Best Ever German Chocolate Cake is a moist chocolate cake with traditional coconut pecan frosting, layer upon layer of goodness.
This Best Ever German Chocolate Cake, or, as my grandpa said, “the best damn cake ever!” A double-layer chocolate cake with a classic German Chocolate Cake frosting.
Today’s recipe is a tribute to my Grandpa, who passed away at the age of 80.
My Grandpa was one of my biggest cheerleaders, and I honestly can’t think of a time he didn’t praise what I was doing. He especially loved my baking. He had a few favorites—really anything I made—but he would often call and offer to pay me to make biscotti. On his last few birthdays, I would make him his favorite: German Chocolate Cake.
Grandpa loved these German Chocolate Cake Cookies and I wish I would have made the German Chocolate Cake and cookies for him more often.
I have the best memories of my Grandpa while I was growing up. Rode in my first convertible with him, talked on my first car phone in that very same convertible, went to my first flea market, and even learned to barter with him. I got my good business sense from him.
My sister, Nicole, and I would fly out to see him and my grandmother in Arizona and make up dance routines in his hot tub. He said we would be famous… and we were to him.
One of the most vivid memories I have was with my first school dance and date, my parents were out of town and I was staying with my grandparents. While I was getting ready, my Grandpa made it clear what would happen to this boy if there was any “fooling around”, and he wasn’t joking.
(That was the last date with that boy. My grandpa read people very well).
My grandpa always had to be somewhere other than where he was and this got worse as he got older. “When are we gonna go grandma?” “Time to get home Betty.” Even though he was always eager to go, we knew he loved being around all of us, especially his 9 great-grandchildren.
He loved to play cards, ride his bike, fish, and he loved people. He worked as a claims adjuster for Prudential and All-State and was passionate about his job!
My grandpa was an American hero, serving in the Korean War as a medic in the Army. After returning from the war, he married his “Marilyn Monroe” – my grandma.
He was proud of my grandma, and over the years, he relied on her to tend to him as he battled many illnesses, including cancer. My Grandpa was a proud Eagle Scout and had recently given all of his scout stuff to my husband, a scoutmaster. He was super proud when my son Aiden recently achieved his Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts. In fact, when Aiden was given the news of his G-pa’s passing, Aiden went and got out G-pa’s Boy Scout sash and said he would wear it in honor of him.
There are many great memories I will cherish, and every time I go to make my biscotti, cookies, and German chocolate cake, he will be next to me, asking for a bite or offering me 5 bucks for a slice.
Love and miss you G-pa! XOXO San
See how easy this German Chocolate Cake is to make.
How do you make German Chocolate Cake?
Chocolate Cake
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Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease 3-8 or 9 inch round cake pans and lightly dust with cocoa powder. I like to make a 2 layer cake and set the 3rd aside for kids that don’t like the frosting and my sisters with nut allergies.
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In mixing bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid), add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well combined.
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Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well mixed. Reduce the speed to low and add boiling water to the cake batter a little bit at a time. Once the water is all mixed in, beat on high for about 1 minute.
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Evenly distribute cake batter between the prepared cake pans.
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Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely.
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Make frosting while cake is baking, as it needs an hour to cool.
Coconut Pecan Frosting
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In a large saucepan combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, margarine, and vanilla. Cook over low-medium heat until it reaches a slow boil. Stirring constantly until thick, about 12 minutes from when it starts to slowly boil. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and coconut, this frosting will thicken up as it cools.
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Let cool 1 hour then spread on cooled cake. I use 1 1/2 cups in between each layer and then use the rest to frost the outside. For easier cutting, place the frosted cake in the fridge for 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Tips on making the perfect German Chocolate Cake:
Make sure your eggs and butter are stored at room temperature.
Make sure your cake is completely cool before you frost it.
Prepare the frosting a day ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Then remove from fridge and let it sit out for an hour at room temperature before you frost the cake, this will make it for easy spreading.
It is best to store this cake in the fridge.
How do you store German Chocolate Cake?
If properly wrapped, the freshly baked chocolate cake will last for about 1 to 2 days at normal room temperature.
Wrap tightly with cling wrap or tin foil and refrigerate to extend the life of the cake.
If you’re looking for other German Chocolate inspired recipes, check out my No-Bake German Chocolate Cheesecake that is to die for. For a bite-sized version, try my German Chocolate Cake Cookies, or these German Chocolate Cake Donut Holes that are perfect for breakfast.
After making this delicious cake, be sure to try these next! Lemon Lime Layer Cake, Best Ever Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake, and my favorite, Double Chocolate Nutella Cake.
Don’t forget to pin this GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Love anything German Chocolate be sure to check out these A Dash of Sanity Favorites.
German Chocolate Cake Donut Holes – my grandpa would have loved these!
German Chocolate Carrot Cake – a twist that made my hubby fall in love with carrot cake.
Best Ever German Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Coconut Pecan Frosting (makes 5 1/2 cups)
- 2 cups evaporated milk
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 6 egg yolks beaten with 2 teaspoons water
- 1 cup butter or margarine
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease 3-8 or 9 inch round cake pans and lightly dust with cocoa powder. I like to make a 2 layer cake and set the 3rd aside for kids that don't like the frosting and my sisters with nut allergies.
- In mixing bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid), add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well combined.
- Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well mixed. Reduce the speed to low and add boiling water to the cake batter a little bit at a time. Once the water is all mixed in, beat on high for about 1 minute.
- Evenly distribute cake batter between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely.
- Make frosting while cake is baking, as it needs an hour to cool.
Coconut Pecan Frosting
- In a large saucepan combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, margarine, and vanilla. Cook over low-medium heat until it reaches a slow boil. Stirring constantly until thick, about 12 minutes from when it starts to slowly boil. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and coconut, this frosting will thicken up as it cools.
- Let cool 1 hour then spread on cooled cake. I use 1 1/2 cups in between each layer and then use the rest to frost the outside. For easier cutting, place the frosted cake in the fridge for 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Video
Gpa with some of his great-grandkids Christmas 2014.
I made this cake for my husband. He absolutely loves it. Some other family members also tried it and they enjoyed it as well. I do not like coconut at all so I have not tried it but I did taste a piece of the chocolate cake part and it was pretty good.
So glad they enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing it!
I haven’t had a slice of German chocolate cake in forever! Looks like I need to change that asap. 🙂
You definitely need to! Enjoy!
This was my dad’s favorite too. So many memories. Think I need to bake a cake.
This German Chocolate Cake is seriously making me hungry!
Enjoy!
The best German Chocolate Cake I’ve had!
Thank you!
I am drooling over this cake! The best ever!
Enjoy!
i made this cake exactly as written. It turned out perfect. Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it.
does it matter what kind of brand the cocoa is? I have Hershey brand.
Hi Gabby! No, it does not matter what brand you use, although we usually use the Hershey brand as well.
This was insanely good cake. My husband loves German chocolate cake, me not so much because I am not a coconut fan. Even I can’t resist it………
I’m so glad he loves it and that you enjoyed it too!
What a wonderful tribute to your Grandpa! Thanks for sharing the stories behind the cake. I’m not really a baker, (I love to cook, but baking, not so much) but I tried this for a family gathering. It was also my brother in law’s bday and German Chocolate is his favorite. Rave reviews all around!! The cake was incredibly moist, and the frosting…can we talk about that frosting??? I sampled much of it before it found it’s way to the cake! I’ll be making this again…and again. 🙂
Looks great!
What is the baking time for the 9 x 13 pan?
Hi Michele! I would check it at 30 minutes, then every 5 minutes after until a toothpick comes out clean.
This Chocolate Cake looks incredibly delicious!
Thank you!
Oh wow! I haven’t had German chocolate cake in soooo long! Just looking at this took me back. How lovely!
Thank you! Enjoy!
Yummy! This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to give this a try! My family is going to love this!
I hope you enjoy!
Hey,
Loved your blog. Thanks for sharing this it looks yum.
So here it goes! After 5 years of my boyfriend requesting this for his birthday, as well as my dad requesting this cake from my mom after he tried it one year, this cake has become a STAPLE in our family.
Fast forward to this year, I began having some rather intense gallbladder issues, and as per doctors orders I can’t really consume much fat. I seem to be sensitive to even the slightest bits of butter, etc. I was crushed when I thought that meant my boyfriend and I wouldn’t be able to enjoy this cake together for his birthday as we always do. He encouraged me to find some substitutions so I could enjoy it and he wouldn’t be eating his cake alone, and WOW! I subbed the oil in the cake for apple sauce, which worked WEIRDLY well?! I also used coconut milk which isn’t low in fat but my doctor said plant fats won’t irritate me as much as animal fats. Then I simply left out the butter for the frosting and added a bit of salt to give it that “salted caramel” vibe. The frosting is still amazing, texturally a bit less stretchy and caramelly, but wow it tasted like a toasted marshmallow!! I think next year I might add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch to get closer to the original texture, but that is the only note I have to make!
Long story short, if you are having any sort of dietary fat-sensitive health complication and think you can’t enjoy this cake, think again!
This is amazing and I can’t wait to try it your way – Happy Birthday to your boyfriend!
My husband’s birthday is coming up, this looks like the prefect cake for him! Did you use dutch-processed cocoa powder or natural cocoa powder? Thanks!
We use natural unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. Happy birthday to your husband! I hope you both enjoy the cake! 🙂
Whenever we praise someone, we give him a number, like if I appreciate your post from one to 10, I would like to give you the full number of 10 because you wrote your post very well. The word is very beautiful. I hope you will keep writing such excellent posts in your life and we will definitely comment by reading these posts.
I got a sweet tooth and will surely try this recipe. Looks delicious 🙂
Wonderfull! Goodbye my slim waist
Best ever is no lie, this recipe was fantastic!
I’ve totally been craving chocolate cake, this was perfect timing!
Woah! I wish I have a piece right now. The cake looks perfectly amazing. Will try this in my father’s birthday this weekend. Thanks for this!
This sounds so moist and yummy that I have to try it!
I really can’t wait to make it again! It is so good!