Homemade German Chocolate Cake Recipe Reviewed

German chocolate cake is a unique and delicious cake.  A German chocolate cake is often easily recognized by the way it is frosted.  Traditionally, the sides of a German chocolate cake are not frosted.  The coconut-pecan frosting is only on the top and between layers.   However, when I make this cake for our family, I elect to put the frosting between layers, on the top and sides.  We like the extra frosting.  If I made the cake for a party, I would opt for the more traditional, recognizable method and leave the frosting off the sides.  

Baking any cake from scratch does take more time to prepare than a boxed cake mix.  Plus, you need more ingredients on hand.  Those ingredients often have a short expiration date and are likely to spoil before you use the full bottle, bag or can.  This alone may be why so many people choose to make cakes with a cake mix instead of from scratch.

When you have the time and inclination, a homemade cake from scratch truly is a gift, as well as a special treat.  My homemade German chocolate cake is the most requested cake out of all of my homemade cakes.     

German Chocolate Cake Recipe
Sylvestermouse - ReviewThisReviews.com

Set out your butter to soften about an hour before you are ready to start mixing the cake together.  I would also recommend lining your cake pans with parchment paper or pre-cut cake pan liners to keep your cake from sticking to the pan. 

Because there are several parts of this recipe made in separate bowls and later combined into one large mixing bowl, I use mixing bowls with spouts for easy pouring.   

I do use my stand mixer for this cake in order to free up both hands to hold bowls and/or spatulas when adding ingredients to the batter. 
  

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S GERMAN'S Sweet Chocolate
• ½ cup water
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 cups & 4 Tablespoons cake flour or 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup Prairie Farms Bulgarian style buttermilk or whole buttermilk

 

Directions    

Cover bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round pans with parchment or pre-cut dry wax cake liners for pans; Coat bottom & sides with Crisco shortening. 

Heat oven to 350°F   (325°F – Convection) 

1.  Microwave chocolate and water in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. 
2.  Separate Eggs (Egg whites in the medium glass mixing bowl)
3.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl 
4.  Beat butter and sugar in large mixing bowl with mixer until light and fluffy    
5.  Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each.    
6.  Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla with the low setting on the mixer    
7.  Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition 
8.  Beat egg whites in glass bowl with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form 
9.  Add egg whites to batter by gently stirring them in with a spatula until well blended 
10.  Pour batter into prepared cake pans     
11.  Bake 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean 
12.  Immediately run small spatula around cakes in pans and cool cakes in pans 15 min. 
13.  Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
14.  Be sure to remove the pan liner parchment paper from the bottom of the cake layers before frosting.   

Prepare Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting; spread between cake layers and onto top of cake.

 

Top with Homemade Coconut-Pecan Frosting (click here for the recipe!) 

 

 Lot of 2 Baker's 4 oz. German's Sweet Chocolate BarCheck Price Swans Down Regular Cake Flour, 32oz BoxCheck Price 100Pcs 9 IN Round Non Stick Parchment Paper for BakingCheck Price

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Homemade German Chocolate Cake Recipe Written by:

© 2025 Cynthia Sylvestermouse