German Chocolate Cake
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I have long associated German Chocolate Cake with Father’s Day, although I’m not entirely sure why. I think I remember my mom making it for my dad once or twice growing up (although never on Father’s Day, ironically) and the correlation must have stuck somewhere along the way. Although I don’t have a distinct memory to tie the two together, German Chocolate Cake just seems like a “man’s man” cake, doesn’t it? So many chocolate layers with a sugary pecan-coconut filling in between and then iced in more chocolate… it’s certainly not a cake for the faint of heart! With Father’s Day coming up this Sunday, I’m sure this cake could make many men in your life happy!
Up until recently, I thought that this cake actually originated in Germany, hence the name. Turns out, it’s as American as the Big Mac. Who knew?! Way back in 1852, Sam German developed a brand of dark chocolate for Baker’s Chocolate Company and the resulting product, Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate, was named in honor of him. Then, in the late 1950’s, the original recipe for “German’s Chocolate Cake”, which used the baking chocolate, was submitted by a homemaker to a local newspaper. It became insanely popular, so much so, that the company that owned Baker’s Chocolate noticed and distributed the recipe to other newspapers across the country. Reportedly, sales of the chocolate increased 73% , and the cake became famous. Here’s hoping that homemaker from Dallas who came up with the recipe got a little piece of the action!
This recipe was actually my second go at German Chocolate Cake recently, and I’m pretty confident it will be my last. I first turned to my usual trusted source for classic recipes when I set about making the cake, but ended up being surprisingly disappointed. The cake layers were wispy thin and the chocolate flavor was severely lacking. I started my search over and when I came across this recipe I thought it looked extremely promising. It was described as a “big, tall” cake with four layers brushed with a rum syrup, lots of filling and iced with a fantastic chocolate ganache. This cake delivered and then some.
You can’t taste the rum in the syrup, but it accents the chocolate flavor and keeps the cake nice and moist. The filling is studded with toasted pecans and toasted coconut; the toasting takes mere minutes but adds so much in terms of flavor and texture. Finally, the icing isn’t overpowering, but a perfect complement and finishing touch to the cake – you don’t want to skip it!
Are you making anything special for Father’s Day on Sunday?
One year ago: Creamy, Lighter Macaroni Salad
Two years ago: Oven-Fried Onion Rings, Take II
Three years ago: Chocolate Espresso Semifreddo[/donotprint]
German Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1¼ cup (250 g) + ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- 1 cup (238 ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1 cup (99 g) pecans, toasted and finely chopped
- 1 â…“ cups (113.33 g) unsweetened coconut, toasted
For the Rum Syrup:
- â…” cup (166.67 ml) water
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons dark rum
For the Chocolate Icing:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup (238 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Make the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- Melt the semisweet and unsweetened chocolates together with the 6 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Use either a double-boiler or microwave on 50% for 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Stir until smooth, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1¼ cup of the sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat in the melted chocolate until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add the buttermilk and the vanilla extract, mixing until combined, and then add the remainder of the flour mixture.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the ¼ cup of sugar and beat until they form stiff, glossy peaks.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites just until there’s no trace of egg white visible.
- Divide the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans, smooth the tops, and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake layers completely (leave them in the pans). While the cakes are baking and cooling, make the filling, syrup and icing.
- Make the Filling: Stir together the heavy cream, sugar and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Put the butter, salt, pecans and coconut in a large bowl and set aside. Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir) until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon (an instant-read thermometer will read 170 degrees F.). Pour the hot custard immediately into the pecan-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted. Cool completely to room temperature.
- Make the Rum Syrup: In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the dark rum. Set aside until ready to use.
- Make the Chocolate Icing: Place the chopped chocolate, corn syrup and butter in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand one minute, then stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
- Once the filling and icing are both cooled to room temperature, refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Assemble the Cake: Remove the cake layers from the pans and cut both cake layers in half horizontally using a sharp serrated knife, so you have four cake layers. Set the first cake layer on a cake plate. Brush the top of the cake layer with the rum syrup. Spread ¾ cup of the coconut filling over the cake layer, making sure to reach to the edges. Set another cake layer on top. Repeat, brushing the top of each cake layer with the rum syrup, then spreading ¾ cup of the coconut filling over each layer, including the top. Ice the sides with the chocolate icing, then pipe a decorative border of chocolate icing around the top, encircling the coconut topping.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I made the cake part at this point. Can I freeze it. I need to for 4 days from now. I was hoping I can also make the filling and keep in the fridge until I am ready to assemble. I was doing a trial run, but the cake came out so nice, I want to use it.
Thanks!
This is THE BEST German Chocolate Cake recipe I’ve ever come across, and I’ve made them for many yearsI. I have made it at least 6 times already but each time I left out the rum syrup for 2 reasons—1/because I bake it under 45 to ensure some moistness and 2/other cakes’ syrup has been gritty and way too sweet. I was reading the comments and this time I will add the rum syrup. Hopefully it will be ok. Everyone I’ve made it for has absolutely loved it.
I have made this three times since 2016, when I first discovered this recipe. Well, my family has requested it once again for Thanksgiving this year. So it looks like I’ll be making it again next week!
So I have made this recipe before with much success. This time however, my ganache didn’t set up. It wasn’t thick enough to pipe.  I did make it wrong the first time and then rechecked the recipe (I put too much butter in it because I was looking at the wrong spot in the recipe). I remade it but it was still not right.  Could it have been the type of chocolate I used?  Need some advice because I really really love this recipe and always get so many great compliments on the taste! Thanks in advance!
Would this work as cupcakes?
Hi Kathryn, I’ve never tried it, so can’t say for sure.
Hi! Can the unsweetened 2 oz be 100% cacao?? Thanks!
Yes, that would totally work!
It’s hard to read through the recipe without drooling. I have to make this
I have made this recipe several times, either for my dad’s birthday or father’s day. Everyone always loves it!! However, I’ve always wondered…how much of the rum syrup do you usually have leftover? Do you use it all or have a lot left? I’ve done both, and thought the flavors were much better using more. I was curious what you did!
This is the best German chocolate cake I’ve ever had. My neighbor says it’s better than her mom’s. The hubby now makes sure that we always have German chocolate, pecans and coconut in the pantry.
Thanks for making all our lives a little sweeter!
This is my go to German Chocolate Cake, the last time I made this recipe was in 2013! It is being requested from a good friend who has stage four cancer and I know it will be the best cake he has ever tasted! Thank you for sharing.Â
can the icing and the filling be made  day before, refrigerated and then assembled the next day?
Hi Nini, Yes that would be fine! You may need to bring them to room temperature to spread more easily.
I just used the filling from this recipe and I absolutely love it! Toasting the pecans and coconut really brings out the flavor! Also, I love that it calls for plain unsweetened coconut, I was able to use all organic ingredients! I will say that it takes a long time for the filling to get to 170* and that mine didn’t really thicken all that much. But as soon as it’s all mixed together it was a perfect consistency. Definitely used the instant read thermometer. This is a wonderful recipe especially if you would rather use fresh milk than canned 😊
I made it. I was told it’s perfect. I think so, too.
The toasting of the pecans and coconut makes it amazing. DO NOT omit the rum syrup! The crumb of the cake is delicate and full of flavor. It’s perfect! I took 2 days to make it, starting with the cake and filling in the evening, completing it the next morning. I’m telling you, it’s a 10/10. It’s perfect.
THANK YOU! If you want to tell anyone you love them and care about them, make this cake!
 Is the baking time on this recipe really 45 minutes? My cakes up here done after 30 minutes and begin to smell like they are over cooking. A toothpick inserted comes out clean, so I remove the cakes, but then as they cool they fall in the center.  I always hear that leaving them in for 45 minutes will result in a dry cake. I’d appreciate any guidance you can offer. Congratulations on the new addition to your family.  She is beautiful. By the way, I absolutely love your chocolate dump it cake recipe!
*The cakes appear done… Â I fear that leaving them in for 45 minutes will result in a dry cake…
Hi Monica, Thank you so much! Baking times vary based on the recipe and ovens can run cooler or hotter as well. But as long as a toothpick comes out clean, they should be good.
I love this German Chocolate Cake. It is the best that I have ever had. I followed all instructions to the mark, and it came out perfect. The layers were very moist and tender. I love the addition of the rum syrup. The filling was not too sweet, it was a sweetness that was just enough. Thank you for the unsweetened coconut for the filling, because for me, the sweetened coconut would make it too sweet. The chocolate icing is a very nice compliment to rest of the cake. This is a cake very well put together. The best German Chocolate Cake I have had. I also love your homemade rum cake. I will continue to make both, and try more
of your recipes. Thanks so much, and God bless!
This cake was labor intensive, but definitely well worth it! A labor of love for my mom’s 81st birthday was enjoyed by all. Most said it was the one of the best cakes they have ever tasted!
If I refrigerate it will the choc crack?
Hi Lisa, No you should be fine refrigerating it.
Love this take on the German Chocolate Cake! I love the richness that the chocolate ganache adds. This recipe has been pinned to my favorites for a few years now.and thishis weekend, I will be making it for the third time. I’ve made it once for my parent’s anniversary and now twice for my hubby’s birthday. It’s been a huge hit with the family each time. The first time I made it I used fresh shredded coconut and it was amazing, but that added a lot of time and effort onto a recipe that is alreagy very time consuming. Although I have and will continue to use packaged coconut ever since, this recipe is still totally worth the amount of time it takes to prepare.
Made this for hubby’s birthday. The frosting was extremely thin and there was absolutely no decorative border happening with this. Otherwise, it was great.
This recipe is so very delicious! I followed every step exactly and I ended up with the best tasting German Chocolate cake I’ve ever had. It definitely takes some time to make each step. Materials to make the cake ran around $25. I will absolutely make this again, but I’m limiting it to super special people. 😉
I made this for my coworker’s retirement party, and it was a HUGE hit! There was absolutely nothing left – it was so delicious! I will absolutely be making this again!
I love this German Chocolate Cake.  It’s my go to recipe.  However, every time  I make it, the cakes cook very quickly. Although the recipe says to bake the cakes for 45 minutes my cakes appear done in about 30 minutes (toothpick comes out clean, but once they are out, they fall a bit). Am I doing something wrong? Are the cakes intended to be dryer? Should I leave them in? Any thoughts you can provide are appreciated.  Thanks!
Hi Monica, They shouldn’t be dry, so if they are finished I would take them out as you have. Do you use an oven thermometer? Perhaps it runs a little hot?
Hi there! Making this for my hubby’s birthday next month….my first attempt and it is his favorite. A couple questions….do you prefer the bitter or semi-sweet in this? I have both…what did you use and did you use the same for the cake and the icing? Also for greasing the pans with shortening….did you use the original or butter flavored? As always, thank you! I will let you know how it turns out :-)
Hi Carolyn, I used semisweet, but I think if you prefer dark go with that! I did use the same for both the cake and icing. I used original shortening for greasing. I hope you and your husband enjoy the cake! Happy birthday to him!
I had an epic fail. Â Not sure where I went wrong? Â The batter looked and tasted amazing! Â I cooked in my convection oven for 36 minutes. Â I let them completely cool in the pan and when I went to remove the cake it just crumbled apart.
I’m so sad. Â It was for my husbands birthday. Â I’ve never had a cake crumble like this. Â I don’t know which step I over did, but I’m now looking up Cake Ball recipes online to see if I can salvage the cake and frosting somehow. Â They both still taste great! Just in a million pieces great! :-(
If you’ve got suggestions, please send them my way!
Thanks!
WhAt can i use as a substitute for rum and corn syrup?
You can simply omit the rum or use another liquor like brandy if you’d prefer. As for the corn syrup, that helps the frosting become satiny smooth. The only substitute I’d recommend is Lyle’s golden syrup.
Hi Michelle,
I tried to see if you had already answered this and also I know it’s not the best day to ask seeing it is you ask anything day on the open blog part. I noticed that you used to different chocolates in the cakes it’s self. I have never made this cake with anything other then the bakers’ sweet chocolate. How different in the taste would it be from the orginal to yours? I personally could care less because I don’t like German chocolate but my mom LOVES it and her birthday is coming up. If I use the sweet chocolate do I need to adjust the sugar amont. Or if you think that it is similar enough in taste I would be willing to try yours. I want to try yours but for mom mom I want to keep to as orginal the taste as I can.
So it was a little long winded there. Thanks in advance Sabrina.
Hi Sabrina, I don’t have another recipe to compare it to, and I think this one is excellent. I would not alter the sugar, as it is based on this particular formulation of chocolate.
This cake was absolutely delicious. It makes for a happy heart!
yummy. I am gonna try this on weekend for sure. Thank you so much
FROSTING-Finally it was not runny after sixth attempt! This cake is the birthday favorite, despite years of runny yummy chocolate frosting. Today I read the comments and clued in that only a few of us were failing on the frosting. So what changed- First I started the recipe who the frosting-because this is the only fail. I was exact on milk and butter. Then made sure it got to 170 degrees stirring constantly. Yokes had no egg whites at all.
Then I really let it get to room temp. before putting in fridge. Easy to do as I then doubled the filling, then worked on the batter. That was it-perfect frosting when I went back to fridge-so it was chef error-not the recipe. This recipe does not allow you to walk away-it demands your full attention for a huge chunk of time-but if you love German Chocolate cake you will not find a better recipe!
My husband’s cousin is getting married in July and wants me to make this for his groom’s table. Will this be a large enough cake for a groom’s table? Also, I will need to transport it an hour (in July), do you think I should keep it refrigerated until we need to leave the day of the wedding? Oh, and I’ve never made a German chocolate cake. Any suggestions is greatly appreciated!
Hi there, Yes, you should keep it refrigerated, the icing is soft so you’ll want it to be thoroughly chilled before traveling, and I would keep it in the main part of the car (not the trunk) and make sure you have your air conditioning on. As for if it will be large enough – I have no idea how many people you need it to serve. As you can see above, it serves 10 to 12 with regular size pieces. Obviously, if you keep them smaller, you will get more.
This looks divine! I’m planning on making a 2-tiered fondant-covered cake for my mom’s 70th birthday. Do you think this cake is firm enough to stand up to being stacked and covered in fondant?
Hi Karyn, I think it should be. The filling is soft, but I think if you chilled it, you should be fine. Happy birthday to your mom!
Thank you Michelle. I’m excited to try it out. I need to serve 40-50 people, so I’m thinking of tripling the recipe. Wish me luck….though I’ve made many, many cakes before, this is my first German Chocolate.
Also, instead of using the chocolate frosting, I’ll cover the sides and create a dam in each layer with chocolate ganache. This should help stabilize the cake too.
Does this cake… Need to be…REFRIGERATED
Hi Angie, I kept mine at room temperature.
I just baked this cake for someone’s birthday. I am a professional baker, but never made this type of cake. Just not my taste. This recipe looked good and based on the comments I figured I would go for it. The oven timing is way way off!!!! Thank God I know enough NEVER to go by what the recipe says!!!! I looked at the cakes after 30 minutes! And they were done. and my oven is at the correct temp. I hv news for you, they would hv been done by 25 minutes. I looked at other recipes with pretty much the same ingredients with 9″ pans and most say 30 minutes! So i hv no clue where they get 45 minutes!!!!! I also feel there is not a lot of the filling. I think it should be increased. I was afraid there was not going to be enough. Perhaps I like my layers to have more filling. That is just me. I have no idea how it will taste. My friend will let me know.
So! I made this before and it was the best German Chocolate cake EVER! I’m half way through making another one and realized that I was following another recipe (Willard Family Recipe) off the internet and not this one. I’m totally bummed and trying my best to finish off with this recipe. Thankfully, I can still make the topping and frosting and use the rum wash so I’m hoping it turns out as good. I’ll be sure to bookmark this one because it was simply the best and was better the day or two after!
Made this today for my sister in law’s birthday. It was AMAZING! totally worth the six hours it took me to make it. I’m sure there were less time consuming ways to do everything, but I had never made a cake like this one and I wanted everything to be perfect. If anyone is wondering if this recipe is legit I am here to tell you it is perfect! I don’t particularly like coconut or German chocolate cake, but I could have eaten this whole cake by myself. The cake was dense enough to hold up to layering, but very moist, and the chocolate ganache frosting was the perfect compliment to the very sweet coconut pecan custard filling. I used semi sweet chocolate and substituted 2 tsp. vanilla for the rum in the simple syrup. The cake was a huge hit at the birthday party. I better love my family because I am sure they will be asking me to make this deliciously complicated cake again.
Have made this a couple of times. Pretty much an all day affair, but what a nice way to spend a day and the result is really worth the time. This is the MOST delicious cake ever!
this is my official special occasion recipe:)
This cake is the ultimate German Chocolate Cake. I had to double the filling amount though – the first time I made it I didn’t have enough. Maybe I “tasted” it too much! Thank you.
I followed the directions for the cake to a “T’ It came out DRY and CRUMBLY. I even took 10 minutes off the cooking time because it was done long before the recommended time. I cut the first cake in half and I had to basically piece the layers back together. (I didn’t have time to make another cake)
On the PLUS side: The filling and chocolate icing turned out perfectly! The layers may have been ugly, but once that icing was on… I was pretty content with the way it looked.
I made this cake as a special request for my husband’s 50th birthday and it was a big hit! Delicious and easy enough for a home baker with minimal experience to pull off. My favorite comment though was my five-year old daughter’s question when I was filling the layers with the coconut pecan filling. A granddaughter and daughter of life long South Louisiana residents she asked, hesitatingly, why I was filling the cake with dirty rice :D LOL! Thanks for a great cake and an awesome family story!
I made this today. I wanted to keep things simple, so I went with a 9×13 version. This is a wonderful recipe. The coconut filling was so good I couldn’t stop sampling it. Hubby liked it very much as well. Your recipes are the best.
We’ve made the cake several times and just love it. Because of our high altitude I cut down the fat, leavening and sugar and slightly increase the buttermilk. I cut the butter in the icing down to 2 TBSP and I use a high quality chocolate from a specialty baking and cooking store (Gygi’s is great if you’re in the Salt Lake City, UT area!). Also, the cream really does need to come to a boil. Basically the chocolate frosting is a ganache spin-off. This recipe has been requested several times for both birthdays and holidays at our house. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Ok, I’ve made this cake twice now and both times my icing NEVER sets up. I am so frustrated as I’ve spent all day and quite a bit of money on all of the ingredients. It is so delicious, but my icing just runs off of the cake and definitely is not thick enough to pipe any decorative border on top. I followed the steps word for word, what in the world am I doing wrong and why am I the only one that seems to have this issue? Help :(
I am correct. The icing is missing confectioner surgar? There is nothing to hold this together. The icing is soup. Otherwise the cake is excellent.
This is a ganache-style icing, no confectioners sugar should be used. However, the icing does need to be refrigerated for a full hour, which enables it to thicken. Yours may have needed a bit longer in the refrigerator to set up properly.
I refrigerated mine for an hour, checked it, still wasn’t set up. Long story short, it chilled in my refrigerator for 7 hours and never set up… Any suggestions?
I didn’t have to chill mine, as it cooled it was fine to ice the cake and I even piped a border on the top and bottom no problem. I did put in the fridge afterwards and while the chocolate ganache-style icing didn’t harden it didn’t fall off the cake either.
You missed an ingredient in the icing. Ruined my day and the cake. Don’t post something that isn’t right!
Rob, I’m sorry your cake didn’t turn out, but there are not any ingredients missing from the icing recipe above. It IS correct.
Wow… rude much? You ruined your own day with your attitude.
Made this for my husband, it was awesome. I’m thinking of making it for a New Year’s Eve party. If I do, I’ll make it the day. My husband said it was even better the next day.
I made the cake following the recipe. It is a nice recipe. The only issue I had is with the chocolate icing. It was too thin at room temperature to spread on cake. I added 1-1/2 cups of confectioners sugar at that is just right.
Hi I want make this cake for my husbands birthday but he’s doesn’t eat/drink dairy is there anyway I can make this non dairy? What can I use instead of the buttermilk and the heavy cream?
Thanx.
Hi Debbi, I haven’t done any work with substituting dairy, so unfortunately, I couldn’t give you any concrete suggestions that I know would work with certainty.
Thanx. I hav another question if I leave out the pecans from the filling should I use st instead? (No nuts)
Hi Debbi, What is st?
Sorry. should I use something else?
Hi Debbi, If you can’t use nuts, I don’t think there’s anything else you could substitute.
You can make buttermilk with most unsweatened non dairy(example: soy) milks and vinegar the same way you would with dairy milk. Maybe unsweatened coconut cream can work in place of regular cream. Sometimes I make vegan substitutions and its hit or miss. But we’re ovo-lacto vegetarians so, we do use dairy. I know this comment is late but, hoping it helps someone in the future.
How far in advance may I make the filling and the frosting? Iit is Sunday, and I want to make the filling tonight, frowting tomorrow, and assemble on Tuesday.
Hi Sara, That would work!
This cake looks fabulous! Would it be okay to use a combination of semi-sweet and milk chocolates for the frosting? Also does this cake need to be kept refrigerated or will it keep at room temperature?
Hi Carrie, I think the combo of chocolate would be fine. You can keep the cake at room temperature as long as your kitchen isn’t too warm (higher than 72 degrees) or humid. If it is, then I would store it in the refrigerator.
This recipe looks great, and I was all set to make it… Until I realized there is corn syrup in the icing. What? Why?!
Now I don’t know whether to try to substitute something else and risk it not working or just find another recipe. (Since I don’t know why it’s there, I don’t know what to substitute it with or whether it will work.)
Do you have any thoughts?
Corn syrup is often used in ganache-type frostings to give it a silkier consistency. You could substitute Lyle’s golden syrup, if you wish.
I made this cake on Friday for husband’s birthday and it turned out fantastic. Thank you for the great recipe. This is his favorite cake, and I am not very fond coconut, but I loved it too. The chocolate frosting was the kicker for me. It made the cake. I did not have any rum, so I just omitted the alcohol from the syrup. I also added some espresso powder to the cake and the chocolate frosting. I just read your brownie recipe and printed it. It will be nice to have a simpler version to please the Mr. more often.
I , literally, just made this bad boy it came out perfect. I did substitute the dark rum for Torched Cherry Bacardi (mix with Coke Zero, tastes like a cherry coke, yummy) because thats what I had on hand and I didn’t want to run to the store.
I always have to work on presentation, mine is always lacking, lol, otherwise I would have posted a picture.
Thank you for sharing , it’s a hit in this house.
I made this for my best friend’s 30th birthday party. He and his family are all bit german chocolate cake lovers and I’ve never been a big fan of it, so I was nervous. Every one of them said it was the best german chocolate cake they ever had. It was so good, I even loved it! Made exactly as written but I decorated a bit more with a ring of pecan halves and then a circle of toasted coconut inside that. Beautiful and delicious!
Hi there! Making this cake for Father’s Day! Just wondering, how long doe the filling custard usually take to heat? And is it just a medium heat or closer to boiling? Thanks!
Hi Caitlin, You want to put it over medium heat, and depending on your stove, it could take anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes.
How can I make chocolate thicker? I have left in refrigerator for a hou but is still runny
Hi Jill, It should definitely thicken up in the refrigerator. How long depends on how cold you keep your fridge, how full it is, etc.
This cake was incredible! Everyone loved it and ate way more than they should have. We skipped the rum syrup though and chose to substitute coconut flour for part of the regular flour. The only change I might make is to double the filling but even so it was incredible. Definitely will be making this alot!!!
I’m going to try this – just looking at the ingredients I can tell it’s going to be delicious. Can you tell me what piping tip you used to decorate the top please?
Thank you!
Hi Jack, I used a Wilton 1M tip. Enjoy!
having never made a german chocolate cake before i searched for a great recipe. this is a good one! i did however omit the folded egg whites and increase the egg yolks. this made a denser cake (which is what i was looking for). the filling is divine! thanks for the recipe, my aunt will enjoy her birthday cake.
This sounds delicious! It’s my boyfriend’s favorite kind of cake and I want to make it for his birthday that’s coming up on Monday. Wondering, though, should the salt in the filling be unsalted?
Hi Meghan, I assume you mean butter? Yes, it should be unsalted, but apologies for that omission, I am editing the recipe now to reflect that.
Haha. Yes, I meant butter. I made the cake today and my boyfriend said it was the best birthday cake he has ever had! Thank you for the recipe!
I was wondering which chocolate did you use bittersweet or semisweet? For the cake you used semisweet and unsweetened, what about the icing? Do you grease your pans with butter or you spray them?
Hi Aisha, I used Ghiradelli chocolate for all of the chocolates in this cake. I greased the cake pans with vegetable shortening.
This was delicious! I’m a new baker, so I only made 2 layers instead of 4 and didn’t use the syrup. I want to practice slicing layers on something that takes a little less time than this! My husband took one bite and said, “Oh my GOD!”
hey Michelle–
I was wondering if theres an alternative for the rum . i know in the previous post you said to omit it, but i dont want to leave the icing plain, i want to add a flavour.
Thanks11
Hi Heidi, The icing is actually chocolate, so you won’t be missing any flavor. For the syrup, you really don’t need to have anything else; it’s purpose is to keep the cake moist.
Hi Michelle,
Can you tell an alternative to unsweetened chocolate because i couldn’t find it anywhere :( ? and what kind of simple syrup (no alcohol) i can use instead of rum ?
Thank u :)
Hi Lulu, You can simply omit the rum. For unsweetened chocolate – they carry this in even the smallest of grocery stores. Look for the brand Baker’s Chocolate – it is unsweetened.
I just made this cake and followed the recipe to a tee. I have to say that this is definitely the BEST German chocolate cake I have ever had anywhere. There was a lot of work involved, but it was well worth it. This will be my go-to recipe from now on!
I made this cake for an Oktoberfest party (yes, even though it’s not authentic German!) and everyone raved about it! The filling alone is unbelievable – I could eat an entire bowl of it! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Michelle,
My husband requested a German Chocolate cake for his birthday this weekend and I decided to give your recipe a try. Rave reviews all around! The leftovers are in the fridge, and I’m doing my best to not eat them. Poor guy really should have a shot at the rest of his birthday cake. I made the cakes on Thursday and froze them, then made the rest of the cake on Saturday. It worked out very well. If I do that again though, I would first brush the layers with the rum syrup, then freeze, as others have suggested.
This is now my go-to German Chocolate recipe! (By the way, I’m a fellow SW PA girl. :-) )
Happy Baking!
My hubby requested a German Chocolate Cake for his birthday too. I’m a creature of habit, so I did keep with the Baker’s German Chocolate — the cake recipes are extremely similar, so mine was a combination of both. But the rum syrup was certainly what separated the Bakers’ German Chocolate from yours! Wow! My husband, who comes from a family who owned a bar, generally complains he can taste the alcohol when I add any alcohol to his drinks/food. Not in this case was on his third slice, before I asked if he could taste the rum (lol). Not surprisingly, he asked me to make one for his office as a New Year’s desert. He said it was gone in less than an hour — crumbs and all.
Thank you!
I have never made this cake before, but have, for the first time EVER, been asked for this flavor for a wedding cake! I will be trying your recipe out. Will let you know how it goes.
I made this cake last night and it tasted GREAT and I am not a fan of coconut. But toasting it makes a huge difference. The only trouble I had was with the decorative border on top. The icing was not stiff enough to pipe with without it looking sloppy. Any recommendations on making it a little stiffer?
Hi Kim, You could refrigerate it for awhile to stiffen it up.
Last weekend I made a Wedding using this recipe! It turned out great and everyone loved it. I wish I could post a pic for you to see. It went over great and the groom, who requested the cake as his favorite said it was the best German Chocolate Cake he had ever had! Thanks soo much for posting it! Kim
Hi Kim, I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you so much for sharing, I’m glad it was such a big hit :)
Hi Michelle, My great Uncle loves German chocolate cake so much that i want to surprise him this weekend. He resides in the US but i live in Trinidad, so the ingredient buttermilk isnt at my disposal. do you think it will be a good idea to subsitute the butter milk with sour cream, as ia suppose the milk was for moisture. Help please! :)
Hi Krystal, I have not tried using sour cream, you could certainly give it a try, but I would suggest making your own buttermilk first, using the substitute on this page: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/substitutions/
Awesome recipe! I made this for my brother-in-law’s name-day party (to tell the truth, I’ve been looking for excuses to make this impressive cake for months!). And because he’s not too fond of coconut, I substituted 1 cup of almond flakes. After refrigerating the nut mixture got very thick and it was really difficult to spread evenly. I didn’t have any filling left to put on top, so I topped the cake with the chocolate icing and used the leftovers to pipe some roses. The cake looked and tasted wonderful – everybody commented on how good it was. My mother-in-law even said it was better than the cream pie they made, which was defiitely something :)
I am just wondering if in the first step with the chocolate, do you actually mix the water with the chocolate or is that the water used in the double boiling. I am just curious because I have always been taught to NEVER incorporate water with chocolate because it will seize.
Hi Erin, You mix the chocolate with the water. I know, it’s counter-intuitive, but it works!
If that’s the case, would it be possible to use chocolate that has already seized? I happen to have some I was saving (e.g. for a ganache) but am wondering if I can use this instead.
Hi Jason, I think you probably could. If you do, let me know how it goes!
This is my first time make this kind of cake, and it was one of the best cakes that I have ever had. It did take a long time to make it but so worth it. Thanks you for the amazing recipe.
I made this cake for my mother-in-laws birthday tomorrow and I’m SO looking forward to eating a slice tomorrow! The instructions were easy to follow along and worth taking the time to make!
Everybody LOVED this cake! // Once the flavors mixed for a couple of days, the tastier the cake became!
Just wondering if you have any tips on how to achieve flat, even cake layers so the cake doesn’t end up lop-sided when assembled. Also would you recommend freezing the cake layers for a few hours before icing? When putting the coconut filling in between the layers, would you recommend piping a dam of chocolate icing around the cake to prevent the filing from spilling out the sides?
Also, can I substitute cake flour for the all purpose flour? Would that give me a lighter cake?
Hi Emily, I would not recommend substituting the flour in the recipe.
Hi Emily, I level my cake layers with this Wilton tool: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S7YB/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004S7YB&linkCode=as2&tag=broeyebak-20. I don’t usually freeze my cake layers, but if you feel they’re too soft, you can wrap them tightly in plastic wrap once they’re completely cool and refrigerate before icing. Any time I am going to frost the outside of a cake, I do put a dam around the edges before adding the filling in the middle.
I made this cake last night to bring in to work. It was a HUGE hit… although, I did make it as cupcakes instead of a cake for ease of distributing amongst my coworkers. I did also whip the “icing” – which is more of a ganache, but is absolutely fabulous (and added a drop of coconut flavor, cause I just have to tweak stuff). Still, the moistest, lightest cake ever, not overpowering at all! Love the recipe!
I just got through making this and everything looks phenomenal, however, my frosting is… Well, more like ganache. Which isn’t bad but I won’t be able to pipe a pretty border. I followed everything, any ideas how I could save the frosting? Thanks! :)
After I slept on it and stopped panicking, I melted more chocolate and added it to the rest, re refrigerated it and that fixed it! Now I just have to try and not eat it before tonight.
Is the unsweetened coconut same with dessicated coconut?
Yes, you could use dessicated coconut.
Hi! I made this cake for my birthday last week because it looked so beautiful. My mum and I both agreed that the recipe was flawless – not too complicated, and very easy to understand. We were both really impressed by how much our cake actually looked like the photos above – it was almost identical! Truly a fantastic recipe.I had featured u in the post of Here Are Seven New Ways To Make Romantic Chocolate Cakes For Fathers on AllFreshRecipes.Except ur more Eats!
This cake was AMAZING! I made it for my husbands birthday and we couldn’t stop eating it. I will definitely make this again.
Hands down, the BEST German Chocolate Cake recipe EVER. I followed it exactly as written and it was amazing. My VERY picky mother in law scarfed it down and asked to take some home. I made the components the night before and assembled it the next day. I wrapped the cake layers in plastic wrap and refrigerated the filling/frosting. The ONLY critique I have is that I didn’t have enough filling and had to make more after I started assembling the cake. I measured it out exactly, but still didn’t have enough for the top. Next time, I will double the filling AND the frosting – it was THAT good.
Does the filling need to be refrigerated? Or can it be left out at room temperature. I am making cupcakes for a party, and they will have to sit out for several hours.
Hi Desiree, They will be fine at room temperature.
Made this yesterday because its my husbands fav and I don’t even like coconut shavings (it’s a texture thing) but I had a piece and its fabulous!! Went back for seconds the next day. Don’t want to over do it and all!! But wow.. Yum!!
So excited to make this for my boyfriend’s birthday party Sunday night – German chocolate is his favorite! Unfortunately, I’ll be out of town Friday night through Sunday morning. Would you recommend putting the whole cake together Friday and then refrigerating it? Or just baking the cake layers and frosting Sunday afternoon? I’d appreciate any timing advice you’ve got! Thanks thanks!
Hi Laura, I would make the cakes on Friday (be sure to cool completely and wrap in plastic wrap), and then assemble/frost on Sunday. Enjoy and happy birthday to your boyfriend!
This was my first time making a German Chocolate cake and it was a great success. My husband LOVED it! It’s his favorite and I made for him for his bday. The only thing I didn’t like was that my cakes didn’t rise like I wanted after spliting it between the two pans but I’ll just use twice the batter next time. I wasn’t able to make the four layers lol. They were thin enough to be their own layer lol. Might be operator error. LOL! I will definitely use this recipe again. Thanks BEB!!!
This is fabulous. I”m making this for my husband’s birthday Thursday!! I cannot wait to try it. Looks delish and thanks for sharing. Your photo is excellent!!
I was just curious which brand of chocolate you used. I don’t make chocolate cakes all that often and I haven’t found my favorite chocolate to bake with yet.
Hi Cynthia, I use Ghiradelli chocolate for most of my baking since it’s readily available to me in my local supermarket.
I made this exactly as you wrote… IT WAS AMAZINGLY GOOD! Thank you for sharing it! It took me all day though, but worth it.
I made this cake several times this past winter – it seemed to be a huge hit! I wanted to leave a comment thanking you for sharing and also, to give you a link to my blog post featuring your recipe: http://beyond-bakery.blogspot.com/2012/11/german-chocolate-cake-and-cupcakes_20.html
Thanks so much! Your stuff is beautiful.
Hi Christine, Thanks so much for sharing; thrilled that you’ve enjoyed the cake so much!
This cake is wonderful. I love making it with chocolate layers. I am making several for a friend and wanted them to look and taste perfect. What order are you putting the layers together. It looks so professional.
I made this cake from David Lebovitz’s website for my father-in-law’s birthday. It was so amazing…the kind of cake you would pay a lot of money for in a restaurant or bakery. If anyone wants to make something that says “I love you”, this is the cake to say that and more. Decadent and delicious. So worth the time and money that you put into it.
Oops! Also, I have Baker’s unsweetened chocolate, as well as a bag of Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chocolate chips. Would those suffice for the chocolate or would that make this too rich? I’m so excited to making this cake for him from scratch!!
Hi Gretchen, You can use the Baker’s for the unsweetened chocolate in the recipe and the Ghiradelli chocolate chips for the bittersweet chocolate called for. Enjoy the cake, and happy birthday to your husband!
Thank you so much! I’ll let you know how it comes out
Want to make this cake for DH for his birthday in a few days. It’s his absolute favorite, and I’ve never made one from scratch before. I simply can no longer stomach cake mixes. I can only find sweetened coconut (Grrrr!) Can I use the sweetened and perhaps use less sugar? Today is Saturday, and his birthday is Tuesday (Jan.22nd)
Hi Gretchen, You can use the sweetened coconut, but do not decrease the sugar.
This looks really good. Which decorating tip did you use?
Hi Annie, Yikes, I used a large open star, but now can’t remember if it was a Wilton 22 or 1M. One of those two, for sure.
Te recipe looks delish. I want to make it for Christmas Eve. I’m wondering if I could make all the parts on Sunday and assemble it on Monday. What do you think?
Thanks
Hi Shari, Yes I definitely think you could do that! Enjoy!
I made this cake last weeks and it came out flat like a pancake, what did I do wrong? I really wanted it to look like the picture, lol.. :)
Hi Kris, I’m sorry you had some problems with rising. I would make sure that your baking powder and baking soda aren’t expired, and that your oven temperature isn’t off.
I don’t know just what went wrong! I was so excited to make this cake for my moms birthday tomorrow because its her favorite and she asked for it… I followed the recipe to the T. Everything tasted delicious but when after I cooled the cakes and took them out of the pan they crumbled to pieces… sigh…
Hi Michelle, I’m so sorry to hear you had trouble with the cake! I’ve had that happen with different recipes as well, although usually not when I’m lining the pan with parchment, which is curious. Some pans can be more temperamental than others. The next time you make something, I would grease the pan with vegetable shortening (Crisco), then give it a liberal coating of flour (tapping out any excess). That should keep your cakes from sticking to the pan in the future.
I made this cake today and the taste is absolutely divine! The presentation could have been better but I will be putting this recipe to my baking staples book and will definitely try to make it more aesthetically pleasing next time! :)
Hello,
I may be late or someone may have asked this question, but how long do you toast the pecans and unsweented coconut? And if I can’t locate unsweented coconut in the store may I used the sweetened in this recipe? Thank you for your time and patience.
Hi Gina, I toast both nuts and coconut on the stovetop so I can see them browning; I almost always burn them in the oven! I put them in a dry skillet over medium-low heat and toast, flipping and turning, until the coconut is evenly browned and until the nuts have started to brown and have a toasted aroma.
I just love your blog! Every single recipe that I’ve tried has been nothing short of spectacular! I really would love to make this for my family, but my kids can’t have corn syrup:( Can you suggest a substitute that won’t compromise the recipe?
Hi Una, Thank you! You could substitute brown rice syrup or agave nectar. If you need to, you can omit it although the icing will be a little thin.
My husband’s favorite cake is German chocolate, so for his birthday I gave this recipe a try. Needless to say the feedback was very positive! Thanks for the great birthday wish come true!
I just made it with baby changes… I used 5 8″ layers instead of slicing the 2 9″ layers… I can’t cut anything level to save my life. The final layer was topped with the ganache and not with the filling, so it could have looked prettier but that’s life.
The components are all delicious, and the birthday girl was pleased, but the cake wouldn’t stay together and the ganache never really set up. The top 2 layers cracked on the car ride over!
Any idea on how to fix that?
Hi Sarah, Can you cover the cracks with filling or frosting? If not, you could cut it up and make a trifle. Or, if you’re comfortable with the people, just tell them the cake cracked but it still tastes delicious :)
Simple syrup followed by time in the freezer will make layers stronger. Anytime I have a layer that appears too crumbly or weak after cooling, I know it is simple syrup and freezer time. You can flavor the syrup to match your cake or just use it plain. I’ve even used simple syrup followed by a thin layer of melted chocolate if I want a fun texture in the middle of my cake. (NB: Simple syrup before freezing, then add the chocolate just before filling! The chocolate would sweat if it is going in/out of the freezer.) In THIS cake however, the crunch from a chocolate layer may be lost because the filling itself is crunchy.
Take the layer(s) out of the freezer whenever you’re ready to work with them. And yes, work with them semi-frozen. Refrigerate the cake when done, and pull it out of the fridge for transport/serving. Should stay torgether!
Well, my husband’s birthday is coming up soon and I would like to make this cake for him. As we are hosting a party in the afternoon and I will be cooking a lot of food, I would like to get as much of the prep done ahead of time as possible. Can I bake the cakes and then wrap them tightly the night before, without them getting too dried out? Should I brush them with the rum syrup before wrapping them, or just before assembling the cake? Can the filling and icing be made the night before, and kept in the fridge overnight? The recipe says they should be refrigerated for an hour, but I was worried they would get too thick if they are chilled overnight. I can’t wait to make this for him, he is going to love it. Thanks for any advice. :)
I found this recipe and my mother-in-law and wife made it for me for my birthday. It was incredible! Thanks so much for posting it! Seriously the best german chocolate cake we all had eaten!
German Chocolate Cake! so nice Presentation. Size, Color and presentation style all are so nice. Many Thanks for such type of nice post.
I just made this cake tonight for my son’s birthday and it was a huge hit! I was expecting it to be a lot heavier than it was, so it was a nice surprise after a big meal that we could actually eat a whole slice of cake, too. I’m glad the frosting was only on the sides because it would have been too sweet and rich all over. My cake baked in 30 minutes (may have been due to the dark pans) so keep an eye on it if you make it. Thanks!
This German Chocolate Cake looks amazing. German Chocolate Cakes were always my grandpa’s favorite. I have had my partner make one a few times but they lever looked like this. AMAZING!!
My Mom made this for us over and over and over when we were kids. lol I always thought she got the recipe from the German lady who lived up the road. lol
German chocolate is my dad’s favorite cake, and this is almost the same recipe I use. (I use maple extract instead of rum for the syrup.) I usually try to make this cake for Father’s Day, but . . . I know this is selfish, but because I end up eating so much of the cake, I made a simple cherry pie. :)
God bless you today, and tomorrow. :)
Hey, I’ve been making German chocolate cake forever, so I thought I’d shake it up. My mother complained straight away, “What’s wrong with the old recipe.” I told her to be open to new ideas. I hate to be the spoil sport, but so far this recipe is not working for me. The frosting is pretty sweet. The cakes are cooling, but I fear I’ll need to get the ingredients for the old frosting, I’m hoping the cake is good, the batter was great. I think I’m goinge to have to stick to the Baker’s recipe. Thanks, it was a good try.
So what is your inal verdict after eating it?
The cake looks perfect, too bad my hubby doesn’t like pecan. So I will bake red velvet cake on father’s day.
What a gorgeous cake!!
this is my husband’s favorite cake -ever. it looks perfect!
This looks so, so good. The sliced shots have me at my knees, it looks glossy and dense and amazing!
Wow the cake is just perfect and looks really scrumptious.
This was always the cake I requested for my birthday! Haven’t had any in a very long time…of course, not, I stopped having birthdays! I will have to give this a try. Looks amazing.
This cake looks absolutely stunning!!
Thank you so much for the history lesson! When I visit the US, people never believe me when I say that we don’t even know stuff like German chocolate cake or German pancakes (not the way they are made in the US, anyway)! Now I can at least tell them why a German choc cake is called a German choc cake!
And it looks delicious, too, I might just have to try it!
Hi again :) As I’ve said before our family doesn’t take in alcohol at all , so maybe would you have any substitution ideas for the rum in the rum syrup ?
You could leave out the rum entirely or use imitation rum extract.
So, a German Cake maybe named by the same person who made French Fries…it curious how people named food.
Hope I have time to make some Lemon Pie cupcakes, but now I’m dealing with a tons of cookies. Anyway, now I’m not sure if I want to make cupcakes or this terrific cake.
This looks so good, German chocolate cake is delicious!
This looks sooooo good,wish I was eating a big ol’ chunk right this minute :)
OMG my dad is goin to love this when I make it for fathers day! Beautiful photo
Tall and chocolatey! Just how I like it!
I’ve always wondered how German Chocolate Cake came about! Thanks for the lesson =) Your final result looks absolutely stunning!
This looks fabulous! I love German Chocolate Cake – heck, I like anything that involves chocolate and cake!
German cake not native to Germany! Wow. Who knew. My dad and brother both love German choc. cake. And this one looks great. Also great tip on keeping the cake moist, mine dry out so bad. Am going to give this one a try and see how father likes it on his day. Thanks.
Fascinating history lesson. Cake looks good too.
I used to waitress in a restraint that had the most fantastic German Chocolate cake EVER. This looks and sounds like it will be really close to that one. Your cake looks do good… I can taste it now! I will be making this VERY soon. My FIL loves German Cocolate so that’s a pretty good excuse. I wonder if he would mind if I only gave him half a cake…. Lol
I made this cake for a friend’s birthday in January without the syrup and I agree the recipe is a keeper.
Well, if this is a man cake, then I guess I must be a man! I would eat this in a heartbeat if someone were to set it down before me. This cake looks absolutely stunning.
I made this cake for Mothers Day this year and it was SO amazing! I don’t even really like German chocolate cake but I couldn’t get enough of it!
So excited for this! Though German Chocolate isn’t my favorite, it seems to be the fav of many friends and family. I can’t wait to ditch the box mix and try the real thing!
I don’t cook/bake with alcohol – do you think just doing the simple syrup bit of the run syrup would work?
Hi Julie, You can definitely omit the rum and do a regular simple syrup, that would work just fine.
They make rum flavored extract too that would probably work
I’ll be making beignets and some yummy vanilla ice cream for Father’s Day. But I get the feeling that I’ll be dreaming of this cake on Sunday!
Incredible recipe… stunning presentation!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.ca/
wow does this look good! I always thought this cake was from Germany too, and I minored in German in college!
I always sthought the cake came from Germany also! Thanks for sharing! And this recipe looks amazing!!!! Beautiful photos as always!
Thanks for the history! This is one of my favorite cakes and I look forward to making it…I hope it turns out as pretty as your!
This is my Dad’s favorite birthday cake. I tried making one for him one time from scratch. It tasted wonderful but it’s appearance left something to be desired! It pretty much collapsed. If I remember correctly I tried icing it too soon out of the oven. I have since learned patience, lol!
GORGEOUS!!!! And love the story behind the cake!!
This would make me and my dad happy! :) Delicious!
Your cake looks lovely. I have never been a fan of this cake since I don’t like coconut. Or maybe it is just that when I was a kid and saw this kind of cake at a local bakery and heard it was German Chocolate Cake I thought the light brown stuff was sauerkraut!!
When I saw the top picture in my feed I thought, hmm that looks good. When I saw the first slice i thought, ok now I have to have this. Looks sooo yummy and I’m not even a huge fan of German Chocolate Cake!
German chocolate cake is my husband’s favorite cake, and I have made it for his birthday (in July) for the past 4 years. I have always just used the recipe off the back of the box of German chocolate, which is what my mother always used, and it is good, but I can’t say it’s “great” (it’s hard for me to call this cake great anyway, since I do not like coconut and am mildly allergic to pecans.) My husband has raved about a childhood friend’s mother who made a German chocolate cake that was to die for when he was a kid — here’s hoping this recipe can live up to it!
Dear Jen,
no fear ,dear Jen, I’m an “origin” german man (now aged over 60) living in Cologne and I love the “origin german chocolate” cake since my youth and I can say you: The real “origin” ones are NOT made with nuts like walnut, hazelnut or coconut! They are called in germany like they are: Just “Nut Cakes”! So you must not have fear about any kinds of health or special illnesss of that.
So you can like and eat it much more.
Many greetings from the Rhine River and from me
Sincerely Yours
Wolfgang
Ahhh, thank you for that response! I´m also German and I was wondering why there should be coconut and pecans in a german cake, because both don´t grow in these parts. :)
This looks delicious! My dad has been asking me to make this for some time, so this is definitely what I’m making for Father’s day.
This cake looks amazing. You are really talented. It’s too bad my sons are allergic to nuts :( It cuts down on my choices.
You can probably omit the nuts. I think it would taste just as good with all coconut!!
I had no idea German chocolate cake wasn’t a German recipe! Thanks for the recipe. :)
I’ve made this cake a few times because people at work have requested it as their favorite cake. I’d never even had it before until I started working at the publishing house (where they request this cake). It’s a good cake! I love the historical info you added to the post today. Fun stuff!
This cake is beautiful. Your photography is incredible as well. My dad is in the hospital with a collapsed lung…we are hoping to have him home for Father’s Day. I will definitely surprise him with this cake…it should be especially delicious after eating hospital food!
Hi Jeri, I hope your dad is home soon and recovers quickly!
I have been looking for a good german chocolate cake recipe, and this looks like a winner!
If a layered chocolate on top of chocolate cake is my all time favorite dessert (birthday worthy) does that make me manly? This recipe looks great and I loved reading about the history of the cake! Trivia like that always fascinates me.
I always say that I feel like I have more of a “meat and potatoes”, “manly” food preferences than lighter, “girlier” fare. I don’t see anything wrong with that ;-)
Sweet goodness, YES! This sounds so awesome and looks just as lovely.
My mother took orders for several varieties of cakes to supplement the family income when I was young. This was the most requested cake. The cake she made was moist and delicious but differed in that the icing was used all over the cake and in between the 4 layers. The icing utilized evaporated milk instead of whip cream. The evaporated milk gave a distinctive take to the frosting. I am anxious to try your adaption to see the difference. Your cake looks amazing.
This cake looks just fabulous!
I love learning the origins of food, and when it’s cake, it’s even better.
Please save me a slice. :)
*Gasp*. It looks perfect!
I have never tried this cake before but it looks divine!
This cake looks so delicious! Here Father’s Day was three months ago, but I’ll keep the recipe for next year.
This looks heavenly…the rum syrup just makes it perfect. I can’t believe German chocolate cake is not German! :)
Thanks for the history lesson – I had no idea! Also, German chocolate cake is one of my FAVORITES and this one looks fantastic!!