Update: This has become one of my most Googled recipes, so I updated the post with a couple of mouth-watering pictures that do the cake justice. This is a simple, easy-to-make cake with spectacular results.
I asked my mother-in-law what kind of cake she would like me to bake her for her birthday. I wasn’t surprised by her answer. Of course, she wanted a German Chocolate Cake. It is the same cake my husband always wants for his birthday. The cake he grew up eating on special occasions. My mother-in-law gave me her recipe for Coconut-Almond Frosting for German Chocolate Cake when we were first married, and I’ve been making it ever since.
I’m not a huge fan of boxed cake mixes, I think they are too dry unless you doctor them up. But in Anne Byrn’s Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor, she has a recipe for German Chocolate Cake from a mix that is moist and delicious. When combined with the coconut-almond frosting it is almost irresistible. In fact, by the time I remembered I needed a picture so I could post this family favorite recipe on my blog, all that was left was this sad little corner piece. I’ll have to make it again soon and take an Oh Wow picture.
I am submitting this recipe to Shelby of The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honey Bunch for the June Family Recipes Event.
German Chocolate Cake
1 package German chocolate cake mix
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extractPreheat oven to 350º. Mix the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl on low speed for one minute until combined. Beat at medium speed for two minutes more. Pour into greased and floured 13 x 9 baking dish. Bake 38 – 42 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Can also be baked in two 9 inch round pans for 30 – 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and remove from pans. I like to line my round cake pans with parchment paper before adding batter for easy removal from the pan
Coconut-Almond Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 (7 oz. package) sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almondsCombined butter, sugar, evaporated milk and eggs* in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 12 minutes or until thickened. Add vanilla, coconut and almonds. Cool to room temperature before frosting cake.
*You can also warm up the butter, sugar and evaporated milk and temper the eggs before adding them to the saucepan.
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Never had German chocolate cake, but I know that I would just ADORE it!
The frosting sounds amazing! Such a delicious cake.
Tut Tut Barbara! You leaked a family recipe that has been passed secretly from one generation to another..even if its just that almond-coconut frosting!Hey, guess what? I received the very same book that you are talking about via mail today. The kind generous female is BangaloreBaker who blogs at versatile kitchen.
WOW!!! I love your frosting recipe. I alway do pecans, but I love the idea of almonds. YUM!!! YUMMY!!!
My mom is a huge fan of this cake as well…she used to make it all the time when I was a kid! The frosting was always my favorite part. :) Yours looks delicious!
I think you already have an "Oh Wow" photo right here! That frosting looks oh, so good!
Love the almonds also… I feel the same way about cake mixes, but your doctored up version looks great. Your photo is still awesome.
I've heard so much about German chocolate cakes but never made one or tried one (we don't really have them here). As always you help out on that front mum! Oh and Happy Mother's Day for Sunday! xxx
I love using the box mixes and adding extra stuff to them:) Your dessert looks really good:)
The remaining piece looks so good! I'm surprised there was any left. Thanks for sharing a family favorite. Those are the best recipes!
Your frosting looks amazing! This is one of our favorite cakes too!
That cake and frosting sound heavenly! Must print it out :)
German Chocolate is my fav! I love your doctored up cake mix version.
It's been a long time since I've had German chocolate cake. My mom used to make it all the time…. brings back memories.
my grandmother loved german chocolate cake and this just makes me miss her and want to watch her lick her fingers clean :) it really looks tasty barbara!
German Chocolate is my husband's favorite. I only make it for his birthday because no one else in the family likes it. This recipe, however, does look good. You may make converts out of us.
How funny! That is quite a testament to how good that cake was! I can't say I like cooking from mixes either but you have convinced me that this one is worth it!
I love the idea of the almonds in the frosting. Thanks so much for posting. If you get a chance, please take a peak at my baking blog. I am hosting a giveaway for a beautiful vintage recipe box. Thanks so much.
http://sweetkatskitchen.blogspot.com/
I have not tried German chocolate cake. Looks moist and delicious. I love the topping with coconut and almond. Thanks for sharing.
My husband would LOVE this!!
I am supposed to make this for my Hubby's Birthday this Friday, so thanks for posting this at the perfect time!!
I want a slice:)
The cake looks awesome…loved the frosting….
Ciao Barbara ! this recipe is fantastic ! i'd eat some now !!
now i wish that I'd requested that for mom's day! how yummy!
Wow, a cake from a box that tastes amazing?! That's pretty awesome. I am a huge german choc cake fan. :D
great cake but the frosting takes it over the top..yum
sweetlife
I love that kind of frosting! It's also great on a s'more! ;)
Yum…this is one of my favorite cakes too! I haven't made the frosting with almonds, but it would be delicious!
This is a great submission for Family Recipes Barbara.
My father in law loves german chocolate cake and this looks like one super delicious recipe!!
I like the idea of using almonds instead of pecans. Looks wonderful. I love GCC!
Even with just a corner piece, that frosting definitely looks oh, wow! The whole cake must have been double wow.
when I was in Germany i loved their cakes,because their flavour and aesthetic taste.Your own is delicious!congratulations and enjoy your day
Your mother-in-law definitely made a good choice or all of us won't get to enjoy this scrumptious german chocolate cake with coconut almond frosting. Looking at the frosting, I can guarantee it will be good in other flavor of cakes too, don't you think?
Sawadee from Bangkok,
Kris
Oh wow, the cake looks pretty easy! Must safe it up for later use. Thank you for sharing & have a nice day!
Cheers, Kristy
I'm SO happy to have this recipe, Barbara. German chocolate cake is a favorite in my house but baking it from scratch takes time and my recipe sometimes doesn't turn out just right. This is a great time saver. Yum, I just love the frosting.
German chocolate cake has always been one of my faves. Also my favorite ice cream. Yours is the most amazing I have ever seen. Thanks for the inspiration!
Donna
This is my son's favorite cake and he asks for it every year on his birthday. I've never made it from a box. Is it really as good as making it from scratch? I've made it so many times now I can do it blindfolded!
What a fantastic recipe – I've never had German chocolate cake with almonds in the frosting. What a great twist! (And, I feel like a bad DIL now… I've never made my MIL a cake for her birthday!
One of my favorite cakes adore it and with coconut more almonds, really superb!!
Cheers,
Gera
German Chocolate Cake is really one of my favorite cakes. That frosting just gets to me it's so good. I love to make mine in three layers, that way I can have extra frosting. I wonder if that adds calories . . .
German chocolate was my Dad's favorite cake. I like the almonds in the frosting.
Mimi
Yum yum! My dad always made cakes from boxed mixes and with a little doctoring up like you did they were the BEST! Yours looks so good.
This recipe was amazingggg!! I did tweak the cake mix tho but thank u so much! Def does not taste like a box mix! :-)
So glad you loved it. Thanks for coming back and commenting!
was never a ‘cake’ person, but man, give me this frosting and a spoon – and i am a happy camper!! and your cake is beautiful!!
Gorgeous looking cake! I love when boxed cake looks so fancy and delectable!
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I made this cake today for a dinner party we are attending tonight. Just wondering if the measurement on the vanilla in the frosting is correct. One tablespoon …not teaspoon? I used the tablespoon and I hoping it is not a typo.
Hi Joyce – I checked the original recipe that my mother-in-law gave me and it is one tablespoon. I hope the cake is a big hit. Please let me know. Thanks!
Had to make GCC for thanksgiving. Realized that I didn’t have evaporated milk – I left out the sugar and put in one cup of sweetened condensed milk. AWESOME!
Had to make this for Thanksgiving and didn’t have evaporated milk. Substituted Sweetened condensed milk and omitted the sugar. Turned out GREAT! Other personal tweaks added pecans along with the almonds and tempered the eggs before adding to the butter & milk.
Hi Melinden – thanks for letting me know you made the cake. Sound like great changes. Quick thinking to sub sweetened condensed milk. I’m so glad you loved the cake.
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Loved this cake. I try to avoid genetically modified ingredients as much as possible so ended up purchasing an organic vanilla cake mix. Was a little worried about how I was going to make a vanilla cake chocolate. I made my own buttermilk using vinegar and fat free milk, excluded the vanilla, and used the Baker’s Sweet German Chocolate squares and melted them in 1/2 cup of water. I was worried that I had added too much liquid to the cake batter. It raised beautifully, and was the most moist chocolate cake I’ve had in a really long time! Due to a food allergy, I used pecans in the frosting instead of almonds. Will probably use egg whites only in the frosting next time though. Even stirring constantly, had trouble with the egg cooking too fast on my gas stove. I posted pictures on my blog, http://www.peanutclinicaltrial.blogspot.com. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Melanie! So glad you loved the cake and your changes worked. If you temper the eggs, slowly beat in a little of the hot liquid to the eggs to warm them up before adding them to the pan, that should eliminate the trouble of the eggs cooking too fast. You could use egg yolks only, typically it’s the egg whites that cause the trouble for me. I’ll add the tip to temper the eggs to the recipe. Thanks for the feedback!
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