Easy 5-Ingredient German Chocolate Cake
This Easy German Chocolate Cake is a simple, easy-to-make cake—just FIVE ingredients—but the results are spectacular!
Update: This Easy German Chocolate Cake recipe has been a family favorite for a long time, so I’ve updated it with a video and new photos and am sharing it again for new readers who may have missed it the first time around, or haven’t made it yet.
So confession time—I’m a little bit picky about my chocolate cake. I love a good chocolate cake, as you can see from the Cake section of this website. It’s gotten to the point where each of my kids has a different favorite chocolate cake—my daughter prefers an old Hershey’s Chocolate Cake recipe that’s a little more mild, while boys prefers a rich Old-Fashioned Dark Chocolate Cake that really features the dark cocoa flavor.
And then there’s my husband who is crazy about this German Chocolate Cake. He always wants this same cake for his birthday and he wants it to taste just like Mom used to make. 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.
We’ve tried several German Chocolate Cake recipes over the years. By far the best and easiest we’ve found is Anne Byrn’s Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor, which has a recipe for German Chocolate Cake from a mix that is moist and delicious, even though it starts from a box. When combined with my mother-in-law’s Coconut-Almond Frosting, it is irresistible!
Can I Substitute Pecans
I know some people prefer pecans in their German Chocolate frosting, and you can substitute pecans for the almonds in this recipe. However, if you’ve never tried German Chocolate Cake with an almond frosting, I strongly encourage you to give it a try! It’s fabulous this way!
Also, if you’re making this cake for a special occasion, head on over to my Tips for Baking Layer Cakes post. It’s a handy guide I wrote up with all the tips and tricks I’ve picked over the years.
How to make German Chocolate Cake in a 9 x 13 pan
If you prefer, you can make the cake in 13 x 9 baking dish. Bake the cake 38–42 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
You can also make German Chocolate Cupcakes, which makes the cake easier to serve.
I’ve added a video that shows just how easy this cake is to make.
Easy German Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 (15.25 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
Instructions
- 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 two greased and floured 9 inch round pans. Bake 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
- You can also baked the cake in a 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.
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.
Notes
*You can also warm up the butter, sugar and evaporated milk and temper the eggs before adding them to the saucepan.
Chocolate drizzle, optional - I just melted about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips, put it in a Ziploc storage bag, snipped the corner and drizzled a bit on top.
Other chocolate cake recipes from Barbara Bakes that you may love:
- Triple Chocolate Cake with a Coconut Cream Cheese Filling
- Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake with Maraschino Cherry Filling
- Triple Chocolate Layer Cake
- Chocolate Cake with an Oreo Cheesecake Filling
- Chocolate Cheesecake Cake
- Turtle Chocolate Poke Cake
- Black Forest Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake Cake
- Cherry Chocolate Cake for Two
- Chocolate Cake for Two with a Coconut-Almond Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake Chocolate Cake
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Just made this for my Dad’s 84th birthday… can’t wait to taste it as it’s his favorite cake flavor! It IS a very easy recipe and I appreciated your baking tips, like using parchment paper to frost, and freezing layers for easier frosting… I will definitely try that tip next time!
Thanks Brigid! Happy birthday to your Dad 🙂
I just made this cake and it was so, so good. However, it is so moist is falls apart when cutting. Is there a better technique to avoid this.
Thanks Bertha – glad you enjoy the cake. You could try reducing the oil to 1/3 cup. Do you live in a humid area?
I was wondering if you should freeze this type of cake before frostin
Hi Pam – freezing it before frosting is not necessary because the frosting spreads easily and you’re not frosting the sides. Enjoy!
I made this for my dad’s 65th birthday. It was delicious! The frosting was perfect. I’ve always just used store-bought and it was so simple to make. I loved the almonds. Thank you!
Thanks Jenny! Happy birthday to your dad!
What is the best premixed cake to get?
Hi Sara – I usually buy Betty Crocker Super Moist German Chocolate mix
I made this jumbo cupcake size. I used both light brown and white sugar 3/4 cups total and 8 0z of coconut for frosting. Followed recipe for cake mix Duncan Hines no water oil only. Eureka. Xmas hit. Thx
Sounds like a fun way to change it up Vero. Glad it was a hit – thanks!
Regarding the almond slices—are they sort of soft or chewy in the frosting? Just wondering. Also, have you ever toasted the almond slices prior to adding them to the frosting? Would you recommend having both almond slices and pecan pieces in the frosting?
Thanks!
-Andria
Hi Andria – they stay pretty crunchy. I haven’t tried toasting the almonds, but you could certainly toast them. I would probably use pecans or almonds and not both.
I followed the directions. Both cakes fell apart. And the frosting is not good. I wouldn’t even give it 1 ⭐
Sound like you either left out an ingredient or baked the cake too longer. Everyone tastes are different the frosting is a family favorite at my house and we make it often.
You might not notice but to cut cost cake mixes Companies have reduced from an 18 oz pkg to a 15 oz pkg thus a cake too moist and falls apart. I learned that lesson the hard way
Hi Genevieve – thanks for the comment. I’ve made this cake successfully many times with the smaller size cake mix and have updated the recipe card to mention the smaller size. There is slightly less liquid (1/4 cup) in my recipe than the smaller cake mix box recommends, and buttermilk instead of water, so it isn’t quite as thin as a typical cake batter, but it has a delightful texture. I hope you’ll give it a try.
Recipe sounds wonderful. Going to try and make for my boss birthday!!!!!
That’s so nice! I’m sure it will be a hit.
What kind on buttermilk do you use?
Hi Christy – the typical liquid cultured buttermilk found in the dairy aisle in US stores.
I’m going to make this awesome cake for my brother in law, his very favorite. Thank you❣️
That’s so nice – enjoy!
Can I make frosting with out Almonds
Sure – just use extra coconut.