German Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

a slice of german chocolate cake with a fork in it

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German Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

Traditional German chocolate cake recipe with dark chocolate cake, coconut pecan frosting and creamy buttercream. Make as a sheet cake or layer cake.

Prep Time30

Cook Time23

Total Time53

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, European, German

Servings:

Calories: 923kcal

Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

For the coconut pecan frosting:

1 cup heavy cream
½ cup salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ⅓ cups shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

For the cake:

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed strong coffee cooled

For the chocolate buttercream:

1 cup salted butter softened
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3½ cups powdered sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

For the coconut pecan frosting:

Combine the cream, butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir the mixture over medium heat until it is thick (about 12-15 minutes). 1 cup heavy cream, ½ cup salted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 large egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add the coconut and pecans. Mix well and allow to cool. Once the mixture is at room temperature, beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes. Set aside. 1 ⅓ cups shredded coconut, 1 cup chopped pecans

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour 3 round 8-inch cake pans. Line with parchment paper for easy removal if desired.
Place the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix well. 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
In a stand mixer, mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla together. Slowly add in the mix of dry ingredients while the mixer is on low. Add the coffee and make sure everything is combined. The batter will be very thin. 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup freshly brewed strong coffee
Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for about 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack.

For the buttercream:

In a stand mixer with the beater blade, beat the butter for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth, creamy and nearly white in appearance. Add in the salt and vanilla. Mix until incorporated. 1 cup salted butter, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. 3½ cups powdered sugar, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Add the heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time, mixing slowly until it is the consistency that you'd like. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed until smooth and creamy. 4 tablespoons heavy cream

Assemble the cake:

Frost the top each cooled cake layer with the coconut pecan frosting.
Stack the layers together. Then frost around the outside of the cake with chocolate buttercream. Pipe stars using Wilton tip 1M on the top outer edge of the cake.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 12 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.

Nutrition