It is no secret that I love coconut and this Cockeyed German Chocolate Cake is no exception. Loaded with the flavors of coconut, chocolate, and nuts, with caramel notes, this is a winner! It is so delicious and fun to make, you’ll want it all year long! Plus it is a good indulgence for Mardi Gras this week!
One pan cakes are the simplest to put together and a snap to make. They are the perfect project for young bakers where they will learn valuable lessons and gain confidence. You can chop the pecans for them if you don’t want them handling knives yet.
This cake is nearly as simple as using a box mix, easy to make. You put the “topping” ingredients in the bottom of the baking pan then pour the cake batter over it. Once it is baked and cooled slightly, you invert it onto a plate so the coconut/pecan mixture is on top. That’s why I called it “cockeyed”!
My cake stuck to the pan pretty badly so the top isn’t as pretty as I would like in the photos, but it sure tastes good! I added the direction to line the baking pan with parchment so yours should release a lot more easily and cleanly!
The recipe will fill a 9-inch square pan more than halfway. I was concerned it would run over so I put the square pan on a sheet pan to catch any drips. I was delighted to see the cake rise perfectly with no spillage! A 10-inch round would give you more headroom but the final cake won’t be quite as tall.
This cake really delivers – all the flavors of a traditional German chocolate cake without the hassle of making layers and frosting them. My father-in-law begged for the leftovers after dinner – which is always a good sign!
I hope you make this Cockeyed German Chocolate Cake and enjoy it as much as The Artist and I did! Happy Chocolate Monday!
Ingredients needed for Cockeyed German Chocolate Cake:
- Brown sugar, butter, pecans, unsweetened coconut, evaporated milk
- Dark chocolate, flour, xanthan, baking soda, baking powder, salt
- Butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk
PRO Tip:
Be sure you butter and line your baking pan with parchment paper to create a sling for lifting the bars out plus helping the topping not to stick to the pan (like mine did). If it does stick a little, just patch any blank areas as needed.
How to make Cockeyed German Chocolate Cake:
- Make the Topping: Melt the butter and sugar together and pour into a parchment-lined square baking pan, then sprinkle with the pecans and coconut, drizzle with the milk and set aside
- Prepare the Cake: Melt the chocolate chips, stirring until completely smooth; in another bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, whisking until fully combined
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth, they pour in the melted chocolate and mix until there are no streaks in the batter; gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beating after each addition, starting and ending with the flour, scraping the bowl occasionally
- Pour batter over the frosting layer, pressing it into the corners and smoothing the top with a spatula; bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for just 15 minutes
- Turn out the Cake: Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen it slightly, set a plate or platter on top of the cake pan and using hot pads, invert the cake and plate together, flipping the cake upside down; ease the pan off the cake and carefully remove the parchment and repair any bare areas – do not wait longer than the 15 minutes or it will be difficult to get the cake and topping out of the pan
- Cool and cut into squares for serving
PRO Tip:
Whenever making caramel candy or the topping for today’s recipe, as soon as you have poured it out of the saucepan, fill the pan with water and put on the stove, bring to a boil and cook until the sugar has dissolved. This will make your clean up so much easier and faster!
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- 9-inch square baking pan
- Parchment paper sheets
- Nonstick saucepan
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Wire cooling rack
Gluten-Free Tips:
Use your favorite cup-for-cup style gluten-free flour blend or you can use the one I made and use for everything from bread to cakes. I always use Authentic Foods Superfine flours so there is never any grittiness in any of my baked goods!
*You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Cockeyed German Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free)
Loaded with the flavors of coconut, chocolate, and nuts, with caramel notes, this cake is a winner! It is so delicious and fun to make, you’ll want it all year long!
Ingredients
Bottom Layer/Topping
- 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick; 4 tbsp) butter, cubed
- 2/3 cup (about 57g) chopped pecan halves
- 1 cup (113g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup (64g) evaporated milk
Cake
- 4 oz (113g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted
- 1-1/2 cups (180g) gluten-free flour blend* or all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (75g) butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or pure extract
- 3/4 cup (170g) buttermilk
Instructions
- Butter a 9-inch square baking dish or 10-inch round cake pan. Line the pan with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the Topping: In a medium saucepan, place the brown sugar and butter. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and all the butter is melted. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the pecans and coconut over the butter and sugar. Drizzle with the milk and set aside.
- Prepare the Cake: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips. Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring between each heating, until the chocolate is nearly all melted. Remove from the microwave oven, set aside to cool a little, stirring occasionally to be sure all the chocolate pieces are fully melted.
- In a bowl, combine the flour*, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until completely incorporated.
- In the bowl of your standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high speed. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth. Pour in the melted chocolate, beating until blended and there are no streaks in the batter.
- Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, to the mixer, beating after each addition. Start and end with the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl periodically while beating. Pour the batter over the frosting layer. Press into the corners and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Transfer to the hot oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. When done, remove from the oven and set on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes to cool slightly.
- Run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it, set a plate over the top of the pan and using hot pads, invert the pan and plate together, flipping the cake upside down. Ease the pan off the cake, carefully remove the parchment paper, and repair any disturbed areas. Do not wait more than the 15 minutes to get the cake out of the pan. If it sits too long the caramel in the topping will get firm making it much more difficult to get the cake to release.
- Let the cake cool completely then cut into squares and serve.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
*You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
Adapted from Cook with Sara!
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 265Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 310mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 7g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.
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