Back in August 2008, after mentioning that German Chocolate Cake wasn’t German but rather Texan in origin and named after a chocolate company executive, I went on a German Chocolate Cake baking spree to make some German Chocolate Cake Comparisons.
German Chocolate
First, I looked at the German Chocolate Cake recipe from Kraft, which owns German’s Sweet chocolate. They have a recipe on the back of the chocolate box, but it's changed over the years. Rather than make the newer, more convenient version, I looked for a recipe from someone who seemed informed on the subject and chose this recipe, which has a pictorial. The cake was delicious, but a little on the sweet side.
The second German Chocolate Cake recipe sampled was Cooks Illustrated. It was excellent, but not really like the Texas version I grew up on. Plus it didn't call for buttermilk or German's Sweet Chocolate, which seem like key ingredients in authentic German Chocolate Cake. That being said, there are a lot of really good German Chocolate Cakes made without buttermilk or German's Sweet Chocolate. They're just not what I was going for.
The third German Chocolate Cake, my final version and one which got raves at a potluck, ended up being the first version I lined to above, but with changes.
1. The subtraction of sugar
2. The addition of a little cocoa powder
3. An increase in the amount of salt
The third cake was wonderful, but I haven't made it since and am posting this because a) I’ve been craving German Chocolate Cake and might try another one on Friday.
So if you're thinking about a holiday cake and German Chocolate sounds good, there are four links within this post to try – Kraft’s recipe, A traditional and Sweet version from a site with a pictorial, Cooks Illustrated’s version as posted on David Leite’s site, and my final version which was a reduced sugar, increased unsweetened chocolate (in the form of cocoa powder) version of the one from the pictorial.
I'm hoping by this weekend I have a new one.
HeartofGlass
@Sue--I feel the same way about Black Forest cake--I had a favorite version as a kid, and never found one that was the same. I wonder if lots of these 'name' cakes with kind of undefined profiles (Black Forest cake, Hummingbird cake, GCC, even carrot cake) get tweaked so many times what we fall in love with first isn't remotely like the 'real' thing.
Emily
I can't wait to see what you come up with! I love German chocolate cake!
CindyD
How funny! I was just looking for German Chocolate cake mix at the grocery, because my daughter has a recipe for cream cheese cake mix cookies that she wants to try with GC cake mix - the Fry's (Krogers here in AZ) didn't have any.
I also have a recipe for German Chocolate brownies somewhere in my recipe folders that I remember as being very good.
Lisa Ernst
Amazing timing! I am planning on a new version of German Chocolate Cake this weekend! My husband and I were standing at a checkout and I was flipping through a food magazine, and we saw a photo of Paula Deen's German Chocolate Cake. She had added dark chocolate ganache frosting to the cake, and it looked fabulous. My husband not so subtly hinted that he would like some of that cake, but would prefer it less sweet (Paula's desserts tend to be too sweet for our tastes). I've decided to create a vegan version, including using coconut milk instead of cream for the ganache. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with too!
Sue
Can't wait to read about what you come up with. When I was in h.s. (a long time ago) our German teacher used to make two German Chocolate Cakes for every bake sale at school. They always went for $12-$16 which was a lot in the seventies. They were the best, and I've never had German chocolate cake that good again. Mine are always a little disappointing to the point that I don't even try anymore, although I did make the inside out German chocolate cake from Epicurious and it was fantastic although completely different.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Inside-Out-German-Chocolate-Cake-103202
Louise
I have an upside down German Chocolate Cake recipe from the 27th Pillsbury Bake-Off. I've made it occasionally for almost 30 years. It's a sheet cake and is great to take to office parties and the like. Since it's upside down everything goes in one pan and when the cake is baked and cooled, you are done. I'll probably have to scan the recipe or retype it but it has an excellent taste. Marshmallows and brown sugar with the coconut and chopped nuts make the appropriate goo on the bottom. And it uses German sweet chocolate and sour cream in the cake.