What Is A Good Substitute For German Chocolate
If you are absolutely dying for German chocolate cake but don’t have real German chocolate on hand, you can try mixing one tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder with one tablespoon + one teaspoon of sugar and one teaspoon of vegetable shortening. Do this for each ounce of German chocolate called for in a recipe.
While this is a decent substitute, it may still not taste quite the same as using actual German chocolate.
Let’s Frost That German Chocolate Cake
For the frosting, you will want to do the following
Take the chocolate frosting and frost the top of your cake with a thin layer of chocolate.
Now, using a 1 star tip, create rosettes all around the outside edge of the cake.
Then, take a spoon and spoon the German Chocolate into the center of the cake. That’s it!
Your cake is now perfect and ready to enjoy.
Of course, you do not have to decorate it the way I did. You can totally do whatever you want make it your own!
Can I Make This Cake Bigger
Absolutely! If you want a larger cake you can double the recipe following my homemade chocolate cake recipe. Double the chocolate frosting, coconut pecan frosting, and drip recipe too.
I use three 6 in cake pans for this cake but you can also use two 9-inch cake pans, just make sure to check the cakes for doneness around the 20-minute mark.
Don’t Miss: Sam’s Club Bakery Wedding Cakes
Tips For Making The Best German Chocolate Cake
My mom always made me my German Chocolate Cake in the bundt form, but this time out, I broke out my new 8-inch cake pans that my husband visibly shuddered at as I bought them, and made myself a 3-tier cake. Hes happy I made the purchase now.
I revert back to my days as a Hostess Twinkie packagerand sometimes Hostess Cupcakeswhen I take the cakes out of the pans. The guys on the line would SMACK the cupcake pans as hard as they could onto the conveyer belt for the cupcakes to be released from the cakepans hold and onto the frosting dripper. So I do what they did and SMACK them on my counter. I get a clean release every time.
I usually freeze my coconut and pecans because I dont use them as often as Id like. Theyll stay good for 6 months to a year.
I forgot that I usually double the frosting, just to have it extra gooey. Next time, I will.
How To Improve Boxed German Chocolate Cake
Contrary to many peoples opinions, German chocolate cake is not invented in Germany. The true origin is not clear, but the most common theory is that German chocolate cake originated from the Texas region, United States.
Since its popularity is increasing, some variations of this cake are appearing. There are also some tricks that you can use and improve the taste of traditional German chocolate cake. Here, I explained them in detail.
Read Also: Wedding Cake Steps For A Pool
Add Instant Coffee To The Batter
Every coffee lover will love the idea of adding coffee to the chocolate cake. It is not a piece of news that coffee and chocolate go great together. So, why not add it to German chocolate cake, too?
Mix two teaspoons of instant coffee with half of the cup of warm water and include it in the unbaked batter. Make sure you add less water in the other step because if you add too much moisture, the batter will fall apart.
Use Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Although using unsweetened cocoa powder might not seem close to the actual chocolate used in German chocolate cake mix, it is a good and efficient substitute. Namely, if you do not have chocolate at your disposal, you can still obtain chocolate flavors using unsweetened chocolate powder. When cocoa powder is combined with butter and sugar, you will achieve the features by which German chocolate cake is characterized.
Also Check: Sam’s Club Bakery Wedding Cakes
How To Make German Chocolate Cake
There are 3 parts to German chocolate cake. Lets discuss all 3 so you feel prepared and confident when you try it.
1. CAKE
If youve tried my tuxedo cake, black forest cake, or regular chocolate cake then you are familiar with the cake itself. Its simply my favorite chocolate cake recipe. Sour cream, oil, eggs, and buttermilk keep it extremely moist. Cocoa powder supplies all our chocolate flavor, which is enhanced with a little espresso powder. The espresso powder is optional if you dont keep any. Youll also need hot liquid to properly dissolve and bloom the cocoa power. You can use hot water or hot coffee. The cake wont taste like coffee, I promise, but the chocolate flavor will certainly be deep and divine! An upgrade, if you will.
Speaking of cocoa, make sure youre using natural unsweetened cocoa and not dutch-process. Remember the difference between natural cocoa powder and dutch-process cocoa powder?
2. COCONUT PECAN FILLING
While the chocolate cake is fantastic, the coconut pecan filling is the star of the show. Its thick, crunchy, gooey, chewy, and sweet all in one. Its made from the best ingredients baking has to offer, so you know youre in for a treat:
- butter
- pecans
- coconut
3. CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
- Total Time:5 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield:serves 10-12 2.5 cups filling
- Category:Cake
What Is Coconut Pecan Frosting
German chocolate cake frosting is a light brown, slightly caramelized frosting with shreds of sweetened coconut and chopped pecans throughout it. Its so delicious, and one I’m very familiar with as a number of my family members claimed German chocolate cake as their traditional birthday dessert while I was growing up.
While it is easy enough to pick up a premade container of frosting from the store, using this German chocolate cake frosting recipe to make your own at home is approximately 1 million times better! The flavors are more complex and pronounced, and the store-bought version just cant compare!
Believe it or not, making this coconut pecan frosting at home is incredibly easy. Its as simple as spending a few minutes in front of your stove and melting some ingredients together in a pot. If you can do that, whats stopping you?
Also Check: Wedding Cake Pool Steps With Light
Best Ever German Chocolate Cake A Moist Chocolate Cake And Traditional Coconut Pecan Frosting Layer Upon Layer Of Goodness
This Best Ever German Chocolate Cake or as my grandpa said, the best damn cake ever! A double-layer chocolate cake with a classic German Chocolate Cake frosting.
Todays recipe is a tribute to my Grandpa, who passed away at the age of 80.
My Grandpa was one of my biggest cheerleaders, and I honestly cant think of a time he didnt praise what I was doing. He especially loved my baking. He had a few favorites really anything I made but he would often call and offer to pay me to make biscotti, and on his last few birthdays, I would make him his favorite: German Chocolate Cake.
Grandpa loved these German Chocolate Cake Cookies and I wish I would have made the German Chocolate Cake and cookies for him more often.
I have the best memories of my Grandpa while I was growing up. Rode in my first convertible with him, talked on my first car phone in that very same convertible, went to my first flea market, and even learned to barter with him. I got my good business sense from him.
My sister, Nicole, and I would fly out to see him and my grandmother in Arizona and make up dance routines in his hot tub. He said we would be famous and we were to him.One of the most vivid memories I have was with my first school dance and date, my parents were out of town and I was staying with my grandparents. While I was getting ready, my Grandpa made it clear what would happen to this boy if there was any fooling around, and he wasnt joking.
Love and miss you G-pa! XOXO San
Can I Freeze German Chocolate Cake And Coconut Pecan Frosting
Yes!
You have several options.
1- Bake cake layers and cool. Wrap in parchment paper, then foil, and freeze cake layers. Thaw at room temperature.
2- Bake cake and cool. Frost as directed. Freeze cake whole . Thaw at room temperature.
3- Bake cake and cool. Enjoy for several days. Wrap leftover SLICES in parchment paper then slide in ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Read Also: Chi Chi’s Sweet Corn Cake Mix
Tips On Making The Perfect German Chocolate Cake:
Make sure your eggs and butter are stored at room temperature.
Make sure your cake is completely cool before you frost it.
Prepare the frosting a day ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Then remove from fridge and let it sit out for an hour at room temperature before you frost the cake, this will make it for easy spreading.
It is best to store this cake in the fridge.
Faqs About German Chocolate Cake:
Why is it called German chocolate cake. Is it from Germany?
No, the cake recipe was created for the German brand chocolate. It is an American cake recipe
Can I use chocolate instead of cocoa in the cake?
You cant make a 1:1 substitution for this recipe since it would throw off the balance of the recipe.
Can I use natural cocoa powder instead of Dutch processed in the cake?
You can, but the cake will be a little lighter in color and flavor.
Can I work ahead to make German Chocolate Cake?
Yes. The cake layers can be baked and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days or wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months. The ganache can be kept, covered, at room temperature for 1-2 days. Whip the ganache just before icing the cake. The filling can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead. Add the toasted pecans just before assembling the cake.
How do I store German Chocolate Cake?
You can leave the cake at room temperature for 1 day. After a day the cake should be refrigerated. If you chill the cake, take it out and bring it to room temperature before serving.
Can I freeze German Chocolate Cake?
Yes, you can wrap the entire cake in a double layer of plastic and freeze. You can also slice the cake and wrap and freeze the individual slices.
If your favorite part of this cake is the coconut filling, here are two more coconut layer cakes for you to try Snow White Coconut Layer Cake and Dreamy Coconut Cake with passion fruit curd.
Recommended Reading: Sam’s Club Bakery Wedding Cakes
How To Make Chocolate Ganache
Chop the chocolate into very small pieces and place in a medium bowl.
In a medium saucepan, heat the whipping cream over medium heat until it begins to simmer but does not boil.
Remove from heat immediately, and pour the hot cream over the chocolate then stir slowly until combined and all chocolate has melted.
Spread the ganache over the frosted cake letting it drip down the sides. Top with additional coconut shreds and let sit to harden before serving.
Serve with a drizzle of caramel syrup for an extra kick of flavor.
Chef’s Tip
For both the coconut pecan frosting and the chocolate ganache, a double boiler is a great choice for melting and cooking items without getting the pan too hot. This is something all home cooks should have in their arsenal. I love the T-Fal double broiler for an affordable option that is durable and easy to fit into any home kitchen budget.
The Best German Chocolate Cake Recipe
I love when holidays draw closer because that means theres definitely going to be some amazing desserts around! Amazing desserts like this homemade German Chocolate Cake!
All we need in life is chocolate cake, right? Chocolate cake has a way to my heart and whoever discovered chocolate is my hero.
Truly though, this easy German Chocolate Cake is one of those desserts thats so good it should become a tradition in your home for a yearly holiday like a birthday, Easter or Mothers Day.
Its four layers of total bliss!
Don’t Miss: Wedding Cake Steps For A Pool
Improve The Coconut Pecan Filling
- The amount of sugar in this recipe is reduced by 1/3 from the original recipe. The filling is still plenty sweet thanks to the sweetened coconut.
- A lot of recipes use brown sugar in the filling. This recipe uses only white sugar so the coconut flavor can shine through.
- Toast pecans and add them just before assembling the cake, this keeps the nuts crunchy.
Do You Frost German Chocolate Cake
Some people like to leave a German Chocolate Cake unfrosted and just have the layers of cake and filling, but I really love the addition of the frosting. Not only do I love frosting, the chocolate frosting uses actual unsweetened cocoa so it does add a little more of the classic chocolate flavor to the cake without overpowering the cake itself and the filling.
Recommended Reading: Wedding Cake Pool Stairs For Sale
Tips From The Pillsbury Kitchens
- tip 1 To substitute for buttermilk, use 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice plus milk to make 1 cup.
- tip 2 The creamy coconut-pecan frosting is the classic flavor used for German chocolate cake frosting. If you’re short on time use a coconut pecan ready-to-spread frosting like we do on this recipe for German Chocolate Doughnuts. Easily shareable and gone in moments.
- tip 3 Even German Chocolate Cream Pie is taller than your average pie. Create both a chocolate filling and a coconut-pecan filling for this crunchy and creamy delight.
Experiment With Different Boxed Cake Mixes
Did you know that you can make German chocolate cake using the regular chocolate cake mix? What is more, you can also use yellow cake batter mix. The thing that makes this chocolate cake different from others is the addition of sugar cream, pecans and coconut. You can easily opt for some regular chocolate cake mix and just make sure you add the same layer of cream that you would for the traditional German chocolate cake.
Read Also: Sams Club Bakery Order Form
What Is The Difference Between German Chocolate Cake Mix And Regular Chocolate Cake Mix
Since you have seen that regular cake mix can be used as a substitute for making German chocolate cake, you might wonder what are the actual differences between these two cake mixtures.
Namely, there are not many significant differences despite the fact that in German chocolate cake mixture mild-flavored chocolate is the dominant ingredient. On the other hand, regular chocolate cake mix uses milk chocolate which makes the cake stronger in the chocolate flavors.
Whenever you are in no condition to use actual German chocolate cake mix, you can try some substitutes that will be equally beneficial for obtaining German chocolate cake. Even though there might be some slight changes in the flavors, you will still be able to enjoy the kind of dessert you crave at the moment.