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According to the great and powerful ‘Internet’, German’s Chocolate Cake did not originate in Germany. ย In 1852 an American named Sam German developed the dark baking chocolate for the American Baker’s Chocolate Company. ย Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate, a product of the Chocolate Company was named in honor of Mr. German.
The cake recipe, with the signature coconut pecan icing, was created by a homemaker named Mrs. George Clay from Dallas, Texas. ย Mrs. Clay’s recipe was published in a 1957 edition of the Dallas Morning Star as “Recipe of the day.” ย General Foods, who owned the Baker’s brand at the time, had a stroke of marketing genius and distributed the German’s Chocolate Cake recipe to other newspapers across the country. ย Sales of their Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate increased by as much as 73% and the recipe has become a staple in American kitchens for more than 50 years. ย Eventually the possessive form (German’s) was dropped in subsequent publications giving the false impression it came from German roots (i.e. German Chocolate Cake.) ย ย Source
ย
When my husband was a strapping young man, his mother often baked this popular layer cake for her family. ย Unfortunately I don’t have her original recipe but after researching many others, I ended up adapting one from the October 2011 Southern Living Magazine. ย The chocolate is melted in water and then combined with other pantry staples such as flour, baking soda, salt, butter, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and buttermilk. ย The egg whites are beaten to form stiff peaks then gently folded into the batter.
The icing is made by cooking evaporated milk, sugar, butter and egg yolks until it becomes a light caramel color and thick like warm pudding. ย Toasted chopped pecans, vanilla and coconut are added to the milk and butter mixture, then allowed to cool before spreading on the cake.
While the cakes are lovely I thought cupcakes would be a little easier to transport and share.
ย Garnished with a cherry or chocolate dipped pecan halves, this distinctly flavored cake was a big hit!
It’s easy to see why this recipe has been around for so many years. ย It’s uniquely delicious and a pleasure to make. ย I hope you’ll enjoy it too!
Don’t forget to Pin it!
German's Chocolate Cupcakes with a Coconut-Pecan Frosting
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 27 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
Yield: 36 cupcakes
Course: Dessert
All the flavors we love in a great German's Chocolate Cake in a cute cupcake. Topped with a nutty coconut frosting thatโs surprisingly not overly sweet.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 2 4-ounce packages of Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate
- ยฝ cup water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs whites and yolks separated
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
For the Frosting:
- 2 cups chopped pecans toasted
- 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 ยฝ cups sugar
- ยพ cup unsalted butter
- 6 egg yolks lightly beaten
- 2 - 2 ยฝ cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Cherries for garnish if desired
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Prepare a cupcake pan with liners (this recipe made approximately 36 cupcakes but also makes 3 (9-inch) round layers).
- Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a small microwave safe bowl. Add ยฝ cup of water and microwave on high for 1 minutes. Stir and return to cook 30 seconds more, or until the chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool while preparing the batter.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium until smooth and light, about 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and blend just until the yolk disappears before adding the next. With the mixer on a low speed, blend in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Add โ of the flour and mix just until incorporated. Add half the buttermilk and blend until it disappears. Repeat adding โ the flour, then the other half of the buttermilk and end with the remaining โ of the flour mixture.
- In a clean small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate batter with a spatula. Do not beat or over-mix.
- Fill the cupcake liners โ full and bake for 14-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
- Allow the baked cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- To toast the pecans, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350ยฐF oven for about 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl to cool while preparing the frosting.
- In a large heavy-bottom saucepan combine the evaporated milk, sugar, butter and egg yolks. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar dissolved.
- Keep cooking and stirring for approximately 12 minutes until the mixture bubbles and has turned a light caramel color. The mixture should thicken like warm pudding.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla, pecans and coconut. Pour the frosting into a large clean mixing bowl and allow it to cool for about 45 minutes or until spreading consistency.
- Makes enough frosting to generously cover 36 cupcakes.
Recipe Notes
- German's Chocolate Cupcakes recipe adapted from a October 2011 Southern Living Magazine.
- Coconut-Pecan Frosting recipe adapted from a October 2011 Southern Living Magazine.
Nutrition
Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 94mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 360IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
The end result? ย This is a lovely, chocolaty, moist cake with a nutty coconut frosting that’s surprisingly not overly sweet. ย It was fun to make and bake and even more fun to share. ย I hope you have a wonderful week and thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia
sue
Love the red with these………. perhaps a silly question ——— when you say chopped toasted pecans —— do you chop, then toast OR toast, then chop???? ………… may not make a difference, but would like to know…………… thank you
Tricia Buice
Hi Sue – that is a great question! I usually toast then chop since the size is more uniform and they may cook more at the same rate. Thank you for the question and for reading the blog. Hope you love the recipe!
Kayanne
Do you think this recipe would do ok halved? I am planning to make GCC for a party this weekend but only need 12 (or maybe 18).
Tricia Buice
Hi Kayanne! Yes I think it would be perfectly fine to half the recipe. Good luck – and I hope you love it as much as we did!
Mandy
I always turn cakes into cupcakes. This is a lovely and unique recipe.
๐ Mandy xo
Tricia Buice
That’s how we roll Mandy! Thanks – have a great weekend.
Beth
Your cupcakes are lovely. I remember having German Chocolate Cake as a kid, and loving it!
Mary
SO delicious – and so pretty! I could eat them off the computer screen!<br />Mary
michaelswoodcraft
Your cup cakes look amazing! I love german chocolate cake, especially the coconut frosting!
SavoringTime in the Kitchen
That is so interesting! I never knew the background of the chocolate nor the cake. Your cupcakes are adorable and just the right portion-control size ๐
scrambledhenfruit
Oooo…one of my favorites. The cherry on top is fun! I could pop way too many of these in my mouth. ๐
Monica
All your food always look so beautiful…it's *almost* enough just looking at it! These cupcakes are so divine. I love that you made what I always think of as a massive-heavy cake (though nothing wrong with that!) into these individual cupcakes. They look really lovely.
Kitchen Belleicious
german chocolate is an all time favorite of mine. I love the sweetness and crunchy texture of the coconut against the cake and chocolate. Yours look amazing and wishing i had one or two or three to scarf down right now;) yes i realize it is 7 in the morning but i love me some german chooclate:)
Angie Schneider
These cupcakes look heavenly, Tricia. I actually like the mini version of German chocolate cake more than the giant one..mini is cuter.
Anna and Liz Recipes
Wow- who knew? And, I agree with Karen, you can never go wrong with a Southern Living recipe for a GCC.<br />Hope you have a lovely week!
Karen Harris
You can never go wrong with a German Chocolate Cake or a Southern Living recipe. These look amazing.
Cheri Savory Spoon
Hi Tricia, what wonderful looking cupcakes, you sure have a knack of making such beautiful desserts and dishes. Gorgeous presentation!
TLady
German Chocolate Cake brings back memories for me too! ๐ I LOOOOOOVE this cake & it looks WONDERFUL as Cupcakes! Love the addition of the Maraschino Cherries! All YUMMY to me! ๐
Pam
Wow! Your cupcakes look fantastic! We love German Chocolate Cake so these have to be delicious. It would be great as cupcakes. Thanks for the recipe!
Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow
My Mom always made my younger brother, Jeff, a German Chocolate Cake for his birthday. Three layers of YUM! Your cupcake version is much prettier and I am sure YUM, too!! I love the red… looks like a perfect Valentine's Day treat! Thank you for sharing the history of this old and much loved confection. blessings and hugs ~ tanna