you're making mealtime meaningful.
German Chocolate Cake has been a favorite dessert in my family for as long as I can remember. My dad requests it for every birthday and my grandmother’s famous recipe is safely stowed in every family member’s recipe box. Because my dad’s side of the family does in fact hail from Germany, I never questioned the assumption that German Chocolate Cake was, well… German. So you can imagine my surprise when I learned that was not the case!
Turns out the cake was created right here in the United States by Sam German in 1852. That news did change our perception of this treat, but it in no way did it change our undying love. I’m sure you understand if you’ve ever tasted a slice!
Most German Chocolate Cake ingredient lists stick pretty close to the original and you’ll find that true with this version as well. A moist cake made with German baking chocolate, topped with coconut pecan frosting- a heavenly combination. The one thing we have changed is the form of the cake. Instead of fussy layers, we’ve opted for an easy sheet cake that bumps up the ratio of frosting to cake and ensures that every bite is perfectly moist and delicious! When the frosting is this good, you want as much of it per bite as you can get.
Since this version is a bit easier to make than the original, you can whip it up for any occasion. Birthdays, holidays, church potlucks, there’s no wrong time for a sweet treat like this one. Sheet cakes are perfect for feeding a big group since you can easily get 16 large servings (or many more smaller servings) out of the one cake. Though, with a cake this tasty, folks are bound to go back for seconds!
German Chocolate Sheet Cake
Yield(s): Serves 16-20
20m prep time
20m cook time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup butter (1 stick)
- ½ cup shortening
- 4 oz German baking chocolate
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting
- 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 3 egg yolks
- ¾ cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups shredded coconut
- 1 ½ cups pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease a sheet pan.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder.
- In a small saucepan, add the water, butter, shortening, and chocolate. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the mixture is smooth and fully combined, add it to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
- Stirring between each addition, first add the buttermilk, baking soda, salt, eggs, and then vanilla.
- Transfer batter to the prepared sheet pan and bake for 20-22 minutes. Let cool before frosting.
Frosting
- Add the milk, egg yolks, butter, and sugars to a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Stir frequently and continue cooking for 10-12 minutes or until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat.
- Stir in coconut, pecan, and vanilla.
- Let frosting cool slightly and then spread over the cooled cake.
- Chill for 1-2 hours, then serve.
Recipe adapted from Chef-in-training.com