Growing up, springtime meant lots of cake. The rotation was often coconut, strawberry-lemon, pineapple upside-down, and my personal favorite German chocolate. The cakes my grandma or aunt would make were never completely from scratch; typically the cakes were from a boxed mix. The fillings and frostings were always homemade. This recipe for German chocolate cake is 100 percent from scratch and though there are several steps, the cake is very simple to make. The quantities are mostly in grams because weight measurements for cakes make for a more light and fluffy crumb. The key to making this cake is time management. Bake the cakes and make the coconut-pecan filling the day before serving. When ready to assemble, whip up the frosting and decorate.

The recipe below makes a 9×13-inch cake. You can either leave the cake in the pan and decorate or remove it and decorate more elaborately with buttercream frosting. If you want to make a layered 8-inch round cake, just double the cake ingredient quantities and use two pans. The coconut-pecan filling and buttercream recipe makes enough for larger cakes. Whether you prefer a simple sheet pan cake or a thick, layered cake, this rich cake will make a great addition to your spring baking rotation. 

German Chocolate Cake
Makes 1 9×13-inch cake

The classic German Chocolate cake A classic cake is amplified in flavor with dark chocolate, coffee, and pecan butter. Justin Burke/UP

Ingredients 

Cake
210 grams all-purpose flour, sifted
400 grams sugar
75 grams cocoa powder, sifted
12 grams baking soda
4 grams baking powder
6 grams salt
240 grams buttermilk
110 grams vegetable oil
2 eggs
4 grams vanilla extract
237 grams freshly brewed hot coffee

Coconut-Pecan Filling
267 grams sugar
85 grams light brown sugar
32 grams milk powder
3 grams salt
113 grams unsalted butter, melted
90 grams heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted
¾ cups pecan butter

Dark Chocolate Buttercream (optional)
6 ounces dark chocolate morsels
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon instant coffee (optional)
2 teaspoons water (optional)

Directions 

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, vegetable oil, and vanilla until combined. 
4. Add one cup of flour mixture to egg mixture and whisk until just combined, then add ½  cup of buttermilk and whisk until just combined. Repeat until flour mixture, buttermilk, and egg are combined. 
5. Add the hot coffee gradually, mixing in between to fully incorporate and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Note, batter will be very loose, unlike thicker cake batters. 
6. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack to room temperature. 

Coconut-Pecan Filling 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a small sheet pan or 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper coated with cooking oil. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, milk powder, and salt until combined. Add the melted butter and whisk together vigorously for 1 minute. 
3. Add heavy cream and vanilla and whisk until combined. Add egg yolks and whisk. 
4. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 9 minutes or until mixture is evenly dark brown, but not burnt. Remove and cool on a wire rack. 
5. Once mixture is cool enough to handle, pour into a medium bowl, scraping the parchment paper and pan. Mixture will be sticky. With a spatula, add the coconut and stir to evenly combine. Add pecan butter and stir to combine. 

Dark Chocolate Buttercream 

1. In a medium heatproof bowl, add chocolate and melt in a microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Repeat steps until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside to slightly cool. 
2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and add vanilla and continue beating for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. 
3. In a small bowl, dissolve the coffee with water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip!  Use immediately. 

Assemble

1. If using a 9×13-inch pan, spread the coconut-pecan filling on top of the cooled cake using an offset or rubber spatula. 
2. If using 2 8-inch round pans, remove cakes from the pans. Place one layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake stand. With a rubber spatula or offset spatula, spread a thin layer of coconut-pecan filling on the top. Place the second layer on top, flat side up, and spread the buttercream evenly on the sides and of the top of the cake. Spread an even layer of the coconut-pecan filling on the top layer. Pipe decorative edges around the border of the top and on the base of the cake. 
3. Serve cake at room temperature. Cake can be stored, lightly covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.