German Chocolate Cake (Triple Layer Recipe with Chocolate Ganache)

Course Cakes & Pies

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Additional Time 10

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 618

Author adapted by Christina Conte

An inside out German chocolate cake with a nut, coconut, and caramel filling.

Equipment

3 9″ round cake pans
1 cake lifter (optional)

Ingredients

Cake:

1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa (use a good quality cocoa!)
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup buttermilk
6 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
2 large eggs
¾ tsp vanilla
½ cup boiling-hot water

Filling:

3 cups unsweetened, flaked coconut
1 cup pecans finely chopped (use the nut of your choice)
14 oz caramel sweetened, condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla

Ganache Glaze:

⅔ cup heavy cream
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate or dark, chips, chunks, pieces (good quality)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the German Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350℉ (175℃).
Sift together the first six dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt) into a large bowl and set aside.
In a measuring jug, whisk together the next four ingredients (buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla), and pour into a mixing bowl.
Add the sifted dry ingredients onto the liquid in the bowl.
Beat at low speed on a stand mixer, whisk by hand or use a hand mixer; scrape down the sides with a spatula, then mix at high speed for one minute.
Return the speed to low, and pour in boiling-hot water and mix well, using spatula to scrape the sides so the thin batter is evenly mixed.
Divide the mixture evenly into the 3 prepared pans. Bake 2 pans in the upper third of the oven, and one in the lower third.
After about 13 minutes, reverse the trays, and turn them 180 degrees so they bake evenly. Continue to bake for another 7 to 12 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean
Cool cakes in pans about 15 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edges and remove from the pans. Peel off the paper and allow to cool completely on a metal rack.

Make the Filling:

Put the caramel condensed milk in a medium sized pot and warm gently.
Stir in the coconut. Then add the chopped nuts into the condensed milk and mix well. Keep warm until ready to fill cake.

Make the Ganache:

Place the heavy cream and chocolate in a pot over low heat and stir until evenly combined and smooth.
Remove from heat immediately, and allow to cool slightly, stirring from time to time

Assemble the Cake:

You can choose to put the cake together on your cake plate or stand, or, if you want to go heavy on the ganache, assemble the cake on the cooling rack with a tray underneath to catch the excess. If you don't have a large cake lifter, I would advise putting the cake on the serving plate to decorate.
Spread half of the coconut filling on top of one layer of cake while still on the cooling rack. Using a wet spatula helps the filling not to stick.
Top with another cake layer and repeat with the remaining coconut filling, and top with the last layer of cake
Place the cooling rack with the cake on top, over a tray to catch the dripping ganache. Make sure the ganache is not too warm, or all of it will run off the cake, but not too cool, or none of it will spread. You can check by pouring it onto the back of a spoon to see how it runs off.
Slowly pour the ganache onto the center of the cake, allowing it to run off the sides. You may need to tip the tray a little to "help" the ganache run off all the edges evenly
After all the ganache is poured, place the Inside Out German chocolate cake and tray in the fridge for at least an hour.
Once the chocolate ganache has set, place the cake on a serving plate. I have a cake lifter which works extremely well to move cakes.
Keep refrigerated and bring the cake to room temperature before serving.
Cake freezes well.

Notes

Prepare three 9″ round cake pans (if you only have two, you will have to bake 2 layers first, then wash one pan and bake the third) by buttering them, then cutting a piece of wax or parchment paper the size of the bottom, and placing it inside. Trace the pan on top of the paper, then cut a little on the inside of the marking. Very simple.
I recommend Callebaut chocolate (not sponsored), but in a pinch, Trader Joe's bags of chocolate chips are very good, too.

Nutrition

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