummy stuff, cakes from scratch are the best!! Would like to invite you to link up any & all of your delightful creations to The Homespun Bake Shop @ The Tattered Tag. It’s a great new place to share & find delicious inspiration.
Thank you, Christina. I will check out your site.
Are you bringing the cake this weekend? YUMMY!
Actually…I intentionally made this a few weeks ago, when Dad & Mom were visiting, so we could share it. Mom said she was going to try a new cake for Dad’s birthday this weekend, since he got his German Chocolate in his birthday month. :)