German chocolate history

Most chocolate makers have heard of different types of chocolate and the role they play in different dessert recipes. Each country has its own distinct type of chocolate, which is why Swiss chocolate, Belgian chocolate, Italian chocolate and French chocolate are very famous. Several people have also heard about German chocolate and it is only natural for them to make the assumption that this type of chocolate originated in Germany; however, this is not the case. The name, German chocolate, can be quite deceiving, as this type of chocolate gets its name from its key ingredient German’s sweet chocolate, which was named after its creator, Sam German. Due to several factors, this type of chocolate is simply known as German chocolate, or even bakers German chocolate, in the United States.

Chocolate experts state that German chocolate can be compared to semisweet chocolate in taste. However, the sugar content in German chocolate is much higher in comparison. Therefore, it is only natural that a German chocolate recipe is a bit sweeter in taste, as compared to the recipes that use other types of chocolate. There are several people who try recipes that require German chocolate, such as German chocolate cake, German chocolate cupcakes, German chocolate brownies, German chocolate cheesecake, German chocolate pie, German chocolate coffee cake and German chocolate cake frosting, to name a few. However, it is not always possible for people to easily find German chocolate bars. In such instances, people use semisweet chocolate instead, but may just increase the amount of sugar used, for the added sweetness.

How to make German chocolate cake?

It is not difficult for people to find prepackaged German chocolate cake mixes, where simple instructions need to be followed, in order to prepare the cake. However, most avid bakers prefer to make their German chocolate cake recipe from scratch. Hence, given below is a German chocolate cake recipe, using ingredients at home:

Ingredients for the German chocolate cake

• Sweet German chocolate candy or bar:    4 Ounces
• All Purpose flour:      1 2/3 Cups
• Baking Soda:        1 Teaspoon
• Butter:        ½ Cup
• Buttermilk:        2/3 cup
• Confectioner’s Sugar:      1 Cup
• Eggs:        3
• Salt:         ¼ Teaspoon
• Vanilla extract:       1 teaspoon
• Water:        ½ cup

Ingredients for the German chocolate icing

• Brown sugar:       1 cup
• Butter:        ½ cup
• Coconut, chopped:      1 1/3 cup
• Egg yolks:       3, large
• Evaporated milk:      1 cup
• Pecans, chopped:       1 cup
• Vanilla extract:       1 teaspoon

Preparation for the cake

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Then grease and flour two cake pans that are round in shape. Set an oven rack right in the middle of the oven.
• Separate the 3 egg yolks from the white and keep them both carefully. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites thoroughly and keep them aside.
• Take a double boiler and add the chocolate, as well as the water to it. Heat the chocolate until it melts. Alternately, the chocolate can also be placed in the microwave, where it is melted.
• In another bowl, mix the flour, the salt as well as the baking soda and set this combination aside.
• Place the butter in a microwave safe dish and soften it, by heating it for around 10 seconds in the oven. Once the butter has become considerably soft, it needs to be poured into a mixing bowl, where the vanilla and the sugar are added to it.
• Beat the butter and sugar, preferably with an electric beater, till they form a smooth and creamy batter. Gradually, add only the egg yolks one at a time to this batter. Hence, after each yolk is added, it needs to be beaten with the sugar and butter.
• Once all the three egg yolks have been added, the chocolate and water mixture needs to be poured in, with the batter and all the ingredients need to be mixed thoroughly.
• The flour mixture which was prepared earlier now needs to be added to the batter, but it needs to be alternated with the buttermilk. After each bit of addition, the cake batter needs to be beaten some more.
• Finally, the egg whites need to be folded into the batter.
• Pour the batter into the two round pans and place it into the oven. The cake needs to be baked for around 30 to 35 minutes. The toothpick test is the best way to check if the cake is ready or not.
• After removing the cakes from the oven, they need to cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes, before they are taken out of the baking pan. The cakes should continue to cool, while the German chocolate frosting is prepared.

Preparation for the German chocolate icing

• Take a saucepan of medium size and combine the butter, egg yolks and evaporated milk in it. On a low flame, allow the ingredients to cook for about 10 minutes or so, till the mixture becomes thick.
• Take the mixture off the heat and slowly add the chopped pecans, the coconut and the vanilla extract to it. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly together, until they are all well blended.
• Allow this frosting to cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes, before applying it on to the cake.
• First, place one layer of cake on a cake sheet, which will be the bottom layer. Cover the top of that cake with one layer of the frosting. After a few minutes, place the other cake on top and spread the frosting over that too. The icing needs to be smoothened out to the edges as well as the sides too.

Note:  In case German chocolate bars are not available, it is best to avoid using semisweet chocolate in the recipe, or else it could completely ruin the taste. There are many people who use sour cream instead of buttermilk, which should be absolutely fine, as it does not make too much of a difference.