The name German chocolate cake is rather misleading because it’s not really a German dessert and traditionally the cake is a lighter coloured cake, with a mild taste of chocolate. My family version is a chocolate cake with frosting chocolate on the top and centre of the cake with coconut frosting. This cake can not be beaten seriously, especially when you’re a lover of chocolate.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 15
Ingredients:
For the Chocolate Cake:
2 cups granulated sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil, either vegetable or canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
For the Coconut Frosting:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
For the Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven about 375 degrees F. Grease 2 bakeries 8 or 9 “round. To make sure the cake comes out quickly. I like cutting around wax or parchment paper for the bottom of the pan too.
For Cake:
In a large bowl, mix sugar, meal, cacao, baking powder, soda, and salt. Mix eggs, butter, oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the wet ingredients and mix in the dry ingredients. Remove in boiling water (the batter is very thin). Put the drum in ready-made pots.
Bake for 25 – 35 minutes, or until clean or crumbly, depending on your cake pan. The 9 “pan will take less time to bake. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then cool fully onto the wiring racks.
For Coconut frosting:
Add brown sugar, grained sugar, butter, the yolk of an egg, and evaporated milk in a medium casserole. Stir the mixture to blend properly in a low boil over medium heat. Stir until the mixture starts to thicken, constantly for several minutes.
Remove it from the heat. Add and stir vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Before layering the cake, make sure it’s completely cool.
For Chocolate Frosting:
Melt the butter. Mix in the powdered cocoa. Add powdered sugar and milk alternatively to spread. If necessary add a small amount of extra milk, or a little extra powder if necessary before your desired consistency is achieved. Add vanilla and stir.
For Assembling the cake:
On your serving stand or platform, place one of the cake rounds.
Smooth over the cake layer into a thin layer of chocolate, then spread over it half the coconut frost. Leave between the fill and edge of the cake for about 1/2 inch.
Put the second cake on top. Make sure that the placement of the chocolate frosting is smooth.
Spoon coconut on top of the cake remaining.

Ingredients
- For the Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup oil, either vegetable or canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- For the Coconut Frosting:
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- For the Chocolate Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven about 375 degrees F. Grease 2 bakeries 8 or 9 "round. To make sure the cake comes out quickly. I like cutting around wax or parchment paper for the bottom of the pan too.
For Cake:
In a large bowl, mix sugar, meal, cacao, baking powder, soda, and salt. Mix eggs, butter, oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the wet ingredients and mix in the dry ingredients. Remove in boiling water (the batter is very thin). Put the drum in ready-made pots.
Bake for 25 – 35 minutes, or until clean or crumbly, depending on your cake pan. The 9 "pan will take less time to bake. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then cool fully onto the wiring racks.
For Coconut frosting:
Add brown sugar, grained sugar, butter, the yolk of an egg, and evaporated milk in a medium casserole. Stir the mixture to blend properly in a low boil over medium heat. Stir until the mixture starts to thicken, constantly for several minutes.
Remove it from the heat. Add and stir vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Before layering the cake, make sure it's completely cool.
For Chocolate Frosting:
Melt the butter. Mix in the powdered cocoa. Add powdered sugar and milk alternatively to spread. If necessary add a small amount of extra milk, or a little extra powder if necessary before your desired consistency is achieved. Add vanilla and stir.
For Assembling the cake:
On your serving stand or platform, place one of the cake rounds.
Smooth over the cake layer into a thin layer of chocolate, then spread over it half the coconut frost. Leave between the fill and edge of the cake for about 1/2 inch.
Put the second cake on top. Make sure that the placement of the chocolate frosting is smooth.
Spoon coconut on top of the cake remaining.