German Chocolate cake is a chocolate cake with pecans, dates, and coconut icing. This German chocolate cake is a Vegan cake adapted from the book Love real food by Kathryne Taylor. I liked the recipe as soon as I went through it. I have tried a similar cake with oatmeal. You can look for the recipe here.
The German chocolate cake originated from America. This cake can be prepared for any special occasion or for any traditional holiday. The German chocolate cake has a sticky pecan frosting because of the evaporated milk and egg yolk. Here we are using dates as the base which is healthy and not sticky. While baking the cake make sure you do not overbake. If the cake is overbaked it becomes crumbly.
I made this for the holiday menu. Since there was so much work, I didn’t trim on the edges and sides. To have a neat finish after applying a thick layer of frosting, trim all the sides and slice them into equal squares.
Table of Contents
Food for the thought
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
― Bernard M. Baruch
Benefits of the ingredients (source)
Pecans: good source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which help lower blood pressure.
Video
Steps for preparing German Chocolate Cake
To prepare cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8*8 square inch pan.
- Sieve whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt in a bowl. Stir sugar and mix well.
- Mix coconut oil, water, vinegar, vanilla extract. Do not overmix.
- Pour in the greased pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
To prepare Frosting: - Soak dates in hot water. In a processor, combine the dates, water, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt. Process until smooth.
- Then add pecans and coconut and pulse for few times.
- Once the cake is cool spread the frosting evenly.
Variations
- You can use all-purpose flour instead of wheat flour.
- Use brown sugar in place of sugar.
Related recipes
Chocolate cupcakes with oat flour
Questions/Tips
What is a German chocolate cake?
German chocolate cake is a semi-sweet chocolate cake made with rich creamy pecan and coconut dressing. The icing is usually prepared with evaporated milk and egg yolks rather than the regular dressing.
Can I substitute whole wheat flour for any flour?
Depends on the recipe. You should know the right ratio for dry and wet ingredients. Oat flour absorbs more liquid compared to regular flour. Gluten-free flour needs more liquid. If you know the exact ratio go ahead with experimenting. Measure by weight, since oat flour is lighter than other flour.
Can I use all-purpose flour?
Absolutely yes. All-purpose flour will give you a perfect light and fluffy cake. Whereas, whole wheat flour yields a dense cake.
What is the different frosting that I can use in this cake?
If you are not a vegan, you can use butter frosting, cream frosting in the cake. For the vegan chocolate frosting, you can use Chocolate cupcakes with an oat flour recipe.
Meal prep/ How to store
Prepare the cake and frosting. You can do the frosting when ready to serve. It keeps well 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Since the cake has coconut oil, it solidifies. Microwave before serving. Before serving, apply a thick layer of frosting.
Recipe card for German chocolate cake
German chocolate cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
- 12 large mejdool dates
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8*8 square inch pan.
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Stir well.
- Pour in coconut oil, vinegar, vanilla, and warm water and mix until blended.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for 15 minutes or until thhe toothpick insertred in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake.
Frosting
- Soak the dates in hot water for 10 minutes and then drain.
- In a processor, combine the dates, water, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt. Process until smooth.
- Then add pecans and coconut and pulse for few times.
- Once the cake is cool spread the frosting evenly.
Notes
Trim the edges after frosting.