German Chocolate Bundt Cake
Make this German Chocolate Bundt Cake! With a gooey coconut, pecan and caramel frosting that complements this subtle chocolate flavoured cake.
Thank you for stopping by today, I’m really excited to have you here! I’ve partnered up with Nordic Ware to share a delicious Bundt cake recipe baked in one of their amazing Bundt pans.
I have been a BIG fan of Nordic Ware since I had a kitchen of my own. They’re the pans I choose over any other when I’m in the market for something new. I actually can’t resist their Bundt pans, and have amassed quite a collection over the years…but seriously, there are so many beautiful pans…you can see some of the Bundt cakes I’ve made with them here. I also really love the Nordic Ware baking sheets for cookies and Sheetpan Suppers.
So when I was asked to participate in a holiday program with Nordic Ware, I couldn’t say no. Nordic Ware is a Minnesota made, family owned company, that was founded in 1946 by the husband and wife team, Dotty and Dave. Nordic Ware has been a major part of the heritage and history of Minnesota since that time, and this holiday season they have partnered with the Minnesota Historical Society and Mill City Museum, to celebrate their Scandinavian roots and values in kitchenware. And what better way to do that than to share delicious recipes made in their kitchenware and Bundt pans!
All About the Bundt Pan
For the holiday season I made a German Chocolate Bundt using the Nordic Ware Copper Cast Bundt. The recipe I made 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.
This book is loaded with recipes to try…from vintage favourites like Quick Orange Kiss and Tunnel of Fudge to fanciful finds like Green Chili Cornbread and Mexican Hot Chocolate Mini Bundts. This recipe book features just about every delectable Bundt baked by the Midwest’s own since the handy pan burst into the baking scene in the 1960s! So good.
As I was flipping through the pages of this book, I came upon this German Chocolate Bundt, and I knew right away this was the cake I was going to make. I have such a fondness for German Chocolate cake. I remember my Mom making it sometimes for my birthday when I was little. I loved it then, and I love it now.
What I love most about German Chocolate Cake is the gooey coconut, pecan and caramel frosting. I could eat it by the spoonful.
Then smother that frosting all over a homemade chocolate cake, you have dessert heaven.
This German Chocolate Bundt cake would be a perfect cake for the holiday season!
German Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 Bundt cake 1x
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 4 ounces Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs (separated)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup buttermilk
Coconut Pecan Frosting:
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 egg yolks (slightly beaten)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Chocolate Cake:
- Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan using butter and flour, or a flour spray. Set aside.
- Melt the chocolate in the boiling water. Do this in a double boiler or in a small stainless steel bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
- Stir the chocolate thoroughly into the water and set aside to cool.
- Combine the flour with the salt and baking soda and set aside.
- Cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Blend in vanilla and chocolate.
- Add the flour alternatively with the buttermilk to the sugar mixture.
- Beat after each addition until smooth.
- In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
- Carefully fold them into the batter until the white streaks disappear.
- Pour the 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.
- Then in a saucepan, on medium heat, stir until thickened. This should take between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on heat and humidity.
- Stir in the coconut and nuts.
- 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 and place the top half back on the frosted cake.
- Spread the remaining 2/3 of the frosting on top.
- Serve and enjoy!
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.