This German chocolate cake recipe is simply delicious, and easy to make. Contrary to the name, German chocolate cake is not of German origin.
The first published recipe for German chocolate cake showed up in a Dallas newspaper in 1957 and came from a Texas homemaker. The resulting spike in German Sweet Chocolate sales put General Foods (which then owned Baker's Chocolate) on alert; the company quickly sent copies of the recipe and photos of the cake to newspapers across the nation.
Everywhere the recipe was published, food editors were swamped with requests for information on where to buy the chocolate. In a year, sales jumped 73%. Readers who missed the recipe asked that it be reprinted. In no time at all, German chocolate cake was on almost every table.
German Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
4 ounces Baker's German Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional for cake sides)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans, then line them with waxed paper, cut to fit.
2. Grease and flour the waxed paper or spray with baking spray. This is necessary.
3. Melt the chocolate in the boiling water. Set aside.
4. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
5. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form; refrigerate.
6. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar, allowing mixer to run for 5 minutes.
7. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Let mixer run an additional 2 minutes.
8. With mixer running, add vanilla and chocolate/water mixture.
9. Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, combining well. Gently fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into cake batter.
10. Pour the batter into the three prepared cake pans.
11. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on racks.
12. Frost top and fill between layers with Coconut-Pecan Frosting. If using, press semi-sweet chocolate chips into sides of cake (for decoration and more chocolate flavor).
Coconut-Pecan Frosting
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups evaporated milk
1-1/3 cups sugar
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
3/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups shredded coconut
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
Frosting Directions:
1. Combine the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla.
2. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Add coconut and chopped pecans. Cool until thick enough to spread, beating occasionally. Makes about 3 cups of frosting.
Other Cakes You Need to Try
Once you've tried this delicious German chocolate cake recipe, give these other cake flavors a shot:
- Amandine. This is a Romanian chocolate cake layered with chocolate, caramel, and fondant cream. It's a decadent cake that sweet teeth all over the world are sure to love.
- Applesauce cake. This is a very old cake recipe, dating all the way back to early colonial times. It uses applesauce, flour, and sugar as its primary ingredients, making it easy to make.
- Biscoff cake. This cake incorporates the popular Biscoff cookie into its main ingredients. For cookie lovers, this is a great cake to try. It has the distinct flavor of Biscoff cookies while still having its own distinct taste.
- Black Forest cake. A cake that actually originates from Germany, this chocolate cake features cherries and chocolate. If you can get your hands on it, kirsch, a German brandy, is also a traditional ingredient. The cake is frosted with whipped cream.
- Blackout cake. This delicious chocolate cake is filled with chocolate pudding and topped with chocolate cake crumbs. It's a perfect choice for the chocolate lover in your life, and is pleasantly simple in its ingredients list.
- Boston cream pie. Even though it's called a pie, this dessert is technically a cake. It's a yellow cake filled with custard and frosted with chocolate frosting. If you enjoy Boston cream donuts, then this cake is a no-brainer. It's like a giant version of the donut!
- Coffee cake. Despite the name, this is not a coffee-flavored cake. Rather, it's a simple cake flavored with cinnamon. Its name comes from the fact that it's meant to be eaten with coffee, generally as part of breakfast.
- Flourless chocolate cake. If you're trying to find a dessert for someone who's gluten-intolerant, a flourless chocolate cake is a great choice. It's entirely gluten-free, but still tastes delicious.
- Gingerbread cake. A popular wintertime dessert, this cake is a great choice if you and your family love gingerbread cookies. It's a great cake flavor to pick for your Christmas dinner, or any other family gathering you plan to have this winter.