Grandma’s German Chocolate Cake

This is one of the best German chocolate cake recipes you’ll find. It comes straight from the recipe vault of Mason’s late grandmother, Brenda Norman. Mason said she made this at every holiday hootenanny, and he became skilled in the art of fisticuffs when going for seconds. He also said that last part isn’t true because his family is comprised of saints that would never throw fisticuffs in Grandma Brenda’s kitchen.

Okay, to the cake. While I never got the chance to meet Mason’s grandmother or try the cake from the chef herself, I’ve done my best to do it justice. Fingers crossed!

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German Chocolate Cake Recipe Walkthrough

I am going to show you how to make this fantastic cake by including a visual recipe walkthrough below. Each step includes tips and ingredients notes that you might find helpful. But, if you’re feeling extra confident you can skip down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Making The Cake

While this cake can be a little labor intensive, none of the individual steps are all that difficult. So, do not let the volume of instructions included in this recipe sway you from making this special treat. The extra steps required to make this cake are worth it! The result is a light, fluffy, moist cake that literally melts in the mouth.

Starting off the cake by creaming the butter and sugar together and ending it it with folding in whipped egg whites, elevates this cake from a plain chocolate sponge into something special!

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar together for 3 minutes.

Creaming the butter and sugar together is generally a technique used for cookies, but doing so in this recipe helps the cakes become light and fluffy.

Step 2: Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing until each fully incorporates before adding another.

Adding the egg yolks one at a time, allows each one to full incorporate easier. It also helps prevent any kind of liquid splatter as the mixer does it’s work!

Step 3: Add the German Chocolate to the boiling water and stir until the chocolate completely melts.

Adding the chocolate to already boiling water allows the chocolate to melt, while preventing the chocolate from possibly burning.

Step 4: Add the melted chocolate to the batter and mix until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes on medium speed.

Waiting for the chocolate to cool before adding to the batter is key, since there are egg yolks in the mixture. Adding boiling chocolate to the mix could very well scramble the eggs and that would not be good.

Step 5: In a separate bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt and sift together.

Sifting the flour mixture helps aerate the mixture and prevent any lumps from forming in the batter. It’s another way of helping us create a light and fluffy cake!

Step 6: Add the flour mixture alternatively with the buttermilk to the chocolate batter.

Add the buttermilk and flour mixture one third at a time, alternating between the two. This allows the ingredients to fully incorporate with the rest of the mixture and prevent any lumps from forming.

Step 7: Mix on medium to high speed for 5 minutes or until everything completely combines.

Be sure to scrape down the bowl as needed to make sure that all of the batter is getting mixed. I typically will pause the mixer halfway through to do this.

Step 8: Whisk the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks begin to form.

It will take about 3-4 minutes for the egg whites to be stiff if you use the stand mixer on the highest speed with a whisk attachment. It will take about 2 minutes to see a real rise from the eggs, so be patient!

Step 9: Gently fold in the egg whites until the batter is smooth.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the egg whites. This method will allow the egg whites to retain their volume which results in a fluffy cake.

Step 10: Pour the cake batter into two cake pans and bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes.

The cakes are done when the middle is no longer wobbly and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. A great way to tell if a cake is done is if the edges start pulling away from the cake pan. I always use a thermometer to make sure my cakes are 210ºF before taking out of the oven.

Be sure to use a cake pan that is at least 3 inches deep to allow room for the batter to rise during the bake. If a shorter pan is used, you will run into batter spilling out of the pan while baking.

Making The Icing

Unlike the cake portion of this recipe, the icing only requires a few steps. All you have to do is add your ingredients to a pan and stir. It doesn’t get any easier than that!

However, if you are not a fan of coconut frosting like me, you might want to try our German Chocolate Bundt Cake that uses chocolate ganache instead.

Step 1: Add the evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla, butter and beaten egg yolks to a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until thickened.

It will take about 12 minutes for the mixture to thicken up to the right consistency. Make sure that you are constantly stirring to prevent any burning.

Step 2: Add the coconut and chopped pecans to the mixture and stir.

Make sure you allow the mixture to completely cool before spreading on the cake. This will prevent the cake from breaking apart from a frosting that is too hot. Don’t worry, the icing will be super easy to spread on the cake layers even when it is cooled.

While the instructions for this cake may look overwhelming at first glance, it’s actually pretty easy once you get going. Something I have learned from baking, is that extra steps are not added to recipes just for the fun of it. Each bit of extra effort creates a measurable difference in the result of the bake. So, if you want to have the best cake of your life, you have to make this one!

It’s been a cherished family recipe for years for a reason. You can taste the love with which this cake was made in each bite. It’s perfect for a special occasion or family events, where adding extra care to a dish is much appreciated. If you make this recipe, let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!

We have a few more family recipes to check out, like our Chocolate Meringue Pie or Mama’s Hash Brown Casserole. We hope your family loves these recipes as much as we do.