This Eggless German Chocolate Cake is super moist, rich and totally decadent! Filled and frosted with nutty and buttery coconut-pecan frosting that is to die for. This cake is sure to impress!
Eggless German Chocolate Cake Recipe
Eggless German Chocolate Cake has been a highly requested cake recipe, for my eggless peeps and for my family (a.k.a. my husband) so I’m so excited to finally share it.
German chocolate cake, traditionally made with sweet baking chocolate but that is too sweet to our taste, so I instead I made my favorite super-moist dark chocolate cake, which pairs perfectly with the luscious eggless coconut filling.
It might look a little fancy, but sometimes a fancy cake is the only kind that will really celebrate a special occasion in style! So, don’t feel overwhelmed, this cake is really easy to make.
This Eggless German Chocolate Cake is moist, rich, and indulgent. The coconut-pecan filling is gooey and buttery ā¦ The whole thing is simply dreamy!
WHAT IS GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE?
German Chocolate Cake is a layered chocolate cake filled and topped with a coconut-pecan frosting. The coconut-pecan is a custard made with egg yolks, sugar and evaporated milk; once the custard is cooked, coconut and pecans are stirred in.
Of course, if you are reading this recipe you probably canāt eat eggs, so I developed this eggless recipe version that is equally scrumptious and so easy to make.
What is Eggless German chocolate frosting made of?
To make eggless German chocolate filling/frosting you will need:
- Evaporated milk
- Cornstarch
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Pure vanilla extract
- Shredded coconut (i used unsweetened coconut)
- Chopped pecans
HOW TO MAKE EGGLESS GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
There are 3 parts to German chocolate cake. Let’s go over each one of them:
1 – MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CAKE
- In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt. Reserve.
- Stir together hot water and instant coffee power until the coffee is dissolved. Reserve.
- Add butter, sugar, sour cream, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, vinegar and coffee to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until well combined. Add flour mixture and continue mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350Āŗ F, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and instructions (scroll down).
CAN I USE A CHOCOLATE CAKE BOX INSTEAD?
I really think that the homemade version is AMAZING and seriously easy to make. But you know meā¦ everything tastes better from scratch. But if you are short of time ā¦ YES! You can make this cake with a box-mix.
Make sure to check out How to Make a Cake Mix Box without Eggs.
2 ā MAKE THE COCONUT FILLING
- In a small bowl mix together 2 tablespoons of evaporated milk with the cornstarch. Reserve.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat add the remaining evaporated milk, butter, brown sugar. Whisk occasionally as the mixture comes to a low boil. Once boiling, stir in the cornstarch mixture, whisk constantly until the mixture thickens little, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, coconut and pecans. Allow to cool completely before layering in cake. It will thicken even more as it cools.
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and instructions (scroll down).
3 ā ASSAMBLE THE CAKE
- Level the cakes if necessary: using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface.
- Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with half of the coconut pecan filling.
- Top with 2nd layer. Spread the chocolate buttercream into a thick layer on top, if using.
- Evenly cover the top with remaining coconut pecan filling. Garnish with extra pecans, if desired.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour before slicing or else the cake may fall apart as you cut.
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and instructions (scroll down).
HOW DO YOU STORE THIS CAKE?
Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
CAN I MAKE THIS CAKE AHEAD OF TIME?
You can make the cakes, coconut filling and buttercream (if using) up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerated. Then remove them from the refrigerator about an hour or so before youāre ready to frost your cake. This will allow them to come to room temperature and they will be easier to frost.
LOOKING FOR MORE EGGLESS CAKE RECIPES?
- Eggless Pumpkin Cake
- Easy Eggless Banana Cake
- Eggless Lemon Cake
- Eggless Apple Maple Spice Cake
- Easy Eggless Coffee Cake
- Easy Eggless Vanilla Pound Cake
- How to Make a Cake Mix Box without Eggs
- Eggless Carrot Cake
- The Best Eggless Chocolate Cake Ever
- Eggless Vanilla Cake Recipe
- Eggless Red Velvet Cake
Eggless German Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 2 1/3 cups (325 gr) self-rising flour (see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Ā¾ cup (85 gr) unsweetened cocoa powder
- Ā¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon hot water
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 1/2 cup (115 gr) unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 2 cups (400 gr) granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 gr) sour cream (see notes)
- Ā½ cup (120 ml – 4 oz) vegetable or canola oil
- 1 1/2 cup (360 ml – 12 oz) buttermilk (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Coconut-Pecan Filling
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml – 12 oz) evaporated milk
- 2 tablespoons (30 gr) tablespoon cornstarch
- 3/4 cup (173 gr ā 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cup (300 gr) packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups shredded coconut (I used unsweetened coconut)
- 1 1/2 cups (190 gr) chopped pecans
Chocolate Buttercream (optional)
- Ā½ cup (115 gr) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups (350 gr) confectionersā sugar
- 1/4 cup (28 gr) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1-2 tablespoons (15 – 30 ml) heavy cream or milk
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350Āŗ F. Grease two round 9-inch cake pan. Dust with flour and tap out the excess. To make sure your cake will come out of the pan without problems, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt. Reserve.
- Stir together hot water and instant coffee power until the coffee is dissolved. Reserve.
- Add butter, sugar, sour cream, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, vinegar and coffee to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until well combined. Add flour mixture and continue mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
- Bake for 30 ā 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow cooling completely in the pan.
Coconut Filling:
- In a small bowl mix together 2 tablespoons of evaporated milk with the cornstarch. Reserve.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat add the remaining evaporated milk, butter, brown sugar. Whisk occasionally as the mixture comes to a low boil. Once boiling, stir in the cornstarch mixture, whisk constantly until the mixture thickens little, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, coconut and pecans. Allow cooling completely before layering the cake. It will thicken even more as it cools.
- Chocolate Buttercream (optional)
- In a medium bowl, beat with an electric mixer unsalted butter until soft and fluffy. Add, one cup at the time, confectionersā sugar and keep mixing until blended. Stir in heavy cream and pure vanilla extract. Keep mixing just until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more heavy cream, a few drops at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar.
Assemble cake
- Level the cakes if necessary: using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface.
- Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with half of the coconut pecan filling.
- Top with 2nd layer. Spread the chocolate buttercream into a thick layer on top, if using.
- Evenly cover the top with remaining coconut pecan filling. Garnish with extra pecans, if desired.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour before slicing or else the cake may fall apart as you cut.
- Eggless Pumpkin Cake
- Easy Eggless Banana Cake
- Eggless Lemon Cake
- Eggless Apple Maple Spice Cake
- Easy Eggless Coffee Cake
- Easy Eggless Vanilla Pound Cake
- How to Make a Cake Mix Box without Eggs
- Eggless Carrot Cake
- The Best Eggless Chocolate Cake Ever
- Eggless Vanilla Cake Recipe
- Eggless Red Velvet Cake
Nutrition
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Hello Oriana,
I’m so happy I bumped into your eggless cooking site! š I am planning on baking this for my boyfriend who is allergic to eggs, on his upcoming birthday at this weekend as a surprise. However, the thing is that I’m a total newbie in baking. Haha… So here I am with some questions hoping you could answer for me. š
1. Can I use buttermilk powder in making the chocolate cake?
2. Must I use kosher salt, not fine salt or sea salt?
3. What is packed light brown sugar? Is that regular brown sugar? Is there a difference between dark brown sugar and light brown sugar in this recipe?
4. I see you are kind enough to provide a slider for us to adjust the servings and show the relative amount of the ingredients. However, I only see the “amount of a cup/ spoon” changing to the servings, but the bracket after it with “grams of the ingredients” doesn’t change. What exactly does the grams shown on the recipe mean? (Fyi, I’m making a 6 servings cake this time, how much of each ingredients should I be using?)
5. I see you are using two round 9-inch cake pan. How big will the cake be? Can I use a 6-inch cake pan to make a 6-inch German Chocolate Cake?
That is a lot of questions I know, but I really hope you are able to answer them as I am really new in the world of baking. š
I am really looking forward in making this cake for my boyfriend and I am sure he will like it! š
Thank you so much for your delicious recipes and your time and effort! Much love!
Hello Angel – Thanks for your interest in my recipe.
1 – For best results, I recommend following the recipe exactly.
2 – Yes, you can use fine salt or sea salt, just reduce the quality to half.
3 – “Packed light brown sugar” just mean packing brown sugar pressing it firmly into the measuring cup. The difference is the quality of molasses and color.
4 – The recipe card does not adjust the quantities in gram automatically, sorry, you have to do it manually.
5 – If you want to make a 6-inch cake you will need to half the recipe. Since you are a newbie in baking I would recommend not making any adjustments or substitutions. Follow the recipe exactly. Before you get started, be sure to read my Beginnerās Guide to Eggless Baking and my section of most frequently asked questions. xo
Hi,
Canāt wait to try this. Was wondering, can I use Dutch processed cocoa. And does that mean that I have to swap the baking soda for baking powder?
Hello Kaizeen! For best results, I recommend following the recipe exactly. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Hi Oriana,
Went ahead and made it with Valrhona dutch processed cocoa. It turned out great! Got rave reviews š Will tag you on IG.
Hello Kaizeen! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
we loved the cake! Had it for my St Patrick’s day birthday. Now for my question: most German Chocolate cakes I’ve eaten have less chocolate in them. (Altho I do love a dark chocolate cake). Is there a way to make this cake lighter? Would substituting flour for some of the cocoa so the consistency would be the same? Or should I experiment on my own? I have a lot of willing ‘tester-eaters’ if I do.
Hello Pat! I am glad you love the cake =) Yes, you can make it less intense if you want. To do so, substitute half of the cocoa powder for flour. I havenāt tested it this way personally, but you can certainly give it a try. Let me know how it turns out for you! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
Can fresh coconut be used in place of shredded coconut
Hello Kavya! I am sorry, but I haven’t tested this recipe with fresh coconut. If you do try using this alternative ingredient, please let me know the outcome. Thanks for your interest in my recipe.š
Hi. Can I leave out the coffee/hot water? Also in some recipes you have listed that to make your own American SR flour that you do one cup ap flour plus 1 tsp baking powder. But other times you say one cup plus 1.5 tsp baking powder. Does it vary per recipe? Iām confused. Thanks so much
Hello Lauren, yes you can leave out the coffee, I like to add it because it enhances the chocolate flavor. Some recipes do not need so much leavener so I adjust the quantity of baking powder, however, as a general rule, it’s 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of salt per cup of flour called in the recipe. Hope that helps!
Yes it does. thank you! Coffee sounds great..just some people I bake for won’t have coffee. if I take the coffee out, should I leave the hot water in?
Yes, add the hot water if possible.