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German Chocolate Cake
Light, airy, and incredibly tender, this three-layer sponge gets its signature texture from whipped egg whites folded right into the batter. You'll melt sweet baking chocolate to build a mild, balanced cocoa flavor that won't overpower the classic coconut-pecan filling. Tangy buttermilk keeps the crumb moist, ensuring a bakery-quality slice every time. It's a nostalgic, comforting bake that turns any regular weekend into a celebration.
Ingredients
- 4 oz sweet baking chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup water
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour or 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup buttermilk Coconut-Pecan Filling and Topping (below)
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans with shortening. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease the paper.
- 2Warm the chopped sweet baking chocolate and water in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently until the chocolate melts completely, then set it aside to cool so it doesn't scramble the eggs later.
- 3Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer on high speed to cream the sugar and softened butter until light and fluffy.
- 4Add the egg yolks to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Lower the mixer speed and blend in the cooled melted chocolate and vanilla extract.
- 5Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. Keep the mixer on low speed and beat just until smooth after each addition. Overmixing here leads to a dense cake.
- 6Clean and dry the mixer attachments thoroughly. Any leftover fat will prevent the whites from whipping. Beat the egg whites in a small bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form, then gently fold them into the cake batter. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
- 7Bake 8-inch pans for 35 to 40 minutes, or 9-inch pans for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes rest in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto wire cooling racks.
- 8Peel off the parchment paper from the bottom of each cake layer. Let the cakes cool completely for about 1 hour before frosting.
Notes
- Baking in batches: If all three pans don't fit in your oven at once, refrigerate the batter in the third pan and bake it separately.
- Make ahead: You can bake the cake layers a day in advance. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature until you're ready to frost.
- Flour swap: The recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, but you can substitute 2 1/2 cups of cake flour for an even more tender crumb.