German Chocolate Cake

A decadent chocolate cake with the classic coconut, pecan filling topped with chocolate buttercream. This cake is easy to make and absolutely delicious. Make sure to let sit overnight before serving to maximize the flavors.

Ingredients —

For the cake

• 2 ½ cups flour, all-purpose

• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• 2 cups sugar, white

• 3 eggs, large, at room temperature

• 1 cup milk

For the filling

• 1 ½ cup Toasted Unsalted Pecans, finely chopped

• 1 cup milk

• 3 egg yolks, large

• ¾ cup brown sugar, packed

• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

• ¼ cup light corn syrup

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

For the chocolate buttercream

• 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 3 ½ cup powdered sugar

• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or more for a more chocolate taste)

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ cup heavy cream or milk

Directions

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease and flour two 9-inch pans. Set aside.

• Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

• In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the semisweet chocolate in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside.

• In a stand mixer, beat the sugar, oil and eggs on a medium speed until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate. Alternate beating the flour and milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Make sure not to over mix. Divide the batter evenly between pans.

• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, 30-35 minutes. Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes before running a knife or spatula around the edges. Place the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling

• In a medium saucepan, whisk the milk and egg yolks together until smooth.

• Add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt, and cook over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-10 minutes.

• Pour the mixture into a large bowl, add Toasted Unsalted Pecans and coconut shreds; set aside to cool completely.

For the buttercream

• In a stand mixer, beat the butter on high until smooth, about 3-4 minutes.

• Add powdered sugar, cocoa, salt, vanilla and cream while on low. Once added, increase to high speed and beat for 3 more minutes.

• If buttercream is too thin, add 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar. If too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons cream.

• Taste buttercream to determine whether it’s too sweet, and if so add more salt.

Assembly

• On a cake stand, place 1-2 tablespoons buttercream in the center and spread (this is to help the cake from sliding on the cake stand).

• Place one of the cakes on the cake stand. With your preferred method (we used sandwich bags and cut one corner off), pipe buttercream around the edges of the first layer. Spoon filling onto the cake and use the spoon to spread it evenly. The buttercream acts as a barrier for the filling. Place the other cake on top, and repeat the above step.

• Let sit overnight before enjoying.

* Cake and filling recipe modified from FoodNetwork Kitchen