We will be making this gluten free German Chocolate Cake (and many other dishes) in my next cooking class at the Culinary School of the Rockies, March 17th. If you want to sign up there is still some space left.
As we all know, there are many ways to make German Chocolate Cake. An entire chocolate cake can be frosted with a coconut pecan icing as I did a while back in this post. Alternatively, the sides of the cake can be covered in chocolate frosting while the center and top are smothered with a coconut frosting. This is what I did in the photo above.
Although this is a complicated and time consuming recipe, it makes a great birthday cake and is perfect for special occasions.
German Chocolate Cake Revised
Ingredients
- ¾ cup coconut flour, sifted
- ½ cup cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 10 large eggs
- 1 cup grapeseed oil or palm shortening
- 1½ cups agave nectar or honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine flour, cacao, salt and baking soda
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand blender, blend eggs, oil, agave nectar and vanilla
- Add dry ingredients into large bowl and continue to blend
- Oil (2) 9 inch springform pans and dust with coconut flour
- Pour batter into pans and bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes
- Remove from oven, allow to cool completely then remove from pans
Coconut Pecan Filling
Ingredients
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup agave nectar or honey
- pinch celtic sea salt
- 5 teaspoons arrowroot powder
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1¼ cup coconut oil
- 1½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1½ cups pecans, toasted and chopped
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat coconut milk, agave and salt, simmer for 10 minutes
- In a small bowl, combine arrowroot and water to form a smooth paste
- Pour arrowroot mixture into saucepan
- Whisk the contents of saucepan vigorously and bring to a boil, briefly
- Remove pot from heat and very gradually blend in coconut oil
- Place pot in freezer for 30-40 minutes, until frosting solidifies and turns white
- Remove from freezer and blend again, until fluffy, then stir in shredded coconut and pecans
- Spread frosting over cake and serve
Assembly
- After the cakes have cooled completely, remove them from the pans and place one on a pretty serving plate or platter
- Spread the Coconut Pecan Filling on top of the first layer cake
- Place the second cake on top of the first
- Spread the top and sides of the cake with Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- Cover the top of the cake with Pecan Coconut Filling
- Serve
If this process looks too daunting, I would recommend making the cake the night before (leave in the pans and cover them with a plate, to keep fresh) and then making the frosting’s and doing the assembly the next day. This will break up the work a bit.
I hope you enjoy this super rich cake as much as we have!
GK says
Elana, I love your website! Everything looks so delicious.
So, I did something seriously wrong with the arrowroot powder, as I ended up with tons of gummy globs throughout the coconut pecan filling. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I must have done..?
Anne says
Elana,
I made this cake using all coconut oil instead of grapeseed oil. It was absolutely delicious and decadent. I love that using agave makes it less sweet tasting than sugar. Thanks so much!
april says
this has to be one of my fav cakes!!! it works great with the carob sub, it makes it taste a little more like a dark chocolate, which i really like, that way the frosting really pops!!!
also, if you are feeling lazy, this cake tastes amazing by itself topped with a little (homemade) vanilla ice cream (that uses agave not sugar!!!), chopped nuts, and a drizzle of caramel (from elana’s caramel and apples recipe)!!!
Debbie says
Just an update about the cake. It is really very rich. I’d like to make it a bit less sweet next time. I’ll also never substitute butter for coconut oil. TY for such creativity.
Tracey says
Do you have any white cake recipes?
Tracey
Debbie says
Just finished the cake. OK….I couldn’t find my extra jar of coconut oil, oh crap, I was running out of time soooooo I used butter. Big mistake. Did not set up. Well, I didn’t worry, figured I’d trap it in the cake w the chocolate frosting. NOPE….that did not set up. Even left them both in the freezer double time. I used Dagoba 73% chocolate. Soooooo…..since it was the only birthday cake for two men….I turned it into a trifle. It tastes amazing!
I don’t feel well so I can’t go to the party. You should have seen my husband’s face when he saw the Not Cake! He is disappointed but just wait till he tastes it. I’m sure they’ll call from the party to say yummy yummy.
elana says
Tracey -Thanks, yours is one of the nicest comments I’ve received and I really appreciate it. Great substitutions by the way!
Tracey says
Regarding the above question…6 ounce = a cup:) I used Endangered Species 72% and it turned out amazing.
Tracey
Tracey says
The Chocolate cake!!! Amazing! :) Loved it! I made it for my daughter’s 6th birthday today and I just made the chocolate frosting…which by the way you are a genius! I really did not believe that that was going to turn into frosting! How did you come up with that technique?
I also made it without eggs as I am highly allergic. I used Ener-g egg replacer and it turned out beautiful. My guess is with eggs it may have been a bit fuller and fluffier; it was more moist and almost brownie like but absolutely amazing! I also cut the oil in half and replaced the other half with applesauce.
I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. This is the best website I have found that fits all my food issues: no flour, sugar etc:) Thank you!
Tracey (Montana)
elana says
Eva -Best comment ever?! Yes.
pokeypeppers -Thank you. So glad you are enjoying the site :-)
Karen Baldwin -So sorry you didn’t have success with myChocolate
Frosting. Regarding your question, 1 cup of chocolate weighs 6 ounces. Also, the recipe is written for a chocolate with cacao content of 73%, so switching cacao percentages could affect the desired outcome as well.
Karen -Thanks for the comment and so glad you are enjoying my site. Per your questions, if you go to the ingredients list in each of my recipes and click on agave, you will see the type of agave that I use. In terms of the egg whites, please see my faq’s. And yes, coconut oil and coconut butter are completely different products.