Skip to Content
Menu

German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting

Pillsbury Kitchens
Updated Mar 18, 2021
  • Pin
Serve up a winner to the chocolate lovers in your family. This towering German chocolate cake needs three layers to show off its sweet chocolate cake and creamy coconut-pecan frosting. It's a tower of delicious homemade German Chocolate Cake that will make eyes go wide when you add it to the table. This dessert reaches new heights as the must-make cake for every celebration.

More About This Recipe

  • This classic cake is a towering, triple decker of deliciousness that no one will be able to resist. German chocolate cake might look difficult, but with this easy recipe you will never buy a pre-made version again. This cake of course starts with the chocolate, which you need to let cool completely before adding it to the other ingredients, so you don’t accidently cook the eggs. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can substitute one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice plus milk to make one cup. Be sure to let both the cakes and the frosting cool separately before assembling to create those unforgettable layers. Do you love cake as much as we do? Don’t miss our full collection of our best quick and easy cakes and cupcakes.

German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting

  • Prep Time 30 min
  • Total 2 hr 50 min
  • Ingredients 17
  • Servings 16
  • Pin

Ingredients

Cake

  • 4 oz sweet baking chocolate, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening; lightly flour. In 1-quart saucepan, melt chocolate with water over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool.
  • Step 
    2
    In large bowl, beat 2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating and scraping well after each addition. Beat in chocolate mixture. On low speed, beat in remaining cake ingredients until well blended, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter evenly into pans.
  • Step 
    3
    Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; place on wire racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
  • Step 
    4
    In 2-quart saucepan, cook 1 cup sugar, the evaporated milk, 1/2 cup butter and 3 eggs over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in coconut, pecans and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
  • Step 
    5
    Place 1 cake layer, top side down, on serving plate. Spread with 1/3 of frosting. Repeat with remaining cake layers and frosting, ending with frosting.

Nutrition

560 Calories
30g Total Fat
8g Protein
63g Total Carbohydrate
46g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
560
Calories from Fat
270
Total Fat
30g
47%
Saturated Fat
14g
69%
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
145mg
48%
Sodium
340mg
14%
Potassium
200mg
6%
Total Carbohydrate
63g
21%
Dietary Fiber
2g
8%
Sugars
46g
Protein
8g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
15%
15%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
8%
8%
Iron
10%
10%
Exchanges:
2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 6 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
4
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Tips from the

Pillsbury Kitchens

© 2025 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved

Reviews & Questions Section