German Chocolate Cake Icing Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

FAQs

What is the frosting on German Chocolate Cake made of? ›

3. Make the German Chocolate Frosting: Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, egg yolks, and evaporated milk in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a low boil over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, nuts and coconut.

If your frosting isn't thickening, there are a few possible reasons: insufficient mixing, incorrect ingredient ratios or having too much liquid are the most common. You can try gradually adding thickening agents like cornstarch or powdered sugar as a last resort.

German chocolate cake uses a particular kind of baking chocolate as its base, one which has a milder, sweeter profile thanks in part to lecithin, a fatty substance derived from egg yolks. In contrast, classic chocolate cake recipes often use cocoa powder or darker chocolate for a richer, more intense flavor.

If it is still runny you may have not cooked the base long enough for the eggs to set. It should have a pudding like consistency. Another tip is to set it in the fridge and the cold will help thicken the frosting.

Stiffly beaten egg whites act as a leavening agent that traps air bubbles, which expand during baking. This is particularly important for German chocolate cake, as its characteristic mild and light chocolate base relies on this lightness to balance the rich and dense coconut-pecan frosting.

Too Little or Too Much Moisture. If your cake isn't moist enough, it can sink in the center. But too much moisture can also ruin a cake. This happens most often in humid climates, where extra moisture can collect naturally in ingredients like flour.

It is really important that the cake is still warm when the icing is poured over, so that the cake can absorb some of the frosting. If the cake is cold then the crust will have set fully, which means the icing can't sink in and will sit on the surface and be runnier.

If you are making a chocolate frosting, adding more cocoa powder is a great option for thickening it. The technique is basically the same as if you were thickening with powdered sugar, but you want to use a smaller quantity of cocoa powder than icing sugar. Try adding just 1 to 2 teaspoon at a time.

Hence the name German chocolate cake, right? However, the popular dessert isn't from Germany at all. Instead, it originated in the country that loves it the most: America.

Why is German chocolate cake so good? ›

German Chocolate Cake is famous for its filling—it has a rich, sticky-sweet custard studded with coconut flakes and chopped pecans.

A devil's-food cake is richer and darker, and has a strong cocoa flavor. German chocolate (a favorite here in south Texas) usually is a lighter-colored cake with a flavor of mild chocolate. True German chocolate cake has delicious pecan-coconut frosting, while the devil's food usually has a dark fudge frosting.

The Egyptians gave us the world's oldest known cake–and also the world's oldest Tupperware as it happens. During the reign of Pepi II from BCE 2251 to 2157, bakers mixed up a wheat dough for flatbread and filled it with honey and milk. The dough was poured into two pre-heated copper molds that fit tightly together.

A well-known German cake that is often made with chocolate is called "Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte," which translates to Black Forest Cherry Cake in English. This cake consists of layers of chocolate sponge cake sandwiched with whipped cream and cherries.

A common misconception is that German Chocolate Cake comes from Germany. In fact, the name comes from American baker, Samuel German, who developed a type of dark baking chocolate in 1852. The baking chocolate was then named Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate in honor of German.

German Buttercream frosting uses butter and a rich, yet simple vanilla custard to create a silky, melt-in-your mouth frosting perfect for sheet cakes and cupcakes. Marta has 25 years of experience in the food service industry and has been developing recipes for 3 years.

A common misconception is that German Chocolate Cake comes from Germany. In fact, the name comes from American baker, Samuel German, who developed a type of dark baking chocolate in 1852. The baking chocolate was then named Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate in honor of German.

For American buttercream, you'd replace the pudding with a base made from a ton of powdered sugar and a splash of cream, and for the German buttercream you'd replace the pudding with a basic custard made with egg yolks and milk.

It does get thicker as it cools. if you've already put the frosting on the cake, try refrigerating the cake in a covered cake carrier for a while. The cold will help to set and thicken the frosting a bit. Take it out about 15–20 minutes before you serve it to let it come to room temperature before serving.