German Sweet Chocolate Cake- Getgood

This is the genuine article: a three-layer German chocolate cake built on sweet German baking chocolate and crowned with that unmistakable cooked coconut-pecan frosting. Despite the name, it’s an all-American classic, named for Sam German’s chocolate, not the country.

The cake itself is lighter than most chocolate cakes. You separate the eggs, beat the whites to stiff peaks, and fold them in at the end, which lifts the crumb so it bakes up tender and almost fluffy rather than dense and fudgy. Buttermilk keeps it moist with a faint tang.

The frosting is the real star, and it’s nothing like a standard buttercream. You cook evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks and butter into a thick golden custard, then stir in coconut and chopped pecans. Traditionally it goes between the layers and over the top only, leaving the sides bare so the cake shows through.

Chef Tips

• Fold the beaten egg whites in gently with a light hand. Stir too hard and you knock out the air that makes the cake rise tall.
• Cook the frosting until it’s genuinely thick and golden, stirring constantly so the egg yolks don’t scramble. It firms up further as it cools.
• Let the frosting cool to a spreadable thickness before you use it. Warm, it slides right off the layers.

Variations

• Toast the pecans and coconut first for a deeper, nuttier frosting.
• Add a thin layer of chocolate ganache around the sides if you want a fully covered, dressier cake.