This variation of German’s chocolate cake has a gooey coconut and toasted pecan filling, a dark and super-moist chocolate cake, and deliciously creamy chocolate buttercream on top!
German’s chocolate cake, traditionally made with sweet baking chocolate and originated back in the 1850s by chocolate maker Samuel German, is known to be unapologetically decadent and indulgent.
Upgraded German Chocolate Cake
My variation of German chocolate cake is a bit different from the traditional. It’s still unapologetically decadent and indulgent, but it starts with my favorite super-moist darker chocolate cake. We’ll use a coconut pecan filling enhanced with toasted pecans and top her off with chocolate buttercream, coconut, and more toasted pecans.
German chocolate cake has been a highly requested cake recipe, so I’m thrilled to finally share this version. I decorated it naked cake style. I love seeing that coconut pecan filling peeking out!
How to Make German Chocolate Cake
There are 3 parts to German chocolate cake. Let’s discuss all 3 so you feel prepared and confident when you try it.
1. CAKE
If you’ve tried my tuxedo cake, black forest cake, chocolate raspberry cake, or regular chocolate cake then you are familiar with the cake itself. It’s simply my favorite chocolate cake recipe. Sour cream, oil, eggs, and buttermilk keep it extremely moist. Cocoa powder supplies all our chocolate flavor, which is enhanced with a little espresso powder. The espresso powder is optional if you don’t keep any, but you’ll find it comes in handy for lots of chocolate recipes, like my traditional chocolate cake and chocolate cake roll. You can find it in the coffee aisle at the grocery store or online. You’ll also need hot liquid to properly dissolve and bloom the cocoa power. You can use hot water or hot coffee. The cake won’t taste like coffee, I promise, but the chocolate flavor will certainly be deep and divine! An upgrade, if you will.
Speaking of cocoa, make sure you’re using natural unsweetened cocoa and not dutch-process. Remember the difference between dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder?
2. COCONUT PECAN FILLING
While the chocolate cake is fantastic, the coconut pecan filling is the star of the show. It’s thick, crunchy, gooey, chewy, and sweet all in one. It’s made from the best ingredients baking has to offer, so you know you’re in for a treat:
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Egg yolks
- Vanilla
- Pecans
- Coconut
You also need evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk. The two are often mistaken. Evaporated milk is typically sold in a can in the baking aisle. Evaporated milk is unsweetened condensed milk. You can also use half-and-half. Whole milk is too thin and heavy cream is too thick. Stick to evaporated milk or half-and-half.
Here’s how you prepare the coconut pecan filling: the butter, brown sugar, egg yolks, and evaporated milk are cooked together on the stove until thickened. The egg yolks are heated enough to safely consume, but you can always use a thermometer to be certain. To avoid scrambling the eggs, make sure you cook on medium heat and constantly whisk the mixture.
3. CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
I used my favorite chocolate buttercream recipe to frost the top. The filling is pretty sweet, so I didn’t want to overdo it with frosting. (And naked cakes are pretty!) This chocolate buttercream is thick, creamy, and spreads beautifully. The chocolate buttercream recipe was more than enough for the top, but if you want to frost the top AND sides of the cake, use the ratios from this marble cake. They taste identical.
Will the cake dry out if the sides aren’t frosted? Overtime, yes. But this cake is so moist, especially with the gooey coconut pecan filling, that it’ll take awhile to taste even a smidge dry! If you’re still a little nervous about it drying out, give the sides a light swipe of frosting.
This is not technically “German chocolate cake” since it’s not made with sweet German chocolate. (Don’t be mad at me, cake police!) But it has an ooey gooey coconut + toasted pecan filling, a deep dark chocolate cake, and the perfect amount of creamy chocolate buttercream on top. Definitely an upgrade if you ask me!
Upgraded German Chocolate Cake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 10-12; 2.5 cups filling
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This show stopping German chocolate cake has a gooey coconut and toasted pecan filling, a dark and super-moist chocolate cake, and deliciously creamy chocolate buttercream on top!
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180g) full fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) hot water or coffee*
Coconut Pecan Filling
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 can (12 ounces; 354ml) evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup (125g) chopped pecans
Frosting
- use this chocolate buttercream for a naked-style cake
- use this chocolate buttercream for frosting the top and sides
- optional for garnish: extra toasted pecans and sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use a whisk) mix the oil, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot water or coffee, and whisk or beat it all until the batter is completely combined.
- Divide batter evenly between 3 pans. Bake for 21-25 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
- As the cakes cool, prepare the coconut pecan filling so it can cool and be ready at the same time. Combine butter, brown sugar, egg yolks, and evaporated milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk occasionally as the mixture comes to a low boil. Once boiling, whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, toasted pecans, and coconut. Allow to cool completely before layering in cake. It will thicken even more as it cools.
- Assemble and frost: First, level the cakes if needed: using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with 1/2 of the coconut pecan filling (half is about 1 and 1/4 cups). Top with 2nd layer and evenly cover the top with remaining coconut pecan filling. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the chocolate buttercream into a thick layer on top. Garnish with extra toasted pecans and coconut, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before slicing or else the cake may gently fall apart as you cut.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare cake through step 4. Wrap the individual baked cake layers tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, make the coconut pecan filling and frosting, assemble/frost, and serve. You can also prepare the coconut pecan filling and chocolate buttercream in advance. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bring both to room temperature before using. Frosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature or serve cold.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Cake Stand or Cake Turntable | Icing Spatula | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Why Room Temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about the importance of room temperature ingredients. Instead of sour cream, try using plain yogurt. The cake won’t taste as rich, but it’s a fine substitution.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute if needed. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1/2 cup. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Espresso Powder / Coffee: Espresso powder and coffee will not make the chocolate taste like coffee. Rather, they deepen the chocolate flavor. I highly recommend them both. You can find espresso powder in the coffee aisle at the grocery store or online. If coffee isn’t your thing, you can leave out the espresso powder and use boiling hot water instead of the hot coffee.
- Pecans: Toasting the pecans is a major upgrade and I highly suggest it! Let them toast in the oven as you whisk together the filling on the stove (step 5). Simply toast for 8 minutes at 300°F (149°C). Then can be warm when stirred into the filling.
- Eggs: If you’re concerned about consuming any raw egg yolks, use a candy/oil thermometer and make sure the mixture is cooked to 160°F (71°C). If you notice any cooked egg bits, you can run it through a strainer.
- 9×13-inch Cake: You can bake this cake as a 9×13-inch sheet cake instead. Top with coconut pecan filling, no need for the chocolate buttercream! The cake will take 35-40 minutes at 350°F (177°C).
- Cupcakes: Use this coconut pecan filling to fill a batch of baked and cooled super moist chocolate cupcakes. Half of the filling should be plenty, so you can halve the filling recipe or make the full filling recipe and freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. You can frost with chocolate buttercream. For filling baked cupcakes, we usually cut a hole in the center and add the filling. If needed for a visual, you can watch me do this in the video for these sugar plum fairy cupcakes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
My family loved this cake. So good.
Has anyone tried the chocolate cake base with a gluten free flour and had it turn out?
Got so many compliments on this cake recipe! Even if you don’t love coconut, the primary star is the chocolate cake recipe. Sour cream makes it extremely moist. Toasting the pecans is a must. I would consider toasting the coconut too next time. I think I used coconut shreds that were a big long, so if you make it, try getting small pieces or chopping?
Going to make this cake for my bonco group. Not sure they all can have caffeine. So will it taste ok if I leave that part out?
Hi Gaylynne, you can leave out the espresso powder and use boiling hot water instead of the hot coffee.
Hi Sally,
Can I make this as a Bundt cake?
Thanks
Andrea
Hi Andrea, You can use this cake batter for a Bundt cake. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but we would expect it to be a bit longer because of the pan. Keep a close eye on it, and use a toothpick to test for doneness. You can simply use the pecan filling on top. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Can you tell me how many cupcakes this recipe will make
Hi Kathy! See Notes after the recipe for details on making cupcakes.
I did read the notes….it talks about using the filling to fill super moist chocolate cupcakes, I was looking to see how many cupcakes the German Chocolate recipe would make
Our Chocolate Cupcake recipe makes 12-14 cupcakes.
I forgot to mention previously, thank you for the tip on straining the filling mixture to get rid of the egg bits. I did everything I could to prevent and I still had them. Straining was the game changer that I was not told about in previously recipes. Thank you so much!!
Wow.
Ok, so I made this twice before because the pastor wanted a German chocolate cake for his birthday (he liked it so much that he made the same request this year… Lol). I never had any myself, but I trust your recipes, and he was very pleased.
I finally tried it yesterday as I made it for my uncle’s bday. This is so incredibly delicious. The cake layers are so moist and the filling is pure decadence. I topped it with some whipped ganache and a chocolate glaze, and it was a showstopper and incredibly delicious. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
This was really good and super moist. I did use expresso (finely ground dark roasted beans) rather than the instant expresso: my bad. The coffee flavor dominated my cake. This was for my sister-in-law’s birthday on Sunday. Today is Tuesday. I am uncertain that her 2 and 7 year-old have yet to sleep. When she starts talking to me again, I will let you know (kidding).
Can you substitute more coconut for the pecans? I am making this cake for a birthday, but there are some people who have a nut allergy.
Hi Brooke, we haven’t tested this filling without pecans but you can try using more coconut to replace the pecans. Let us know how it goes!
NOT SURE WHY…. But the ingredient sections of your recipes stopped printing properly a while ago. I love your recipe’s but it’s a lot of extra work to copy and paste it to a document to print. I don’t have this issue with any other site. So… FYI!
Hi Elaine, we are aware of the print page issue and the tech team is working on it. It’s taken a few extra days to get it situated. My apologies; it will be fixed ASAP!
Just baked this cake for a special daughters birthday tomorrow it all went as instructed smells so very good can not wait to try it thanks so much
First time trying this pecan filling! I think my stove top was too hot. I’m not 100% sure how the filling is supposed to look after it’s been boiled and whisked for five minutes. Could you help me better understand the consistency I should be going for? Mine looked like it had a fair amount of excess butter and the overall mixture was very split and grainy. Too hot of stove top and possibly not enough packed brown sugar, do ya think? I used Land o’ Lakes unsalted butter.
Hi Lindsey, if the mixture is splitting, try turning down the heat a bit and continue to whisk. It will eventually come together and begin to thicken. Keep in mind that it will thicken more as it cools, too. Hope you enjoyed the cake!
This cake is to die for! I made it twice in one week. Just a warning, if you make it once, you will have multiple requests to make it again! The cake is perfect, rich, moist and oh so chocolatey! The coconut/pecan icing is pure goodness. I made mine with only two layers and then doubled the coconut/pecan icing and omitted the chocolate buttercream. It will be delicious no matter how you decide to make it.
This recipe looks amazing! Questions: I’d like to do 4 1/2 layers, i.e. use only 2 9″ cakes and cut them each in half for 4 layers. Is the current cake recipe “sturdy” enough for that? Also, since I’ll need more coconut pecan filling for more layers, can this part of the recipe be doubled?
Hi Debbie! That should work jut fine to bake the cakes in two 9 inch cake pans, it may be a little tricky to slice and assemble, but we haven’t tested it ourselves. You can double the cocoanut pecan filling. Let us know how it goes!
I’m a seasoned baker but had trouble with this cake. I opted for using 9×13 because that works best for my family. Frosting to cake ratio. I followed the recipe exactly. Everything was room temperature that needed to be. I did bake this in a convection oven, which I wouldn’t think would make a difference The problem, the center of the cake didn’t rise nearly as high as the sides. It all started out looking great, but then the center never popped up. Now I think he’ll end up with a boxed cake for his birthday.
Hi Jill, All of the recipes on this site are written for conventional settings. Convection ovens are fantastic for cooking and roasting. If you have the choice, we recommend conventional settings when baking cakes, breads, etc. The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
Thank you! if I didn’t want to use oil could I use butter? Equal parts? If adamantly no butter: coconut oil? thanks!
Hi G, we don’t recommend it. Our general rule of thumb is don’t substitute liquid fats (most oils) with fats that are solid at room temperature (butter, coconut oil).
Thank you. I elected to use avocado oil, which is liquid at room temperature, but isn’t as harmful as seed oils. thank you
My batter seems so thin- is this normal
Hi Rachel, yes, it’s a fairly thin batter.
Hi, I was wondering if can I freeze the filling and if so for how long 🙂
Hi Sophie, you can freeze the filling for up to 3 months.
Can I replace the pecans with walnuts?
Go for it!
Hi! I was wondering how to bake this cake if I were to use 8 inch cake pans?
Hi Evan, You can use this recipe with no changes in 3 8-inch pans. Your layers will be slightly thicker so it may take a couple more minutes to bake, but keep your eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
I am getting ready to make this cake but am confused. For the coconut filling the written section says 8 oz of evaporated milk and the actual recipe says 12 oz of evaporated milk. Which is it?
Hi Mary, it is 12 ounces of evaporated milk.
I used my old stand-by chocolate cake recipe so this comment only applies to the frosting. It was very stiff. One can of evaporated milk is 12 ounces, not 8.
Hi Angie, we are so sorry about that. We have updated the recipe with the change to 12 ounces.