Easy German Chocolate Cake
Update: This has become one of my most Googled recipes, so I updated the post with a couple of mouth-watering pictures that do the cake justice. This is a simple, easy-to-make cake with spectacular results.
I asked my mother-in-law what kind of cake she would like me to bake her for her birthday. I wasn’t surprised by her answer. Of course, she wanted a German Chocolate Cake. It is the same cake my husband always wants for his birthday. The cake he grew up eating on special occasions. My mother-in-law gave me her recipe for Coconut-Almond Frosting for German Chocolate Cake when we were first married, and I’ve been making it ever since.
I’m not a huge fan of boxed cake mixes, I think they are too dry unless you doctor them up. But in Anne Byrn’s Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor, she has a recipe for German Chocolate Cake from a mix that is moist and delicious. When combined with the coconut-almond frosting it is almost irresistible. In fact, by the time I remembered I needed a picture so I could post this family favorite recipe on my blog, all that was left was this sad little corner piece. I’ll have to make it again soon and take an Oh Wow picture.
I am submitting this recipe to Shelby of The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honey Bunch for the June Family Recipes Event.
Easy German Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Coconut-Almond Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 (7 oz. package) sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup sliced almonds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Mix the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl on low speed for one minute until combined. Beat at medium speed for two minutes more. Pour into greased and floured 13 x 9 baking dish. Bake 38–42 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Can also be baked in two 9 inch round pans for 30 – 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and remove from pans. I like to line my round cake pans with parchment paper before adding batter for easy removal from the pan
Coconut-Almond Frosting
Combined butter, sugar, evaporated milk and eggs* in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 12 minutes or until thickened. Add vanilla, coconut and almonds. Cool to room temperature before frosting cake.
*You can also warm up the butter, sugar and evaporated milk and temper the eggs before adding them to the saucepan.
I tried the Easy German chocolate cake recipe with a few changes. I added a stick of butter, 2 tsp. of chocolate extract and 1 cup of chocolate chips. I also added a box of chocolate fudge pudding. I baked it in 2 9 inch layers. For the frosting, I used pecans instead of the almonds. Turned out great!
Can you make this “Easy German Chocolate Cake” in a bundt pan?
Hi Eileen – you could, but the nice thing about doing it as a layer cake is you have more surface area for the frosting. You could make it a 9×13 pan too.
Help! I’ve been stirring the frosting mixture for about 12 min and it’s not thickening! Any suggestions??
Hi Janna – try cooking it for a few minute longer should help. If cooking it longer doesn’t help, you can try adding another egg. Whisk some of the hot liquid into the egg to temper it and then add it to the mixture. Also, when you add in the coconut and almonds, that absorbs some of the liquid as well, so you don’t want it spreadable thick – the consistency of a thin pudding. It will also thicken as it cools. Hope that helps and that it worked out well for you!
What would you bake these at if you were making them into cupcakes?:)
Hi Danae – I also did a cupcake version http://www.barbarabakes.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes-with-coconut-almond-frosting/ Enjoy!
Thank you!!:)
Thanks for your help, I’m extremely grateful!
I left it over medium, mixing constantly as instructed, and I’m left with coagulation. Yes, I’ve tempered the eggs prior. I’m so disappointed.
Sorry Sandra that is disappointing. Perhaps your eggs need a bit more of the warm mixture when tempering.
I used the Easy German Chocolate Cake receipe & it was delicious, but when I sliced it, it fell apart.I live in CO. Could this be because of the altitude?
Hi Kitty – so glad you enjoyed it. I’m not sure why it would fall apart, but I don’t think it’s altitude since I bake at about 4,000 feet. Usually when you use a cake mix the additives the put in make the cake very forgiving. Perhaps you forgot an ingredient, or it wasn’t a typical cake mix?
Im interested in making this into a 3 layer cake because I think it looks pretty….(and doubling the icing recipe). For how long should I bake it?
Hi Michelle – I haven’t tried it, but your cook time should be about 25 minutes. I’m sure it will be spectacular. 🙂
Do you really mean 1 TABLESPOON of vanilla for the frosting? In the cake its 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract…is it 1 Tablespoon of pure vanilla extract for the frosting as well?
Hi Mary – yes the recipe is correct. The cake is chocolate so you really don’t need as much vanilla in it. It’s mainly just to boost the flavor of the cake mix a bit. If you’re concerned about putting that much in the frosting, just add a little at a time and taste it and see if you want to add more. It’s really just a preference thing.
Thank you, Barbara! This cake was exactly what I was looking for: easy (but a step above the overly simplified ones), with a 9×13 option (this cake had to travel). I used pecans in the frosting instead of almonds with confidence, as you had said in the comments section that the substitution could be made. Everything went just as you said it should, and I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Thanks Lynn! I look forward to you trying more recipes too.
How many oz are in the box cake mix you use? Some brands are different.
Hi Megan – I used a traditional 18.25 oz. box, but others have had success using the recipe with a 15.25 oz box. I don’t know why they thought it was a good idea to reduce the size of a cake mix.
What type of butter should I use? Salted or unsalted?
Hi Danielle – it doesn’t make a big difference in this recipe. I just use whatever I have on hand. Probably salted would be better since there’s no salt in the recipe.
Looks amazeballs!! Have you ever made this recipe into cupcakes? If so, what is the baking time??
Thanks! Yes I have and they’re just as amazing. 20 – 25 minutes http://www.barbarabakes.com/2010/10/german-chocolate-cupcakes-with-coconut-almond-frosting/
very nice