The best recipes are those that are from-scratch and made with love! This is The Best German Chocolate Cake Recipe, and is by far my favorite cake recipe I have done so far! It is sweet, rich, and the coconut pecan filling is to die for! I mean come on, have you ever seen a more decadent, make-you-drool-just-looking-at-it cake before??

My favorite part is by far the filling. I can just eat that stuff with a spoon! The pecans and coconut just go so well together. One tip I would like to give you is make sure that your filling is completely cool before assembling the cake. If not, it will just melt you buttercream and the cake will start to slide around.. Patience is key when making this recipe.. trust me, I know it is hard, but you CAN DO IT!

Cake Goop

I know what you are thinking.. What is cake goop?! Well I will tell you, it is the most amazing stuff I have ever used!!! It has helped me get perfect cakes that do not stick to the pan after baking. I regret not using this stuff sooner! It is so simple, and you can make it up in batches and save it until you need it! All you need is flour, vegetable oil, and shortening! That is it! Place 1/2 cup of each ingredient into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until well combined and smooth. Place in a mason jar, or other air tight container and store until you need it again! Easy Peasy, and it makes life SOOO much easier. You’re welcome 😛

Tip and Tricks

Apart from the cake goop. I have a few more tips to help you achieve a beautiful cake.

Level each layer. You can do this with a cake leveler, or just a large cake knife. I find that using a cake leveler is a lot easier and they aren’t too expensive. But, if you do not make cakes very often just using a serrated knife will work just fine.
Let your cakes cool for about 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. While the goop does help keep the cake from sticking, if you remove the cake while it is still too hot you can burn your self and it is more likely to fall apart.
Let your cake cool COMPLETELY before frosting. It will cause the frosting and the filling to melt and the cake will slide all over the place, you do not want that.
Ill say it again, LET THE FILLING COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE ASSEMBLING CAKE!
Use a spatula to add on buttercream and the filling, it is just easier, and I am all about working smarter not harder.
Keep your cake in the refrigerator but allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

If you tried this recipe give me a shout out below and let me know how you like it!!

The Best German Chocolate Cake Recipe!

Author: Rose

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Description

The best recipes are those that are from-scratch and made with love! This is The Best German Chocolate Cake Recipe, and is by far a favorite! It is sweet, rich, and the coconut pecan filling is to die for!

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 cups Sugar
3/4 cup Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Boiling Water

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

1 1/2 cups Butter (3 sticks) I use salted, but you can use unsalted and add about 1/4 tsp salt
5 cups Powdered Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup Heavy Cream

COCONUT PECAN FILLING

1 cup Evaporated Milk
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1 cup Sugar
3 Egg Yolks
1/2 cup Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Chopped Pecans
1 cup Shredded Coconut

Instructions

Prepare the coconut pecan filling first, as it needs to cool down before you spread it. Add the evaporated milk and cornstarch in a sauce pan. Stir to combine.
Add all other ingredients, except coconut and pecans and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients and set aside to cool. It will thicken!
Next, make your cake! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk together for about a minute.
Add in all wet ingredients EXCEPT the water. Stir to combine.
Finally, add in your boiling water, and start slow, and slowly increase the speed to high. Whisk on high for about 1-2 minutes. It should be bubbly!
Prepare three 6″ or two 8″ baking pans (see cake goop recipe above). Then divide the batter equally into each pan.
Bake in the middle of the oven, in the middle of the rack for about 25-30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
While your cakes are cooling, make your buttercream. Add your room temp butter to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Mix for about 2-3 minutes.
Add in your powdered sugar one cup at a time. It will look dry.
Add in cocoa powder.
Add in vanilla and cream. Mix for about 4-5 minutes, scraping the sides every so often. If you feel that the buttercream is too thick, add in a little more cream, a tablespoon at a time!
To prepare the cake, level each layer. Place one layer down, and top with buttercream and filling, add another layer of cake, and continue until you are out of cake. Cover the whole cake with buttercream, and add the coconut pecan filling to the top!! Add a pretty border if you wish!
You can also cover the whole cake in the filling. To do this, double the batch above, and just cover the whole cake!