German Chocolate Cake recipe from 1958

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This German Chocolate Cake recipe appeared in the Jackson Advocate on May 10, 1958. 

German chocolate cakes aren’t German at all. They are American. They were named after Samual German, the person who invented the chocolate used in the cakes. This is why many older recipes (like these one) are labeled “German’s Chocolate Cake”.


This recipe is one of the earliest appearances of a German chocolate cake recipe and differs from a lot of German chocolate cakes made today.


The result is a surprisingly delicate cake with a light chocolate flavour, filled with a gooey coconut-pecan frosting.



INGREDIENTS


Cake:

4oz German chocolate (113g)

½ cup boiling water

1 cup unsalted butter (113g)

2 cups sugar (400g)

4 egg yolks, unbeaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups sifted cake flour (250g)

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

4 egg whites, stiffly beaten


Coconut-Pecan Frosting:

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar (200g)

3 egg yolks

½ cup margarine or butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans (100g)

1 ⅓ cup flaked coconut


Note: All ingredients should be at room temperature unless otherwise stated.


Method:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C
  • Grease three 8-inch layer pans

Cake:

  1. Melt chocolate in ½ cup boiling water. Set aside to cool.
  2. Sift cake flour, then measure 2 ½ cups (or weigh out 250g).
  3. Sift pre-sifted flour with baking soda and salt. Mix well and set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  5. Add egg yolks, one at a time, incorporating fully after each addition.
  6. Add vanilla and the cooled melted chocolate. Mix until well blended.
  7. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating after each addition until batter is smooth.
  8. Beat egg whites stiff but not dry.
  9. Carefully fold the stiffly-beaten egg whites into the batter.
  10. Divide batter evenly between three 8-inch layer pans.
  11. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F/175°C for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes away clean.
  12. Cool in pans for 15 minutes, then fully cool on cake racks.
  13. Once layers are cooled, frost layers and top with coconut-pecan frosting.

(Make the frosting while the cake layers cool so they can cool and be ready at the same time.)


Coconut-Pecan Frosting:

  1. Combine evaporate milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter (or margarine), and vanilla extract in a saucepan. 
  2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. About 12 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Mix in coconut flakes and chopped pecans. Stir until well combined.
  5. Leave to cool to room temperature. The frosting will thicken further as it cools.

Once the cake layers and frosting have cooled, ice the layers and top of the cake.


Cut, serve, and enjoy!


Original newspaper clipping from 1958:


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