Recipe for German Chocolate Cake Using Freshly Milled Flour

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The most delicious recipe for German chocolate cake using freshly milled flour combines rich cocoa powder and fresh flour with coconut oil, real butter, coconut milk, chopped pecans, and coconut flakes. A yummy dessert for special occasions.

One of my family’s favorite desserts is this moist and delicious German chocolate cake. I don’t make it very often because it takes a little bit more effort than other desserts. But everyone gets super excited when they know it’s on the menu, and it doesn’t last long.

If you have a little extra time to make a special dessert for your family, I highly recommend this recipe!

Tips

Flour

I like to do an equal mixture of freshly milled soft white wheat flour and hard red wheat flour. However, you can use any combination of freshly milled flour and ancient grain flour. If you don’t have a grain mill, don’t worry! You can substitute with all purpose flour for this recipe.

Dissolving Cornstarch to Prevent Lumps

When making the icing, it’s helpful to use a small glass jar and lid to shake together the cornstarch with some of the evaporated milk. Shaking for a little bit will allow the cornstarch to dissolve completely, which means you won’t have lumps of cornstarch in your final topping.

Different cake Sizes

If you don’t want to make a double layer cake using 9-inch cake pans, you can also make this in a 9×13 pan. Instead of baking the cake for 30 minutes in two 8-inch cake pans, bake a 9×13 cake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

How to Make Your Own Evaporated Milk

You can make your own evaporated milk! The goal is to simmer a volume of milk until it is reduced by half.

To make 1 cup of evaporated milk, pour 2 cups of coconut milk or regular milk into a heavy bottom pot. Then stick a toothpick or skewer into your pot so you can see how deep it is, and draw a mark on the toothpick or skewer where the wet line starts. Set aside.

Then heat and stir the milk over low heat until it reaches a simmer. Continue stirring and simmering the milk for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, and be sure that the milk doesn’t scorch in the bottom of your pot.

Measure the liquid again using your same toothpick or skewer. If your liquid has reduced by half, you’re all finished! You have successfully made evaporated milk.

Be sure to strain your milk through a fine mesh sieve before using it in recipes. It should be nice and thick.

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Ingredients

Flour – You need 2 cups of flour.

Sugar – You need 2 cups of granulated sugar for the cake plus 1 cup of sugar for the icing. Use organic sugar if it’s in your budget. It has a better flavor.

Cocoa powder – Adding 3/4 cups of rich cocoa powder makes this cake extra delicious. I get organic cocoa powder from Azure Standard, but use what you have.

Sea salt – Use 1 teaspoon of a good kosher sea salt. Redmond real salt is my favorite, and I like the fine grain.

Baking soda – You will need 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda.

Baking powder – Use 2 teaspoons of baking powder.

Eggs – You’ll need 2 whole eggs for the cake plus 3 egg yolks for the topping.

Coconut oil – Using 1/2 cup of unrefined virgin coconut oil, plus more for greasing the pans, adds a delicious and fresh coconut flavor to your cake.

Vanilla extract – You’ll need 2 teaspoons of extract for the cake plus another 1 teaspoon for the topping.

Milk – Use 1 cup of regular milk or coconut milk for the cake.

Water – You will need 1 cup of water for the cake recipe.

Evaporated milk – Use 1 cup of evaporated milk. This can be either evaporated coconut milk or regular milk that you evaporate yourself. (See the section on “Tips” for instructions on how to do this.)

Cornstarch – You’ll need 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.

Butter – Use a stick (8 ounces) of unsalted butter for the icing.

Coconut flakes – Use 1 cup of coconut flakes. Both finely shredded or medium shredded coconut works fine. And they can either be sweetened or unsweetened. Use what you prefer.

Pecans – Use 1 cup of chopped pecans.

Tools You May Need

Stand mixer with paddle attachment – You can also use a large mixing bowl and spoon.

Measuring cups and spoons

9-inch round cake pans – You’ll need two for a double layer cake.

Parchment paper – Optional. If you want to make a double layer cake, lining your cake pans with parchment paper makes removing your cakes from the pans easier.

Small sauce pan

Spatula

Small jar with lid – For dissolving your cornstarch into some evaporated milk.

Medium sauce pan – For making the topping.

Whisk

Toothpicks

How to Make German Chocolate Cake Using Freshly Milled Flour

This easy recipe will make a deliciously moist double layer German chocolate cake. 

Bake the Cake

First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Then grease the sides and bottom of your two cake pans with a little bit of coconut oil. Next, line the bottom of your pans with parchment paper (optional) if you want to remove the cakes after baking to make a double layer cake.

Then get out your grain mill and grind some flour. You’ll need 2 cups. If you don’t have a grain mill, all-purpose flour works, too.

Then get out the rest of your ingredients.

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and spoon), combine 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, 3/4 cups of cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Stir to combine.

In a small sauce pan over low heat, melt 1/2 cup of coconut oil and let it cool slightly. In a separate measuring cup, add 2 eggs, melted and cooled coconut oil, 1 cup of milk, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

If you’d like to learn how to make your own vanilla extract from scratch, check out my tutorial! I also share how to make an easy alcohol free vanilla extract version.

Pour all of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

In the same small saucepan, simmer 1 cup of water and let it cool for a minute after simmering. Then stir the batter and slowly add the hot water to the cake batter mixture.

Stir the cake batter slowly for 1 minute. It will be very runny, but that’s normal.

Pour the batter evenly into the two cake pans.

Then bake the cakes at 350℉ for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool down while you start making the delicious icing.

Make the Icing

First, get out all your ingredients to make the delicious topping for your German chocolate cake.

In a small jar with lid, combine 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with some of the 1 cup of evaporated milk. Shake until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the evaporated milk and cornstarch mixture along with the remaining 1 cup of evaporated milk, 3 egg yolks, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 stick of unsalted butter.

Whisk ingredients together until it comes to a slow boil. Then continue stirring regularly and boil for an additional 10 minutes. Take it off the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of good vanilla extract.

Next, add 1 cup of shredded coconut flakes and 1 cup of chopped pecans and stir it all together well. Allow the icing and cake to cool down before assembling and frosting your cake.

Assembling Your Double Layer Cake

To assemble your double layer German chocolate cake, first put your cake stand or cake plate on top of one of your round cake pans. Then, in a single motion and holding firmly onto the cake pan, flip it upside down so that your cake pan is upside down on top of your cake plate.

Carefully remove the cake pan so that your cake is on your cake plate. You may need to lightly thump your cake pan to loosen your cake if it is a little bit stuck.

Then remove and discard the parchment paper.

Next, put some of the pecan and coconut icing on top of your cake. I like my cakes a little more on the rustic side, so I don’t go all the way to the edge.

Next, get your second layer out of the cake pan, and gently put it on top of the first layer. I like to add 3 toothpicks which I stick through the first and second layer so that the top layer doesn’t slide off.

Then put the remaining icing on top of your top layer.

And that’s it! This deliciously moist and flavorful German chocolate cake will hit the spot EVERY SINGLE TIME you make it.

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KitchenAid stand mixer

9-inch round cake pans

organic soft white wheat berries

organic hard red wheat berries

Redmond real salt

grain mill

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