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
Video
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
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
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, corn starch, 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!
Gpa with some of his great-grandkids Christmas 2014.
Hello. I’ve made this cake twice, and I love it. However, the coconut mixture isn’t much to cover the cake, and I don’t really find it appetizing to look at. I have a friend who’s a maitre patissier, and she just uses the coconut mixture for laying the cake, and topping it. She decorates it with chocolate ganache. Also, what would happen if I omit the boiling water? How much cocoa powder can I add if I want a richer chocolate feel? Thank you for sharing your recipe. I hope to hear back from you.
Best regards.
Riccardo – in the post I mention to double the frosting recipe to cover the entire cake. Hope that helps. You need the boiling water for the recipe or it won’t work. You can’t really take out ingredients and expect it to turn out. Love the chocolate ganache idea – yum!
Just made this with Trader Joe’s coconut cream extra thick and creamy in place of the evaporated milk and it is to die for!! Adds some extra coconut flavor too. Delicious! Thank you!
Like you, German chocolate cake has a special place in my heart. My great-aunt Luanna made the most wonderful German chocolate cake ever and had her recipe memorized. I can remember so many family gatherings growing up where that was the most anticipated treat there. Unfortunately, she passed away several years ago without ever having written the recipe down so I’ve spent several years playing with recipes and trying to find one close to hers. As a professional baker, you’d think I’d have figured it out easily but NOPE. Amazingly, this recipe is the closest I’ve ever come to replicating my Aunt Luanna’s perfect German chocolate cake. It’s SO good. Thank you so much for sharing!!!! I’m so glad I finally can show up to family gatherings with this cake.
This recipe was amazing. I like this very much. Probably one of the best things I’ve made!
I really dislike coconut, but my mom’s absolute favorite cake is German Chocolate Cake. I’ve decided to try to surprise her with her favorite for her 60th birthday! Your recipe was the first to pop up on my Pinterest search. And then when I read your accompanying story about your beloved Grandpa, it touched my heart. I make peanut butter cookies (my Grandma’s recipe) in honor of my grandparents, and I always feel the love that went into every batch Grandma made for all of us kids when my kitchen starts smelling like peanut butter. I just love how our favorite recipes are attached to these great memories with family, and can be passed down through generations with our fun memories attached. I can’t wait to surprise my mom with a recipe that has meant a lot to another family. Maybe it will turn out to be a family favorite for us as well!
I am so glad you got this recipe and I can’t hardly wait for your family to enjoy it as well. I am sure it will turn out great and looking forward in hearing how it all played out. Thanks for coming and commenting, this truly made my day. I will be calling my grandma too – she loves comments on this post for the obvious reasons. xo San
It was a hit! We hosted a surprise party for my Mom yesterday, and I made it for the party. She told me today, that she had a slice of the leftover cake for lunch! She was so happy.
Our whole family would like to thankyou for given this amazing awesome recipe. It was marvelous!!!!!
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Thank you for sharing your grandpa’s wonderful cake. Even though it’s been a couple of years since your loss, one has been blessed with special memories. My sister’s favorite cake is German chocolate! I made your recipe and it was a hit!! Blessings to you!
Absolutely incredibly delicious. Made it for my mother in-law’s birthday and was told it’s the best she’d ever had. Now it seems I’m tasked with making it every year from here on out! I couldn’t be happier than making yummy cakes for those I love.
Can I make this 2 days in advance?
Do you have something to store it in to keep it from drying out? I love using a cake server/carrier. Do you plan on frosting it right away? Or just making the cakes early? You can do it all early if you need to – just store or over it once completely cooled.
Your Grandpa had excellent taste. This too is my all time very special favorite cake. Sadly, since I’ve been told I have to eat gluten free I haven’t been able to find a gluten free recipe yet that will pass my taste test. Oh I’ve had one or two that weren’t bad, but none that I can let out a big deep sigh and say, “that’s IT, that’s the one”.
Have you ever done german chocolate cake pops?
Made this cake for my son’s birthday, and everyone loved it! They said it was better than what we get at the bakery. I couldnt agree more. The ones i get at the bakery are not as moist as this one. Thank you! Much love to you, your grandpa, and the rest of the family.
This weekend is my 30th birthday and I will be making this for me! It’s funny I bake for everyone else but never for myself so even though German chocolate is my favorite I’ve never made it. Lol! I’ll let you know how it turns out but I already know it’ll be fabulous!
My grandparents raise me from the age of eight after I had lost both my parents in a two year span so most definitely they hold a very special place in my heart. I have this recipe now and hopefully I’ll do your grandpa and it honor when I attempt to make it. My mouth waters just looking at the picture and hopefully my cake will cause my family tro do the same.
My grandparents raise me from the age of eight after I had lost both my parents in a two year span so most definitely they hold a very special place in my heart. I have this recipe now and hopefully I’ll do your grandpa and it honor when I attempt to make it. My mouth waters just looking at the picture and hopefully my cake will cause my family to do the same.
Thank you so much for not only sharing a recipe but a story as well. It was delightful to read about your Grandfather. I just made the cake and waiting for it to cool.
Thank you, I hope you enjoy!
Hi, I absolutely loved this recipe, but I was wondering if the cake could be made into cupcakes, and if so do you have any time estimates for how long to bake them? Thanks so much!
I would say to bake for about 15-20 minutes, you can check with a toothpick to see when they’re done. I hope you enjoy!