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. 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 need 1 cup or 8 ounces. 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 (1 stick; 115g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 can (8 ounces; 240ml) 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
- 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 version of buttermilk 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. 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 Cake: You can bake this cake as a 9×13 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.
P.S.
Also.
I’d like to use salted butter. In both the filling and buttercream. Is this going to mess them up?
Hi Bella! Yes, you can use salted butter. We would reduce the added salt in the cake by 1/4 – 1/2 tsp and only add salt to taste in the buttercream (you may not need to add any). Here’s more on salted vs. unsalted butter in baking if you’re interested!
So are we putting espresso powder and then ALSO a 1/2 cup of ready made coffee? Or espresso powder then 1/2 cup hot water TO make the coffee? I read the directions and I see that both are added separately but I still want to make sure I’m putting two different kinds of coffee into my batter mix.
One being the espresso powder and
Two being the 1/2 cup of ready made coffee.
Making this in a day so I hope someone responds soon! Thanks!
Hi Bella! Yes, they’re added separately. Hope you love this cake!
Thank you!!! Making the filling now to use when I bake the cake layers in a couple days.
Hello, I’m planning on making two smaller cakes for two birthdays slightly far apart (3 weeks) from one another, and I was wondering if I could half the recipe by just dividing the measurements? I just want to make sure that the stability of the cake isn’t compromised, since cakes are pretty precise in their ingredient amounts! Thank you so much!
Hi Rene, you can certainly halve this recipe simply by halving the ingredients. Or, you can make the full recipe and freeze half of your baked layers for the second birthday!
This is probably the only chocolate cake, let alone German chocolate cake, I will ever make. No complaints whatsoever. The only change I made was to use decaf coffee because my hubby is super sensitive to caffeine, but I don’t think it affected the taste at all. It was AMAZING!
I’ve been yearning for a good German Chocolate Cake. I’ve never made a cake from scratch before, usually boxed but with homemade frosting. I’ll be making this in the next few days but had a question, since I’m toasting the pecans could and or should I also toast the coconut? Thank you, now for a black forest cake for April…..
Everyone LOVED this cake! It will definitely be a staple of mine for many years to come.
Just a quick question: if I wanted to make a mini layered cake using 6″ pans would it be as simple as halving the ingredients listed as above? Or would those ratios not work?
Thanks!
Hi Jessica, for a 6 inch cake, you can use our chocolate cupcakes and chocolate buttercream recipes. That batter fits perfectly into 3 6 inch pans. Follow that chocolate cupcake batter recipe and the instructions here. Use the coconut pecan filling from this recipe — you will have some leftover. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I’m still testing the recipe, but I had an issue with the layers height, I was hoping that the cake should have raised a little bit more. Any suggestions?
Changes I’ve made:
. I’m using 8×2 inch round pans
. Crème Fraiche instead Full Fat Sour Cream
. DIY Buttermilk (112gr Full Milk + 7,5 gr Lemon Juice)
Thanks
Oh my, made this for my daughter’s birthday. Hands down the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. I made it in a sheet pan and baked it for 16 minutes. After cooling, I cut it into 4 sections to make a rectangular 4 layer cake. Omitted the chocolate frosting and just used that amazing coconut filling between layers and on top. Amazing!
Hi, if I have only one cake pan can I bake the cake invidually? Will the resting cake batter turn out okay after leaving it for room temperature for 1-2 hours?
Hi Natalie! You can let the cake batter rest at room temperature if you only have one pan. Enjoy!
Hi sally,
I want to make your chocolate German cake but I want to make it as a 6 inch cake with 3 layers. Would you suggest I just use your chocolate cupcake recipe? I was wondering because I like how this recipe uses coffee to enhance the chocolate flavour. Is there any way to use this recipe?
Hi Nicky! We usually suggest bakers use our Chocolate Cupcakes recipe for a 6 inch 3 layer cake, but if you want to use this recipe you can use our cake pan sizes and conversions guide to find out how much batter you’ll need!
Best cake recipe! Made it 2x now and it is a fan favorite! Life changing! Thank you so much!
Best chocolate cake I have ever made.. the filling is outstanding… I would not use all the filling or frosting too much and sweet.. highly recommend this recipe… absolutely delicious
I made this recipe for a friend’s birthday , this is her favorite cake flavor. I had never made one from scratch and feared it would be dry so the weekend before I did a trial run. I used the espresso in the dry ingredients but the hot water in the wet. I also used the icing on the whole cake. The layers were done after 19 mins. The trial run was good but I made a few changes for the actual birthday cake. I used the hot coffee and espresso, I only used a light spread of the butter cream on the sides and I topped the cake with some of the filling. Cooked the layers for 18 mins and the cake turned out amazing! Thank you Sally!
For as long as I can remember, German chocolate has been my favorite cake and Mom made the boxed kind from time to time growing up. Early in the pandemic I took to baking to relieve stress and feelings of uncertainty as I was considered an essential employee so I had been working right through it all. I found your recipe during a search and I was excited to attempt my first 100% from scratch German chocolate cake. I’m so glad I did, it was definitely worth every minute spent! My husband and I very much enjoyed every bite and everything about this cake turned out perfect. It’s a rather large cake so I’m patiently waiting a gathering to bake it for but I don’t know how much longer I can wait! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I highly recommend this recipe! It’s delicious! The cake is moist and has a wonderful, rich flavor. I’ve received rave reviews the few times I’ve made it.
I do have a question about using the filling for cupcakes. You recommended halving the recipe, but the original calls for 3 egg yolks. Would you recommend one or two for the halved version?
Thanks!
Hi Meredith, we’d recommend one egg yolk + take another egg yolk, whisk it, and then add half for a total of 1.5 egg yolks. We’re happy to hear this recipe was a hit!
This cake is awesome. I’ve made it with and without the frosting and it is yum yum good. The first couple of times my cake sank in the middle and I was so discouraged. But fret not, I added an additional tsp of baking powder and it came out beautifully!!! Thanks for an amazing recipe!!
This recipe is THE BEST German chocolate cake recipe I have tried by far! So moist, delicious and decadent! Only thing I had to adjust was to add a little extra heavy cream in the buttercream frosting due to consistancy issues…butter was probably a little to cold. I would not change a thing about this amazing cake!!
For all 29 years of my life I have never liked or understood the hype of family members for German Chocolate Cake. My mom recently asked me to make her one, expecting me to use a box mix. There was no way I was doing that. No hate to box mixes, but they aren’t the best and their frostings are an abomination. I felt like this was probably why I didn’t like German Choc. Cake and did a google search for a recipe. Your recipe is the gospel truth. I now understand why people love German Chocolate Cake! My mom has been raving about it, her exact words, “d*mn this is good!” I used your chocolate cream cheese frosting because I had the cream cheese in the fridge. So good!! Thank you for sharing.
Hi Sally,
I made this cake for my brother’s birthday. I substituted gluten free flour for regular flour because he can’t have gluten and I didn’t have any sour cream so I used whole milk Greek yogurt instead. The cake came out wonderful. My brother loved it! Thank you for creating such an amazing recipe.
Hi, I was looking through the comments but didn’t exactly see a question about this. When using espresso powder, is it instant espresso or espresso ground coffee? Do I just put the powder in with the dry ingredients?
Hi Cassidy! You want instant espresso powder. You add it in step 2 with the dry ingredients.
You never mentioned when to add coconut and the pecans. I guess just after you’re done with the mixture?
Hi Jessica, at the end of step 5.
It says after removing the egg yolk mixture from heat to add the vanilla, coconut and pecans.
I wanted to make this in an easy to transport 9 x 13 pan. You say not to use the buttercream. That’s sad to see. Why not?
Hi Shery, we find it’s still plenty sweet without the buttercream and that the buttercream can be difficult to spread over the top of the filling. That said, you can certainly still use it if you’d like!
Best chocolate cake ever, honestly it goes well with everything and is incredibly moist (not like those butter based chocolate cake) and it gets better with time 😉
I had a doubt with the filling, but maybe the question got lost or whatever.
I need to replace pecans: are almonds or walnuts a good option? I have never eaten pecans, so I really can’t decide… (maybe Pistachios, hazelnuts or cashews?)
Hi Lina, absolutely, you can replace the pecans with other nuts of your choice. Hazelnuts would be especially delicious here. We’d love to know what you try!
Hello! Is high fat greek yogurt a good substitute for the sour cream? If so, keep same measurement as sour cream? Also, is avacado oil a good oil to use for baking? I do not use canola or vegetable oils.
Hi Jennie, Instead of sour cream, you can try using plain Greek yogurt. The cake won’t taste quite as rich, but it’s a fine substitution. Use the same amount! We haven’t tested this cake with avocado oil but it should be just fine in place of vegetable oil. Let us know if you try it!
OH MY GOODNESS!! I made this recipe yesterday and it was AMAZING!! I grew up asking my mom to make me a German chocolate cake every year on my birthday…but I’ll be making this one from now on!! I agree with the recommendation to only ice the top of the cake – it is wonderfully sweet and delicious and doesn’t need the extra, although I’m glad I made a full size batch for another day.
Made this cake for my husband’s birthday. It was delicious. I used store bought frosting for the top, to save time and because I had it, but the coconut middle was great and the cake was amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
The buttercream frosting and the coconut filling are to die for! This cake was a huge hit!
I have a question. Is it possible to make this cake without using the chocolate icing? And if so, will the cake still be just as delicious and moist? I wanted to put the coconut and pecan icing over the entire cake.
Hi Mika! Yes, that would delicious. The cake is plenty moist. You’ll need more of the coconut and pecan icing to cover the entire cake but we haven’t tested it ourselves. Would love to hear how it goes for you.
This recipe is fantastic — I made a few major adjustments, nonetheless.
For the batter:
– Mixture of pure cane sugar, coconut sugar, and molasses for sugar
– Pork lard, coconut oil, and canola oil mixture for fat
– Homemade goat milk buttermilk
For the filling:
– Same sugar mixture as above
– 85 grams’ worth of brown butter + 30 grams of plain butter
– Evaporated goat milk
– Unsweetened toasted coconut with some plain coconut flakes
For the icing:
– Same as the naked buttercream recipe but with homemade pure cane powdered sugar, part lard/ part butter
11/10 — some of the best cake I’ve ever had, honestly.
Hi there! I need to make this cake for my stepdads birthday tomorrow. I LOVE cake and sugar. I have a huge sweet tooth. I’m sure I’ll love this cake, however my mom and stepdad are more sensitive to super sweet things. Although this is the cake he requested, can I put in less sugar? Because you mentioned the filling is fairly sweet. How would you recommend I go about decreasing the sugar content in this cake as a whole? Thank you! ❤️
Hi Courtney, I’m glad to help as much as I can. Sugar does more than sweeten a cake– it provides moisture and structure, too. I haven’t tested this, but you can try leaving out about 1/3 cup of sugar from the cake batter and 1/4 cup from the filling.