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    Home » Recipes » Cakes & Cupcakes

    German Chocolate Sheet Cake

    March 1, 2022 | Updated February 25, 2022 | Heather

    JUMP TO RECIPE RATE RECIPE
    Slice of German chocolate cake and sheet pan of cake slices.

    This German Chocolate Sheet Cake is a tender mild chocolate cake with the best and easiest coconut and pecan frosting. The sheet pan makes it super simple and great for crowds. A perfect dessert for parties and pot lucks!

    German chocolate cake slice on mini spatula in sheet pan.

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Click HERE to read my policies.

    German Chocolate Sheet Cake Ingredients

    • Unbleached All Purpose Flour
    • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
    • Baking soda
    • Salt
    • Canola Oil
    • Eggs
    • Sugar
    • Pure Vanilla Extract
    • Buttermilk
    • Hot Water
    • Evaporated Milk
    • Sweetened Shredded Coconut
    • Toasted Chopped Pecans

    Substitution Suggestions:

    • Canola Oil: Vegetable oil can be used.
    • Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup then fill with milk to 1 cup. Let sit for at least 5 minutes.
    • Hot Water: It is important that the water is hot so it will help dissolve the cocoa powder evenly into the cake. Doesn't need to be boiling, hot tap water will work just fine.
    • Toasted Chopped Pecans: toasting the pecans really makes all the difference in the flavor of the nuts. Don't skip the step. Traditionally the frosting is made with pecans, but you can also use walnuts, almonds or macadamia nuts.
    German chocolate cake slice on white round plate in front of whole cake in sheet pan.

    How to Make the Best German Chocolate Cake Recipe

    1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the unbleached all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
    • German chocolate cake ingredients.
    • Dry ingredients mixed together in glass mixing bowl.
    1. In a stand mixer or with hand beaters, beat together the canola oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
    2. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
    3. Then add half of the buttermilk and mix just until incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
    4. Add another third of the dry ingredients followed by the remaining buttermilk, mixing just until combined.
    • Wet ingredients combined in mixing bowl.
    • Chocolate cake batter complete in mixing bowl.
    1. Now add the remaining dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
    2. Finally add the hot water and mix until everything is fully combined and the batter is smooth.
    3. Pour the batter into a liberally greased half sheet pan (18x13).
    • Chocolate cake batter in sheet pan.
    • Baked chocolate cake in sheet pan.
    1. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    2. Cool cake completely before frosting.

    How to Make German Chocolate Cake Frosting

    1. Add eggs, evaporated milk, sugar and butter to a medium pot.
    2. Heat and whisk over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 10-12 minutes.
    • German chocolate cake frosting ingredients.
    • Pecan and coconut frosting in medium sized pot.
    1. Remove from heat and stir in shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
    2. Cool frosting for about 10 minutes then spread evenly over cake.
    3. Garnish with mini chocolate chips if desired.

    How to Toast Pecans

    There are two simple ways to toast nuts: in a dry skillet or in the oven.

    Skillet: In a medium dry skillet add pecans and toast over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Let cool then chop for recipe. Try to use a skillet without a nonstick coating, when heated dry it can release toxins into the food.

    Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pecans on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 7-10 minutes, stirring and flipping the nuts half way through. Let pecans cool then chop.

    Slices of German chocolate cake in sheet pan.

    Tips for German Chocolate Sheet Cake

    • Always fluff your flour, then spoon and level to measure. Do this when baking anything. It will help eliminate any extra flour from being added to the recipe. Too much flour in this cake will make it dry and unpleasant.
    • Make sure you are using hot water. It needs to be hot to help dissolve the cocoa powder evenly into the cake. It doesn't need to be boiling, hot tap water will work just fine.
    • This recipe is for a half sheet pan (18x13 inches). Do not use anything smaller or you will have a huge mess in your oven!
    • If your oven tends to bake unevenly, you can rotate the cake a little over half way through the baking time. It helps with even baking and keeping the top of the cake level.
    • Toast your pecans. The nuts will be flavorless without toasting. It really adds so much flavor to the pecans.
    • The frosting is traditionally made with pecans, but if you prefer you can use toasted and chopped walnuts, almonds or macadamia nuts.

    Storing German Chocolate Cake

    Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil or with a fitted lid for the sheet pan. The cake will keep for 4-5 days on the counter.

    You can also store the cake in the fridge, but note it will dry out faster.

    German chocolate cake slice on white round plate with bite on fork.

    Make it a Layered German Chocolate Cake

    To make this a pretty layered cake you can use round cake pans or cut the sheet cake into layers.

    Round: Divide the cake batter into two 9 inch round cake pans that have been lined with parchment paper and greased well. Bake the cakes at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Fill and frost top of cake with coconut and pecan frosting.

    Sheet Pan Layers: Bake the cake in a parchment lined and greased half sheet pan (18x13). Once the cake is baked and cooled, cut the cake into thirds creating 3 (6x13) pieces of cake. Its important to line with parchment paper so you can easily remove the cake from the sheet pan. Fill layers and frost top layer with the coconut and pecan frosting. For even more filling, double the frosting recipe.

    Top view of sliced German cake in sheet pan.

    More Delicious Cake Recipes:

    • Chocolate Zucchini Cake
    • Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Pumpkin Pie Bundt Cake
    • Chocolate Peppermint Sheet Cake
    • Glazed Lemon Pound Cake
    • Crock Pot Chocolate Lava Cake
    • Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting
    • Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
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    German chocolate cake slice on mini spatula in sheet pan.
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    German Chocolate Sheet Cake

    This German Chocolate Sheet Cake is a tender mild chocolate cake with the best and easiest coconut and pecan frosting. The sheet pan makes it super simple and great for crowds. A perfect dessert for parties and pot lucks!
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 30
    Author: Heather
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    Ingredients

    Cake

    • 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
    • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¾ cup canola oil
    • 2 cups sugar
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • ½ cup hot water

    Frosting

    • 2 large eggs, beaten
    • 12 ounces evaporated milk
    • 1½ cups sugar
    • ½ cup salted butter
    • 2½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
    • 1 cup toasted chopped pecans

    Instructions

    Cake

    • Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a half sheet pan (18x13).
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
    • In a stand mixer or with hand beaters, beat together the canola oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
    • Add a third of the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
    • Next, add half of the buttermilk and mix just until combined and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
    • Add another third of the dry ingredients followed by the remaining buttermilk mixing just until combined.
    • Now add the remaining dry ingredients just until combined.
    • Add the hot water and mix until everything is fully incorporated and smooth.
    • Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs.
    • Let cake cool completely before frosting.

    Frosting

    • In a medium size pot, add the beaten eggs, evaporated milk, sugar and butter.
    • Heat over medium-low heat, whisking often, until it is bubbly and thickened. About 10-12 minutes.
    • Remove from heat and stir in the shredded coconut and toasted chopped pecans.
    • Let cool at least 10 minutes before frosting cake.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 182IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg
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