Homemade German Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe
German Chocolate Bundt Cake
If you’re looking for a delicious German chocolate cake then you need to try this German Chocolate Bundt Cake! It’s moist, has a soft chocolate flavour and a delicious coconut pecan caramel frosting in between layers of chocolate cake and on top! Perfect for any occasion.
About this cake:
This is a traditional German Chocolate Cake, which means that the cake has a soft and subtle chocolate flavour. The cake is topped with and has a middle layer filling of THE MOST scrumptious gooey coconut pecan caramel frosting. It’s SO good…I could eat it by the spoonful. (if you want a REALLY chocolatey German Chocolate Cake then try my recipe here).
About the Recipe and Cake Pan
For the holiday season I made this German Chocolate Bundt using the Nordic Ware Copper Cast Bundt. The recipe I made with permission is from the recipe book, Bundt Cake Bliss: Delicious Desserts from Midwest Kitchens by Susanna Short, which was published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. A book full of Bundt cake recipes?! Yes. Please.
Perfect for the holiday season!
This German Chocolate Cake is a showstopper dessert for any occasion…birthdays, holidays, but it’s especially perfect for Christmas!
German Chocolate Cake Recipe Tips
- MELTING THE CHOCOLATE: Use the double boiler method to do this. You can use a double boiler pan or set a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering hot water and melt the chocolate in the stainless steel bowl. The goal is to not have the chocolate melt over indirect heat, you want INDIRECT heat so it doesn’t burn.
- CHOCOLATE: For an authentic German chocolate cake use Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate. If you don’t have that, you can use regular Baker’s sweet chocolate.
- PREPARING THE PAN: If you need tips on how to prepare a bundt pan, make sure to check out my tips in this post here.
- LEFTOVERS: Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
German Chocolate Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 4 ounces Baker's German Sweet Chocolate
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 4 large eggs separated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Coconut Pecan Frosting:
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 large egg yolks slightly beaten
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Chocolate Cake:
- Prepare a 12 cup Bundt pan by greasing it with butter and a light dusting of flour, or a flour spray. Set aside.
- Melt the chocolate with 1/2 cup boiling water. Do this in a double boiler or in a small stainless steel bowl set over a pan of simmering water.4 ounces Baker's German Sweet Chocolate, 1/2 cup boiling water
- Stir the chocolate thoroughly into the water and set aside to cool.
- Separate the 4 eggs into separate bowls of 4 yolks and 4 whites. Set aside.
- Combine the flour with the salt and baking soda and set aside.2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda
- Using an electric mixer cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy.1 cup butter, 2 cups white sugar
- Add the egg yolks from the 4 large eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Blend in 1 tsp vanilla extract and the chocolate.
- Add the flour alternatively with the buttermilk to the sugar mixture.1 cup buttermilk
- Beat after each addition until smooth.
- In another bowl, beat the egg whites from the 4 large eggs until stiff peaks form.
- Carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the batter until the white streaks disappear.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean.
- Do not be alarmed if the top has fallen slightly.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes then invert onto a wire rack or serving plate.
Coconut Pecan Frosting:
- To prepare the frosting, mix the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla until smooth.1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup white sugar, 2 large egg yolks, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Then in a saucepan, on medium heat, stir until thickened (on a low boil). This should take between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on heat and humidity.
- Stir in the coconut and nuts.1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, 1 cup chopped pecans
- Cool until the frosting is thick enough to spread.
Putting the cake together:
- When the cake is cool, slice it horizontally with a serrated knife. Aim a little higher than half way up.
- Flip the top half onto a plate.
- Spread 1/3 of the frosting on the bottom half of the cake and place the top half back on the frosted cake.
- Spread the remaining 2/3 of the frosting on top of the cake.
- Serve and enjoy!
More Bundt Cake Recipes
If you’ve visited here before then you know of my love of Bundt pans! I have amassed quite a collection over the years, but seriously, there are so many beautiful pans and cakes to make with them.
Have a delicious day!
Disclosure: Thank you to Nordic Ware for providing the Nordic Ware Copper Cast Bundt and a copy of Bundt Cake Bliss! All opinions, thoughts and pictures are my own.
This is by far my favorite German chocolate recipe and especially because I love Bundt cakes. It is a favorite go to for my brothers and they brag on their Big Sisters cake to everyone 🥰🥰
Oh I love that!! I’m so happy you all enjoy it!
How many layers would this recipe make if I did a layered cake?
Hi Katrina! I have made this a 2 layer cake from a Bundt cake before, just by slicing the cake in half horizontally. You could use 2 circle pans to make it too, you’d just have to decrease the baking time.
I made this and it looks delicious.
It’s also very late at night now.
I’ll try in the morning.
I did place my cake in the refrigerator after icing.
I’ll cut it into slices to freeze and to give to my family.
Baking is sometimes therapy as well as fun for me. So know one is expecting a slice of cake. Oh but their getting one, lol!
I didn’t have the frosting issue with the eggs cooking.
I mixed my ingredients before the stove pot and it was very liquidity. So I began with stove top heat on medium stirring ten minutes, then increased temperature to medium high last five minutes of stirring. It was bubbly, pecans popping, lol! Then frosting began to thicken.
Do not allow me to forget this one difference….I did not have white sugar so I used what I had which was light brown sugar for the entire recipe. Same measurements and all. Thanks for sharing the alternative to 3 layer. Bundt style.
It is my son’s 22nd birthday today and he requested German Chocolate cake. I have never made one from scratch before, and I was anxious to use my brand new Nordic Ware bundt pan that’s been sitting around waiting for me to use it. This recipe is really easy to follow and turned out AAAAMMMAAAZZZIIIINNNGGG!!! It is very moist and beautiful! Delicious! And the frosting is perfect! I am puzzled why it wouldn’t turn out for reviewer that said it was terrible. I wonder if she didn’t separate the eggs. Thank you for this! Much appreciated! Its perfect!
Thanks for this recipe. I’ve been making it for at least 5 years and it comes out perfect every time. I saw the comments about scrambled eggs. This happened to me ONE time because, in a rush, I started heating the other frosting ingredients before adding the eggs. Naturally that would scramble them. I never made that mistake again. It’s truly a favorite with friends and family, every single time.
This was amazing! Made it for a friends birthday party. Everyone loved it! I did add a couple T of cocoa powder to make it more chocolatey.
Is there any way to add hot strong coffee or espresso in place of water?? I use coffee a lot of times in my chocolate cake recipes.
Absolutely! I also like coffee in my chocolate cakes! Here’s another German Chocolate Cake recipe that I have on my site with coffee in it as well (that recipe is a lot more chocolatey than this recipe you were looking at. Both are delicious!)
https://aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com/the-most-chocolatey-german-chocolate-cake/
I’ve made dozens of German chocolate cakes. This one turned out the best. Thank you
The cake looks great and can’t wait to cut into it. The frosting never really thickened up even after cooling 30 minutes and adding a small amount of cornstarch. As result, did not make full use of the coconut and pecans because they wouldn’t adhere. Any suggestions? Thanks for posting the recipe.
Stunning cake and the frosting was to die for. Brought this to a party for special lady moving back home. Not a crumb left. Thanks.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!!
Is the cook time (40min) correct? It was jiggly at 40 mins and ended up taking 55 mins before a toothpick came out clean. Otherwise, SO delicious. Will make again!