Classic German Chocolate Cake

Homemade Rich Chocolate Cake layered with Coconut Pecan frosting.

The combination of chocolate and coconut is definitely a personal and family favorite. In my family German Chocolate Cake goes way back to my great grandmother Cora. My mom and cousin Cheryl have memories of their grandma Cora's famous German Chocolate Cake made on special occasions.

This Mother's day my mom requested that I make a German Chocolate Cake, so I whipped one up and we enjoyed it together....it was SO good. I even baked the chocolate cake in the same pans Cora used that my mom has kept for many years.

Let's get to it.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk (use 2% of whole milk)

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup boiling water

Frosting

1 cup evaporated milk

3 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1 cup pecans, chopped (unsalted)

Instructions

1. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and spray two 9" round pans with non-stick spray. Place parchment paper on the bottom of the pans.

2. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add milk, eggs, vanilla, and oil. Beat with a hand mixer or with a whisk if you don't own own a hand mixer until it is well combined. Slowly pour in the boiling water and mix until smooth, the texture should be a bit runny.

4. Divide the batter between the two pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. You can test by inserting a toothpick in the center, it should come out clean.

5. Let the cakes cool for 8-10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.

6. Once the frosting is cooled (see below) frost half of the cake with the coconut pecan frosting. Add the second layer of chocolate cake and spread the rest of the frosting evenly on top.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

1. Whisk together evaporated milk, egg yolks, and sugar in a saucepan. Add in the butter. Cook and stir regularly with a wooden spoon over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, don't be alarmed if it starts to bubble. This should take around 10-12 minutes.

Note: Don't put your burner on high heat or it will burn your frosting mixture.

2. Let cool for about 8-10 minutes before stirring in vanilla, coconut flakes, and chopped pecans. Let cool completely before frosting the cake.

Storing Instructions

You can store the German Chocolate Cake at room temperature for 2-3 days. Make sure the cake is airtight, you can use a glass cake dome to cover the cake. I honestly think it tastes better the next day to allow the frosting to soak into the cake a bit...super moist! The cake can also be refrigerated for 4-5 days if it lasts that long.

Enjoy!