German Chocolate Cake (Doctored Cake Mix)
This moist German Chocolate Layer Cake with homemade Coconut Pecan filling and topping is divine! The flavor is amazing, and the cake layers are so light and flavorful. Nobody would guess that it starts with a cake mix!
Servings: 15 servings
Ingredients
For the German Chocolate Cake Layers
- 1 (15.25 oz) German Chocolate Cake Mix
- ½ cup (60g) All Purpose Flour
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- 1 (3.9 oz) Box Chocolate Instant Chocolate Pudding- We use Jello Brand- Do not make the pudding, just add the powder.
- 1 cup (242g) Sour Cream
- ¼ cup (54g )Vegetable Oil (we use canola)
- 1 ¼ cup (302g) water
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
For the Coconut Pecan Filling and Topping
- 1 ½ cups (171 g) pecans, chopped
- 2 ⅔ cup (198 g) flaked coconut
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla
- 12 oz Evaporated Milk
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 stick (113g) Butter (We used unsalted)
- *Additional whole pecans for border around the top of the cake- optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour three (8x2 inch) round pans. We like to line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper as well.
- In the bowl of your mixer, add the cake mix, flour, sugar, and pudding mix. Whisk to blend.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed and mix on medium speed for two minutes.
- The batter should look well blended. Divide between the three prepared cake pans.
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
- Let the cake layers cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes on a wire rack before turning out.
Coconut Pecan Filling and Topping
- Whisk egg yolks, milk and vanilla in a saucepan until blended.
- Add sugar and butter and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened, stir constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in the coconut and nuts. Allow to cool before spreading on the cake.
- This is enough to fill and top the cake layers. *See Notes
Notes
- The coconut pecan filling and topping was just enough to fill and top our chocolate cake layers. German Chocolate Cakes are often unfrosted around the sides, which is what we did today.
- For our scratch version of this recipe, we applied chocolate buttercream around the sides (and piped a dam of frosting around the edge of each cake layer before filling with the coconut pecan frosting).
- Another popular way of serving this cake is to frost the entire cake with coconut pecan frosting. If you go this route, you will need to double the recipe.