Rich German Chocolate Cake Recipes

RICHER THAN RICH GERMAN CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat milk, chocolate, sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan over low heat. Cook until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Stir about 1/2 cup of the hot chocolate mixture into the eggs, then stir the egg mixture into the saucepan. Increase heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring until the mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour chocolate egg mixture into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract.
• Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions until it reaches "soft-serve" consistency. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Transfer ice cream to a one- or two-quart lidded plastic container; cover surface with plastic wrap and seal. For best results, ice cream should ripen in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.

DARK GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottom and sides of a deep 14x17-inch baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
• Sift sugar, flour, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment; whisk dry ingredients together on low.
• Whisk milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a separate medium bowl. Add to the flour mixture and mix at low speed until well incorporated, about 5 minutes. Gradually add hot water while mixer is on low speed until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cake cool in the pan for about 1 hour.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with oil and dust with flour. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
• Microwave the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl on high power for 45 seconds; remove and stir. Microwave again at high power in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted completely; set aside.
• Beat the granulated sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the milk, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just incorporated. Add half the milk, and mix until just incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and milk, making sure not to overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, run a thin spatula around the edges and then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. (They will have a sugary "crust" on the top. This is from the melted chocolate and is not a problem. It will soften once the cake is assembled or if the layers are baked the day before.)
• For the filling: While the cakes cool, spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake, tossing once, until toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Finely chop. Whisk together the milk and egg yolks in a medium saucepan until smooth. Add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 6 minutes. (It will be similar to the thickness of eggnog.) Pour the mixture into a large bowl. (Don't worry if it seems thin. The coconut and nuts will bind it.) Stir in the coconut and pecans; set aside to cool.
• For the frosting: Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat 1 cup of the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling, and pour over the chocolate. Let stand a few minutes, and then whisk until smooth; let stand at room temperature (or put in the refrigerator if your kitchen is hot) until thick but not set, 20 minutes to 1 hour. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cream to the chocolate mixture, and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy, about 1 minute (do not overbeat, or it will become hard and grainy). The frosting should hold medium peaks and will continue to firm up a bit as it stands. Spoon about 1 cup frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.
• To assemble: Put one cake layer right-side up on a serving plate, and top with half the filling. Top with the second cake layer and the remaining filling, spreading it to about 1/2 inch from the edge. Frost the sides, and decorate around the top edge of the cake with the frosting in the pastry bag.
• Loosely cover the cake with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight. Unwrap and serve.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch or two 9-inch round cake pans with the cooking spray. Cut three 8-inch or two 9-inch rounds of cooking parchment paper. Line bottoms of pans with the paper.
• Coarsely chop the chocolate. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat the chocolate and water over low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is completely melted; remove from heat and cool.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking soda and salt until mixed; set aside. In another medium bowl, beat 2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy; set aside.
• On medium speed, beat 1 egg yolk at a time into the sugar mixture until mixed. On low speed, beat in the melted chocolate and 1 teaspoon vanilla. On low speed, beat in 1/2 of the flour mixture just until smooth, then beat in 1/2 of the buttermilk just until smooth. Repeat beating in flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk just until smooth.
• Wash and dry mixer beaters. In a small bowl, beat the eggs whites on high speed until beaten eggs whites form stiff peaks when beaters are lifted. Add egg whites to the batter; to fold in, use a rubber spatula to cut down vertically through the batter, then slide the spatula across the bottom of the bowl and up the side, turning batter over. Rotate the bowl 1/4 turn, and repeat this down-across-up motion. Continue folding until batter and egg whites are blended.
• Pour batter into pans; use a rubber spatula to scrape batter from bowl, spread batter evenly in pans and smooth top of batter. (If batter is not divided evenly, spoon batter from one pan to another.) Refrigerate batter in third pan if not all pans will fit in oven at one time; bake third pan separately.
• Bake 8-inch pans 35 to 40 minutes, 9-inch pans 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. To remove cake from pan, invert onto cooling rack, then invert right side up on second cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In a 2-quart saucepan, stir the 3 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, the evaporated milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well mixed. Cook over medium heat about 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick and bubbly. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Cool about 30 minutes, beating occasionally with a spoon, until mixture is spreadable.
• Place 1 cake layer, rounded side down, on a cake plate; using a metal spatula, spread 1/3 of the filling over the layer. Add second layer, rounded side down; spread with 1/3 of the filling. Add third layer, rounded side up; spread with remaining filling, leaving side of cake unfrosted. Store cake covered in the refrigerator.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour three 8" round cake pans, tapping firmly to remove any excess flour once coated. Turn the oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, and oil until combined.
• Add milk, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
• Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder and whisk until combined.
• Slowly stir in hot coffee until batter is smooth.
• Divide evenly between prepared pans and bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out dry or with moist crumbs. Set aside to cool completely.
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together cream, sugar, and egg yolks.
• Add butter, and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in coconut, pecans, and vanilla.
• Let cool completely to room temperature (to a spreadable consistency) before frosting cooled cakes. If you need to cool quickly, pour into a clean bowl and place in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, stirring often.
• In a small pot, melt chocolate and cream together over low heat, stirring often. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Top with ⅓ of the coconut pecan frosting.
• Repeat with remaining two layers, spreading chocolate ganache on the top cake layer and letting set completely before topping with remaining frosting (optional: you can reverse the order, and spread remaining frosting on top cake layer, then spread and drip the ganache on top). Let chocolate cool completely before slicing.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Crack the eggs into a medium size saucepan and whisk to combine. Slowly pour in the evaporated milk, whisking it into the eggs as you pour. Add the brown sugar and salt and whisk to combine.
• Add the butter and set the pan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the filling is slightly thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
• Pour the filling into a bowl and stir in the vanilla and coconut. Let cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerated until completely cool - at least 2 hours, and up to 3 days.
• Put the chocolate chips into a small bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan or in the microwave until small bubbles start to appear around the edges. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until the chocolate and cream are completely blended. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
• Stir the toasted pecans into the filling.
• Place one layer of Devil's Food Cake onto a serving platter or cake plate. Spread the cake with 1/3 of the coconut pecan filling, spreading the filing to within a half inch of the edges of the cake. Top with a second layer of Devil's Food Cake. Spread the second layer with another third of the coconut pecan filling. Top with the third layer of cake and spread the top with the remaining filling.
• Drizzle the milk chocolate ganache over the top of the cake. If you're using frozen cake layers, let the cake sit out at room temperature for 1-3 hours before serving. The assembled cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE FUDGE

Steps:

• Line a 9x9" baking pan with heavy duty foil and spray with vegetable oil spray.
• Add evaporated milk and sugar to a large pot and stir until sugar is dissolved.
• Raise heat to high and stir constantly for 8-10 minutes, until sugar mixture reaches between 230-234 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Add in the butter, semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips and vanilla extract and whisk until glossy and smooth, 2-3 minutes.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan and clean the pot.
• Add evaporated milk, sugar and egg yolks into cleaned pot on medium-high heat.
• Whisk until smooth then cook until mixture thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
• Add in the coconut and pecans and whisk together.
• Cook 30 seconds until thick and bubbly.
• Let mixture cool for 5 minutes then spread it over the fudge and let the fudge set for a minimum of 4 hours.