My best friend Katie is turning 27! Part of my friends birthdays always includes making them a dessert of their choice. This year Katie requested a German chocolate cake, which i literally thought it was just like a really chocolate-y cake. So imagine my surprise finding out there is.. German... chocolate and the topping includes coconut and pecans??? Nonetheless after making it and enjoying it, I have decided its 100% worth the effort and absolutely delicious.
I followed this recipe from Baker by Nature if you want to see the original.
INGREDIENTS
Cake Batter:
- 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 ½ cups Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ¾ cup Cocoa Powder, unsweetened and sifted
- 2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
- 3 Eggs, room temperature
- 2 Egg Yolks, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups Coconut Milk, well combined
- â…“ cup Sour Cream, full fat and room temperature
- ¾ cup Coconut Oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 3 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ cups Coffee, hot and fresh
- 2 oz. German Sweet Chocolate, finely chopped
Coconut Pecan Filling:
- 1 ½ cups Evaporated Milk, well shaken
- 1 ½ cups Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 6 Egg Yolks, large and room temperature
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, cubed
- 2 ½ cups Coconut Flakes, sweetened
- 1 ½ cups Pecans, toasted and rough chopped
German Chocolate Frosting:
- 6 oz. German Chocolate, rough chopped
- 4 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate, rough chopped
- 1 ½ cups Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 2 ¾ cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- ¼ tsp. Salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use three 9-inch pans and line with parchment. Spray with nonstick spray on bottoms and sides. Set pans aside.
In a large bowl, combine both sugars, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until ingredients are well combined.
In a separate large bowl combine the eggs, egg yolks, milk, sour cream, oil and vanilla extract. Mix until completely combined.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula until just combined.
In a large measuring cup, combine the hot coffee and German chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Pour the coffee mixture into the batter and mix until combined, about 1 minute. The batter will be thin.Â
Divide batter evenly among the 3 pans. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Cool cakes for 10 minutes in the pan before removing from pans and transferring to a cooling rack. Be careful as they could crack if too warm still! Cool cakes completely before frosting.
Coconut Pecan Filling:
In a medium saucepan, combine the evaporated milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, and butter.
Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until mixture is bubbling and very thick. Reduce to heat and cook for 2 more minutes.Â
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the coconut and pecans. Cool completely before use.
Chocolate Frosting:
Place both chocolates in glass bowl using the double-boiler method. Set aside and cool until just warm.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until completely smooth.
On low speed, add in the confectioners' sugar, a little bit at a time, beating until each addition has been completely incorporated into the butter before adding more. Once all of the sugar has been added, increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes.Â
Decrease the speed back to low and beat in the vanilla extract. Then slowly pour in the cooled melted chocolate and continue mixing until well combined, tuning the mixer off and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.Â
Once all of the chocolate has been added, increase the speed back to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Set aside for 30 minutes to firm up, or up to 3 hours. Refrigerate if you will be using the next day. Let come back down to room temperature before using. If needed, with your stand mixer or a hand mixer, whip the frosting again for a minute or two.
Assembly:
Using a long serrated knife, slice off the domed top on each cake layer, so that the cakes are flat. I actually skipped this step as my layers were flat and did not have a crusty edge.
Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1/3 of the coconut pecan filling on top, spreading it into a thin layer. Top with the second cake layer. Top with another 1/3 of the coconut pecan filling, spreading it into a thin layer. Top with the final layer of cake.
Spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake. Pipe stars of the fudge frosting around the edge of the cake. Place the final 1/3 of coconut pecan filling on the top center of the cake.
Fit a large piping bag with an open star tip and fill with the remaining frosting. Decorate as you desire!
CAKE
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use three 9-inch pans and line with parchment. Spray with nonstick spray on bottoms and sides. Set pans aside.
In a large bowl, combine both sugars, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Mix until ingredients are well combined.
In a separate large bowl combine the eggs, egg yolks, milk, sour cream, oil and vanilla extract.
Mix until completely combined.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula until just combined.
In a large measuring cup, combine the hot coffee and German chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Pour the coffee mixture into the batter and mix until combined, about 1 minute. The batter will be thin.Â
Divide batter evenly among the 3 pans. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Cool cakes for 10 minutes in the pan before removing from pans and transferring to a cooling rack. Be careful as they could crack if too warm still! Cool cakes completely before frosting.
COCONUT PECAN FILLING
In a medium saucepan, combine the evaporated milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, and butter. It will look a little scary at first, but the butter just needs to melt and combine.
Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until mixture is bubbling and very thick. Reduce to heat and cook for 2 more minutes.Â
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the coconut and pecans. Cool completely before use.
FROSTING
Place both chocolates in glass bowl using the double-boiler method. Set aside and cool until just warm.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until completely smooth.
On low speed, add in the confectioners' sugar, a little bit at a time, beating until each addition has been completely incorporated into the butter before adding more. Once all of the sugar has been added, increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes.Â
Decrease the speed back to low and beat in the vanilla extract. Then slowly pour in the cooled melted chocolate and continue mixing until well combined, tuning the mixer off and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.Â
Once all of the chocolate has been added, increase the speed back to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Set aside for 30 minutes to firm up, or up to 3 hours. Refrigerate if you will be using the next day. Let come back down to room temperature before using. If needed, with your stand mixer or a hand mixer, whip the frosting again for a minute or two.
ASSMEBLY
Using a long serrated knife, slice off the domed top on each cake layer, so that the cakes are flat. I actually skipped this step as my layers were flat and did not have a crusty edge.
Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1/3 of the coconut pecan filling on top, spreading it into a thin layer.
Top with the second cake layer. Top with another 1/3 of the coconut pecan filling, spreading it into a thin layer. Top with the final layer of cake.
Spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake. Pipe stars of the fudge frosting around the edge of the cake. Place the final 1/3 of coconut pecan filling on the top center of the cake.
Fit a large piping bag with an open star tip and fill with the remaining frosting. Decorate as you desire!
Slice and enjoy a super moist and perfectly balanced chocolate cake.
If you tried this recipe please tag me on Instagram, I would love to see it!
If you plan on saving this recipe for later via Pinterest, feel free to use this image!
A video is up on my Pinterest and Instagram as well.