Willard Family German Chocolate Cake

This moist German chocolate cake is made from scratch with luscious layers of chocolate cake and coconut pecan frosting for a family favorite!

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 809 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 cup margarine
• 0.5 cup boiling water
• 2.5 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1.3333333730698 cups sweetened flake coconut
• 1 (4 ounce) package sweet baking chocolate (such as Baker's German's Sweet Cho

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl; mix into chocolate cake batter, alternating with buttermilk, in 3 or 4 additions. Beat until batter is smooth, about 1 minute.

Step 2

Spread frosting between each layer and on top of the cake. Enjoy!

Step 3

Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.

Step 4

Beat 1 cup of softened butter with 2 cups of sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until lighter in color and fluffy. Stir in 4 egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Step 5

Beat in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and cooled chocolate mixture until thoroughly blended.

Step 6

Beat egg whites in a metal or glass bowl until stiff peaks form when the beaters are lifted straight up; gently fold into chocolate cake batter, keeping as much volume as possible.

Step 7

Pour batter into prepared cake pans.

Step 8

To make the pecan coconut frosting: Pour evaporated milk into a large saucepan. Mix in 1 cup of sugar, 3 egg yolks, 1/4 cup of butter, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until thickened, stirring constantly, about 12 minutes.

Step 9

Remove from heat, and mix in coconut and pecans, beating until frosting has cooled and is spreadable.

Step 10

To make the chocolate cake: Stir chocolate into boiling water until melted; set aside to cool.

Step 11

Bake in the preheated oven until the cakes have browned lightly and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.