thepioneerwoman4.0
German Chocolate Cake
This rich German chocolate cake is made with coconut pecan filling, topped with a chocolate Swiss buttercream, and decorated with extra coconut and pecans.
👥 10 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 2h 30m⏳ Prep: 45 min📖 thepioneerwoman
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●pan
- ●oven
- ●bowl
- ●whisk
- ●saucepan
📝 Preparation Steps
1
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray 2 8-inch round baking pans with nonstick baking spray with flour.
Nonstick baking spray with flour
2
Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3
Whisk together the eggs, vanilla, milk, and oil in a medium bowl. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk well to combine. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure all the ingredients get mixed together and there are no clumps of batter. Add the hot water and whisk well to combine (the batter will be thin and soupy).
large eggs2
4
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30 to ⏱️ 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for ⏱️ 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 1/⏱️ 2 hours.
5
For the filling: Combine the granulated and brown sugars, evaporated milk, butter, egg yolks, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture just begins to boil and coats the back of a spoon, 10 to ⏱️ 12 minutes.
egg yolks, room temperature2
6
Remove from the heat, and stir in 1 cup coconut, 2/3 cup chopped pecans, and vanilla. Transfer to a bowl; cover and refrigerate until completely cooled.
7
For the buttercream: Whisk together the sugar and egg whites in the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, whisking occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer registers 120° to 130°, or until the egg whites are foamy and there are no sugar granules in the mix when rubbed together with your fingers.
egg whites, room temperature4
8
Carefully place the bowl onto a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and bowl is cool to the touch, 7 to ⏱️ 8 minutes. Add the butter, one cube at a time, beating until combined after each addition. (If buttercream breaks, beat for 2 to ⏱️ 3 minutes, and it'll come right back together!) Beat in the vanilla and salt. Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in the cocoa powder until fully combined.
9
To assemble, place about 1/2 cup of buttercream in a piping bag and cut a 1-inch-wide opening at the tip. Pipe a ring of buttercream on top of one cooled cake right along the edge. This will act like a barrier to keep your filling from squishing out the sides. (Don't worry if you don't use all the buttercream in your piping bag on the ring, any leftovers can be used to frost the sides). Spread half of the cooled filling on top of the cake in an even layer inside the buttercream ring.
10
Place the other layer upside down on top of the filling. Spread the remaining buttercream around the sides of the cake and spread the remaining filling on the top, leaving about 1/2-inch around the sides. Place pecan halves around the top of the cake. Press the additional 1/2 cup coconut onto the sides of the cake, if you like. Refrigerate or store in a cool place until ready to serve.
Reviews & Ratings
Share your thoughts and feedback about this recipe
Write a Review
Community Feedback
0 ReviewsLoading reviews...