Addicting German Chocolate Cake Recipes

BETTER-THAN-MOM'S GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, and grease the parchment paper.
• Place semisweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, and water in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes.
• Beat 1 1/4 cups sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and beat until well combined. Add buttermilk, vanilla extract, and the remaining flour mixture.
• Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold about 1/3 of the egg whites into the cake batter, then fold in the remaining egg whites, but do not overmix. Divide batter between the 2 prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.
• Prepare the filling while the cakes are cooling. Combine cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan and mix until well combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until custard begins to thicken and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 170 degrees F (76 degrees C).
• Combine coconut, pecans, butter, and salt in a bowl. Pour hot custard over the pecan-coconut mixture and stir until butter is melted. Cool completely to room temperature.
• Make the syrup by heating water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in dark rum.
• Combine chopped chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in a bowl for the frosting. Heat cream in a saucepan until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour into the bowl. Let stand for 1 minute, then stir until smooth and chocolate is melted. Cool to room temperature.
• Cut cake layers in half horizontally using a serrated bread knife. Set the first cake layer on a cake plate. Brush well with syrup. Spread 3/4 cup filling on top, making sure to reach all the way to the edges. Repeat with remaining cake layers, syrup, and filling, including the top.
• Frost the sides of the cake with chocolate frosting. Spoon remaining chocolate frosting into a piping bag and pipe a decorative border around the top and bottom of the cake.

ADDICTING GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• MAKE THE GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
• Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the coffee and buttermilk.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat to incorporate. The mixture will look light and fluffy.
• Add the flour mixture, alternating with the coffee/buttermilk mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the melted chocolate.
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack and remove the pans and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.
• MAKE THE COCONUT PECAN FILLING: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Spread half of the coconut evenly across the pan and place in the oven for 5 minutes or until the coconut begins to brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
• In a large saucepan, stir together the sugar, butter, evaporated milk, vanilla, and egg yolks. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. After the mixture begins to boil and thicken, remove from the heat and stir in the toasted coconut, regular coconut, and pecans.
• Place the pan over an ice bath (a large bowl filled with ice) and stir the mixture until cool.
• ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Trim the top to create a flat surface and evenly spread one third of the filling on top. Add the next layer, trim and frost with one third of the filling, then add the third layer. Trim the top, and frost with the remaining filling. The cake will keep in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 2 days.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Scatter the pecans evenly over the baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Cool the nuts completely and chop.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream of coconut, and butter and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is completely melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt together until smooth. Slowly pour in about ¼ cup of the hot milk mixture to temper the eggs, so they won't curdle, and then, whisking constantly, add the remainder of the milk in a steady stream. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the coconut and pecans.
• Let cool completely before frosting the cake. The frosting can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan or coat with nonstick spray. Line the pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
• Put the chocolate in a medium bowl and pour in the hot coffee and vanilla. Let stand for about 2 minutes to melt the chocolate, then stir until smooth.
• While the chocolate is melting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Let the mixer run on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes to aerate the flour.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and oil together until thick, satiny, and light in color. Whisk in the sour cream, being careful not to overmix; leave some visible streaks of white.
• Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and mix until just combined.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the chocolate-sour cream mixture to the dry ingredients in thirds, mixing until well blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand (if using) and, using a rubber spatula, incorporate any ingredients hiding at the bottom of the bowl, making sure the batter is completely mixed.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Tap the pans firmly on the countertop to remove any air bubbles from the batter.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then use the parchment "handles" to lift the cake out of the pan and set it on the rack to cool completely.
• Transfer the cake to a serving platter (you can keep the edges of the platter clean while you frost the cake by sliding strips of parchment underneath the cake). Frost the top and sides of the cake with the frosting.
• The cake can be stored, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.