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    Home » Desserts » German Chocolate Sheet Cake

    German Chocolate Sheet Cake

    Published: Oct 17, 2020 · Modified: Apr 19, 2022 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Best easy German chocolate sheet cake recipe! This simple recipe makes moist German chocolate cake and a sweet, caramel coconut pecan topping.

    Piece of German chocolate sheet cake on a white plate

    German chocolate cake has long been one of my favorite types of cake. Since I love the combination of chocolate, coconut, and pecans so much, I've made German chocolate cookies, German chocolate bread pudding, German chocolate oatmeal, and German chocolate cake.

    That German chocolate cake is delicious, but it's more involved, more time-consuming. I wanted to come up with a faster, simpler recipe that was still just as tasty.

    This simple sheet cake recipe is incredibly good! I like it so much that I made it as my birthday cake this year.

    Not only is it a really tasty cake, but it also keeps well. So, this cake is a good choice if you need to make dessert ahead of time.

    How to make German chocolate sheet cake

    Chopped chocolate in a white mixing bowl

    In a large, heat-proof bowl, add chopped chocolate. Pour the boiling water over the chocolate.

    Let it stand for 5 minutes. Stir until chocolate has melted and is combined with the water.

    Chocolate mixture in a glass mixing bowl

    In a separate large bowl, add oil, buttermilk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until well-combined.

    Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until combined.

    German chocolate cake batter in a baking pan

    Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in just until combined. Don't overmix.

    Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

    Baked german chocolate cake in a baking pan

    Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

    To make the topping, add the egg yolks, milk, and brown sugar to a large saucepan. Whisk until combined.

    Coconut topping in a saucepan

    Add butter. Heat saucepan over low heat.

    Cook for 10 minutes, whisking regularly, until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat.

    Coconut topping on a German chocolate cake

    Whisk in vanilla extract. Add coconut and pecans, and stir in.

    Let topping cool for 15 minutes. Spread topping over cake, and let cool to room temperature before serving.

    Slice of German chocolate cake on a white plate with a bite missing

    Tips

    • German chocolate: I like to use Baker's German sweet chocolate.
    • Oil: I've used vegetable oil and melted coconut oil in this cake. If you use melted coconut oil, the buttermilk and eggs should be at room temperature so that the oil doesn't solidify.
    • Buttermilk: Regular or low-fat will work. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute with this recipe.
    • Evaporated milk: Regular or fat-free will work.
    • I recommend using a metal baking pan in this recipe. If using a glass baking pan, you will need to decrease the baking temperature by 25F and adjust the baking time as needed.

    Storage

    I store this cake, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also store the cake, covered, in the fridge for up to 7 days.

    Slice of german chocolate cake with a fork taking a bite out.

    More chocolate cake recipes!

    • Hot Chocolate Cake
    • Chocolate Mousse Cake
    • Chocolate Brownie Cake
    • Chocolate Fudge Cake

    If you’ve tried this German chocolate sheet cake recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!

    You can subscribe to receive my latest recipe newsletters or follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for even more delicious food.

    Piece of German chocolate sheet cake on a white plate

    German Chocolate Sheet Cake

    Easiest recipe to make homemade German chocolate cake! This simple recipe makes a moist German chocolate cake with delicious coconut pecan topping.
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 20 servings
    Calories: 440kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Equipment

    • 9x13 pan

    Ingredients

    Cake

    • 1 cup boiling water
    • 4 ounces German sweet chocolate chopped
    • ½ cup oil
    • ½ cup buttermilk
    • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
    • 4 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Topping

    • 3 egg yolks
    • 1 cup evaporated milk
    • 1 ½ cups brown sugar packed
    • ¼ cup butter
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
    • 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • To make the cake, preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13-inch metal baking pan. Set aside.
    • In a large, heat-proof bowl, add chopped chocolate.
    • Pour the boiling water over the chocolate, and let it stand for 5 minutes.
    • Stir until chocolate has melted and is combined with the water.
    • Add the oil, buttermilk, and sugar. Whisk until well-combined.
    • Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until well-combined.
    • Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in just until combined. Don't overmix.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
    • Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    • Cool to room temperature.
    • To make the topping, add the egg yolks, milk, and brown sugar to a large saucepan.
    • Whisk until combined.
    • Add butter.
    • Heat saucepan over low heat.
    • Cook for 10 minutes, whisking regularly, until mixture has thickened.
    • Remove from heat.
    • Whisk in vanilla extract.
    • Add coconut and pecans, and stir in.
    • Let topping cool for 15 minutes.
    • Spread topping over cake, and let cool to room temperature before serving.

    Video

    Notes

    • German chocolate: I like to use Baker's German sweet chocolate. 
    • Oil: I've used vegetable oil and melted coconut oil in this cake. If you use melted coconut oil, the buttermilk and eggs should be at room temperature so that the oil doesn't solidify.
    • Buttermilk: Regular or low-fat will work. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute with this recipe. 
    • Evaporated milk: Regular or fat-free will work.
    • Nutrition values are estimates. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!
    « Chocolate M&M Cookies
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    4.7K shares
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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michele M

      April 13, 2022 at 8:40 am

      5 stars
      This came out great! I usually make the 3 layer German chocolate cake and i didn’t have the time for it yesterday. Made this recipe instead. It was amazing. The coconut topping came out a little thick so i added more milk to it but otherwise it was perfect. Melted some chocolate chips and drizzled it over the top. Tried to post a pic but couldn’t figure out how on this site

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 13, 2022 at 12:31 pm

        Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you liked the cake!

        Reply
    2. Lynn

      March 11, 2022 at 4:36 pm

      What a great cake! I put chocolate frosting and then the coconut topping!

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 12, 2022 at 4:19 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    3. Frieda

      January 08, 2022 at 12:29 pm

      Hello, my question is can I use 1 cup of coffee and not a cup of water for the cake?

      Frieda

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 08, 2022 at 10:06 pm

        Hi! Coffee should work in place of the water.

        Reply
    4. SJ

      October 26, 2021 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      This was incredible! I was looking for a birthday cake for the hubby, and this did not disappoint. It is hard just to eat one piece. Thank you for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 28, 2021 at 8:44 pm

        Thank you! I'm so glad that you liked it!

        Reply
    5. April

      July 30, 2021 at 5:34 pm

      5 stars
      Made this wonderful cake for my in-law's anniversary dinner yesterday. I received a lot of compliments! Great recipe thanks!

      Reply
      • Kate

        July 30, 2021 at 10:10 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    6. Pam

      May 17, 2021 at 6:29 am

      Found this recipe and am anxious to try for a friend’s retirement. German Chocolate is her favorite, but didn’t want to do the layered cakes, so thanks for this recipe! You mention in heading it is a sheet cake, but you use a 9x13 cake pan- is this an error in pan size?

      Reply
      • Kate

        May 17, 2021 at 8:45 am

        No, I've seen bakeries use "sheet pan" both for the thinner cakes (i.e. quarter sheet, half sheet, and full sheet cakes) and for thicker cakes baked in a 9x13 pan. I'm not aware of another term to differentiate the single layer cakes baked in a larger pan vs layer cakes, but if there is, please let me know! This cake is a favorite of mine, and I made it for my birthday this last year. I hope you and your friend enjoy it as much as my family does!

        Reply
        • Pam

          May 30, 2021 at 1:01 pm

          Thank you for responding. Looking forward to tasting, haven’t had a German Chocolate cake in years. When I think of a sheet pan I think of shorter sides vs cake pan with higher sides. A 9x13 sheet pan wouldn’t hold as much batter as a 9x13 cake (or baking) pan.

          Reply
          • Kate

            June 03, 2021 at 8:56 pm

            That's true! I hope you like the cake if you try it!

        • Elizabeth

          October 01, 2021 at 7:17 am

          Can this recipe be doubled? I plan to use an 11x15 pan. Thank you

          Reply
          • Kate

            October 04, 2021 at 10:39 pm

            Hi! I haven't tried doubling this recipe, but I'm afraid that you'd end up with too much batter for an 11x15. Depending on how deep your pan is, you may find that a 1.5x batch is a better fit.

    7. Sue H

      January 01, 2021 at 8:40 pm

      5 stars
      So much easier than 3 layers and just as delicious.

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 05, 2021 at 2:07 pm

        Thank you so much!!

        Reply
        • Marty Lewis

          August 16, 2021 at 4:26 pm

          I live in Colorado...high altitude...do I need to add or decrease anything?Over 8000 ft high. Thanks

          Reply
          • Kate

            August 16, 2021 at 10:29 pm

            Hi! Unfortunately, I don't have a way to test the recipes for high altitude.

    8. Peggy

      November 07, 2020 at 3:25 pm

      5 stars
      This cake was the star of our meal. So good that I wanted another piece, but not a crumb was left. I see another german chocolate sheet cake in our future.

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 09, 2020 at 10:02 pm

        Yay! I'm so glad to hear that!

        Reply
    9. Jane

      October 20, 2020 at 11:42 am

      5 stars
      When I saw this cake I had to try it. The cake was moist and the topping was true German chocolate topping. This was so much easier and faster than the traditional cake.

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 20, 2020 at 12:17 pm

        Thank you! I'm so glad that you liked it!

        Reply

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    I’m Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family’s favorite tried-and-true recipes.

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