German Chocolate Cake And Cupcakes – Sweet Spatula: Growing up baking with Natalie

This cake was amazing! The best chocolate cake i’ve ever had!! It was so moist and had the perfect amount of chocolate flavor. This recipe is from foodandwine.com. My grandpa’s favorite cake is a German chocolate cake so I made this for him. I even made Swiss meringue buttercream for the first time and it is so good.

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
7 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING:

3 1/2 cups pecan halves (14 ounces)
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Two 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
5 large egg yolks
10 ounces sweetened shredded coconut (3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 6 in. Cake pan and line a baking tray with cupcake liners.
Melt chocolate in the microwave or over the stove until completely melted and smooth. Let cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, then add in the vanilla. At low speed, beat in the buttermilk and the flour mixture in 3 alternating batches, ending with the flour mixture. Fold in the melted chocolate until incorporated.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and cupcake liners. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean for both.

DIRECTIONS FOR FILLING:

Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then coarsely chop or use a food processor like I did. In a large saucepan, combine the butter, condensed milk and brown sugar and cook over low heat, whisking frequently, until smooth.
Add the egg yolks and whisk frequently, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the filling to a large bowl and fold in the pecans, coconut, vanilla and salt. let cool completely.

FOR THE CAKE ASSEMBLY:

Make this amazing Swiss meringue buttercream which is so good and light and fluffy and not as dense as regular buttercream.
Cut cake in half with a serrated knife or a cake leveler. With a spatula spread the filling on the cake and then stack the other half on top.
Smooth the Swiss meringue buttercream but set about 1/2 to 1 cup of frosting and fill a piping bag fitted with a number 2D piping tip.
Scoop and spread some remaining filling. Pipe dollops around the top edges of the cake. Finish it off with some white sprinkles if desired.

ASSEMBLY FOR THE CUPCAKES:

Using a cupcake corer or your thumb, create a hole in the middle of your cupcakes. Fill with the German chocolate filling.
I made some regular chocolate buttercream and filled a piping bag fitted with a number 2D piping tip. Pipe on a dollop of frosting onto the cupcakes. That is how you make German chocolate cake and cupcakes. Enjoy!

Thanks for baking with me!

~ Natalie

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