Decadent layers of dark chocolate cake combined with traditional coconut pecan frosting and drenched in dark chocolate ganache makes this one birthday cake to remember!
Happy Birthday to me (you)!! Happy Birthday to me (you)! {Are you singing along yet?} Happy Birthday to meeeeeee (youuuuuuu)! Happy Birthday to me (you)! Yep! It’s my birthday! 39 years young to be exact! I’m so grateful to God that he’s blessed me with good health, strength, an awesome family, dear friends and yet another year to sing His praises. I’m feeling great and dare I say that I’m not ashamed to admit that {whispering} I’m almost 40. What?!?! Is this what it’s supposed to feel like because I feel like I’m still in my 20’s. BRING IT ON!!! 🙂
So I made my own birthday cake. Yep! I do it every year because I’ve never come upon any other cake that is worthy to be called a favorite birthday cake of mine. It’s moist. It’s rich. It’s intense. It’s the BEST German Chocolate Cake known to man in my opinion. If you’ve tried my Jumbo (Chocolate for) Breakfast Muffins or my German Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes, you know exactly what I mean. This birthday cake is slightly different in that it adds an ooey-gooey dark chocolate ganache over the top to take this cake to another level! Did I mention that it’s intense? I dare say it’s German Chocolate Cake on steroids. Lol! Let’s celebrate!!
Sooooo since it’s my bithday and all, I thought I’d share a few fun facts about moi:
My middle name is Chantélle. I added the “é ” and the “e”(not legally) because it looks fancy! 🙂
My favorite coffee drink is a short one pump nonfat hazelnut latte. No deviations please!
My favorite worship song is Oceans by Hillsong United. Oh to be in His presence!
My favorite food is Tex-Mex but I think you already knew that. 🙂
My favorite color is red. How romantic?!?!?
I have many pets in the house at the moment, for his playmate and I’d really love a cute and cuddly Shih Tzu.
My favorite perfume at the moment is Jimmy Choo. It’s just lovely!
My favorite holiday is Christmas! Yes! Jesus is the reason for the season!
I have two sisters, Loreal and Michelle and two brothers, Christian and Anton. I’m second to the oldest.
My favorite movie is The Notebook. Noah and Allie. I’m a romanticist at heart. Where’s my box of tissue? 🙁
My favorite TV show is still A Different World. Gotta love Dwayne and Whitley!
I’m 5’3 so I’m always in heels. I inherited this from my dad’s side of the family. Love you grandad! 🙂
My favorite birthday cake is this German Chocolate Birthday Cake because it’s outta this world! I think you’ll agree. Thanks for stopping by on my 39th birthday guys! It means the world to me! Say Grace and enjoy! 🙂
German Chocolate Birthday Cake
Ingredients
- Cake
- 2 and ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- ¾ tsp. baking soda
- ¾ tsp. fine sea salt
- 12 T. unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup plus 2 T. Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 and ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 and ½ cups muscavado light brown sugar
- 1 and ½ cups dark roast brewed coffee room temperature
- 1 and ½ cups buttermilk room temperature
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 2 inch vanilla bean seeds scraped
- Coconut Pecan Frosting
- 3 egg yolks room temperature
- 1 c. brown sugar packed
- 1 and ½ sticks butter unsalted
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 2 inch vanilla bean seeds scraped
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 c. pecans toasted,, chopped
- 2 c. sweetened coconut
- Chocolate Ganache
- 1 c. heavy cream
- 1 c. 60% cacoa chocolate chips
- 2 T. light corn syrup
- Coconut toasted optional garnish
- Whipped cream optional
Instructions
- Cake - Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and butter and line the bottom of 3 9-inch cake pans with parchment.
- In a large bowl, toss flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and whisk in Dutch process cocoa powder and cook for about a minute.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in both sugars.
- Add in coffee, buttermilk , eggs and vanilla beans and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Divide the batter between the pans evenly.
- Bake for about 30 minutes (check at 25) or until there are just a few moist crumbs picked up with a toothpick.
- Let the cakes cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes to set. Invert onto the baking rack and allow to cool completely.
- German Chocolate Frosting - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in milk, sugar, egg yolks and salt for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla beans, coconut and toasted pecans.
- Chocolate Ganache - Bring heavy cream to a simmer over low heat.
- Place chocolate into a small bowl adding the heavy cream and corn syrup.
- Allow the hot cream to melt the chocolate for about a minute.
- Stir until completely combined and smooth. Allow ganache to sit for about 10 minutes.
- Assembly - Place one cake onto a serving platter spread half of the frosting on the top only. Repeat with the 2nd cake layer and frosting. Top with final cake layer. Pour ganache over the entire cake. Decorate with toasted coconut. Serve slices with whipped cream. Say Grace and enjoy!
Adapted from Bobby Flay’s German Chocolate Cake
My grand mother’s recipe mixes the coconut into the frosting but this version makes it look so elegant! I still don’t like coconut so this wouldn’t be my go to but those pictures make me want to take a bite…coconut and all!
Thanks Meaghan! My daughter-in-love feels the same way about coconut. I actually got her to try a bite out of the very top (gananche and cake only) and she actually enjoyed it! It’s so incredibly rich! Thanks for stopping by!
I love German chocolate cake and love “daughter in love”….
Thanks for stopping by June! It’s a pure chocolate coma!! Lol! Yep! She’s a sweet pea!:)
Looks great, Happy birthday
Thank you Chef Tyree!
Hi Felesha, I have this cake in the oven right now for my husband’s 60th bday. It’s at 27 minutes and doesn’t seem to be near done. Does the time vary much from the 30 minutes posted? Thanks!
Hi Kalena! Happy Birthday to the hubby! I use a convection oven and it’s done in 30 min. Increase time in 5 minute increments until done.
Thank you, Felesha! Thirty-five minutes was perfect and the cake is delish (I scarfed up the crumbs)! I can’t wait to frost and present it tomorrow! It will be my go to German Chocolate Cake from now on.
So glad to hear that it turned out well! Enjoy!!
This looks so nice!
Thank you Sharee! 🙂
Oh my Felesha–I want a slice of this cake right now!!! Looks gorgeous with the chocolate dripping !:)
Thanks a bunch Mahy! This is my absolute favorite cake EVER!!! I hope you’ll try it as it’s “chocolate coma” good! 🙂
I made the German cho birthday cake for the super bowl party. It was ,AMAZING ,and looked exactly like the picture!
Awesome Kinta! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
I made this cake for my partner’s birthday and he loved it! I would like to make it again for my step dad but was hoping for single servings for less mess since we won’t be home when I give it to him. Any recommendations for turning this into small cakes or even cupcakes?
I made this cake for my partner and he said it was amazing! I would like to make it for my step dad as well but want to do single servings for less mess. Any recommendations for doing small cakes or even cupcakes?
Hi Larissa! I’ve listed others with the same base recipe. Hope this helps!
Try one of these:
https://saygraceblog.com/german-chocolate-surprise-cupcakes/
or these:
https://saygraceblog.com/chocolate-cake-in-a-jar-recipe/
or these:
https://saygraceblog.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-cupcakes/
or these:
https://saygraceblog.com/jumbo-chocolate-for-breakfast-muffins/