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.
Just a question. I don’t see the amount listed for the nuts? Is it my computer? This looks wonderful!!
Hi Linda! I’m not sure why some of the recipe was cut out, but it’s all fixed now! Thank you so much for letting me know! 🙂
Hi – I want to make this cake tomorrow for my daughter’s birthday. When you say you stir the chocolate into the water – what do you mean? Per what I know, the chocolate gets super clumpy when touched by water
Oh, I apologize…I reread it and you are supposed to melt the chocolate in 1/2 cup of boiling water, over a pot of simmering water. The chocolate will melt and mix well with the 1/2 cup of water.
Excellent ??
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hello, thank you for sharing this lovely recipe. Can semi-sweet chocolate be used instead of sweet chocolate?
Hi Melissa! Absolutely you can…in fact I did for this cake and it turned out great! Happy baking!
This cake is AWFUL!!! There’s no chocolate flavor at all, the frosting turned to scrambled eggs. I made this as a tribute to my mom for mothers day, my first without her, using her pan and it’s BARF! There are way better recipes. Stay away from this one.
I’m sorry this cake didn’t turn out for you…I have no idea why the frosting would turn to scrambled eggs, I’ve made it several times and we enjoy it!! I appreciate the feedback and will leave your comment up because I believe in constructive criticism, even if it is harsh and the language is rude.
I love this recipe thanks for posting this amd my icing didn’t look like scrambled eggs !
I encourage anyone of the readers here to try this you won’t be disappointed …..
Thank you so much Rose! I’m so happy this turned out for you!
When you first put all the frosting ingredients into the pan,, you MUST stir it continuously for 3-4 minutes until all the sugar and butter is melted together with the eggs and milk or YOU WILL GET SCRAMBLED EGGS!!
I’ve made this cake 3 times…so of course its great. My question is can the same recipe be used for a 3 layer? Is there enough batter?
Hi! I’m not sure there would be enough batter…I think the layers might end up being too thin.
While cooking the frosting you really have to be on top on it as it will cook the eggs if you are on to high of heat and not constantly stirring the mixture. I use a defuser on my stove burner to cook this frosting, (keeps the frosting from burning and eggs from cooking) I just made this cake and frosting today for my husbands birthday. It turned out perfectly! I did notice when I added the chocolate water to my cake batter, it was Not cooled enough and the eggs started to cook. I kept beating the batter till all the eggs were incorporated. I have been making German Chocolate Cake for years, this is the first time from scratch. I will never buy a cake mix again. If the cake didn’t have enough chocolate flavor for your taste, try adding some unsweetened coco powder. I do not believe German Chocolate is suppose to have a strong chocolate taste. Thank you for the recipe Jo-Anna!
Rachel I hope you try this cake again
I made this cake for my friends birthday, it was absolutely delicious!!!
I will definitely be making this recipe again, thank you for sharing!
Hi Tommie! I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Just made this yesterday and my family LOVED IT!
I did have a little hard time mixing the egg. It cooked and I ended up getting little bits of egg pieces. I’ll have to try the recipe again. But all in all it was wonderful.
Thank you.
This cake is the BOMB! I’ve made it four times this summer and it has been an absolute hit every time and has never lasted more then a day and a half! This cake is so moist and delicious, thank you for the wonderful recipe :). To those who are having issues with you egg scrambling in the icing – make sure you’re mixing all of the icing ingredients together (except coconut and pecans) BEFORE adding heat and then make sure you’re stirring it the whole time, I hope that helps! Anyways, this cake will continue to get made in my house for years to come. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you Amelia! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!!
I still have a question about the melted chocolate. You melt the chocolate and then mix it into the boiling water you just used to boil? It won’t get clunky? Or do you mix it into a cool water? Sorry, so confused.
Hi Jennifer! Yes, you melt the chocolate in 1/2 cup of boiling water, over a pot of simmering water (like a double boiler)…the boiling water will not make it chunky…it will melt and mix well!
Hello, could you use cake flour for this particular recipe?
Hi LaTasha! I haven’t tried this recipe with any other kind of flour other than all purpose, so I’m not really sure. From what I understand, cake flour could make the cake more fluffy, and possibly a bit drier.
Thanks so much for your response! I will stick with the recipe, I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you! I was so confused with this step! Thanks for clearing that up! I am going to make this cake this weekend and will make it with gluten free cup for cup. Fingers crossed it turns out!
Fantastic♡
Hi Nicole! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Hello
My question is what kind of flour? Can cake flower be used and if so are all of the other ingredients necessary? Like the salt and baking soda?
Hi Telecia! I use all-purpose flour in this recipe. I don’t usually bake with cake flour so I’m not sure how the flour, salt and baking soda ratios would work if you substitute it into this cake recipe.
This is delicious! Very moist and the frosting turned out wonderfully. I didn’t have the problem some of the
others did about the frosting but I beat the egg yolks and milk and sugar together very well as I have had
this problem with recipes before. German chocolate is not really that chocolately so if you want that type
chocolate cake you will need to use a different kind of chocolate as most people know. I didn’t melt the chocolate quite right and it still turned out good though. I may have cooked the frosting a little longer than necessary too since it got really thick once I added the nuts and coconut. New recipes are always a challenge on our first try! Thank you for a delicious cake recipe!