German Chocolate Sheet Cake

🍫 German Chocolate Sheet Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

2 cups all‑purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 cup water

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ cup vegetable shortening

4 oz German baking chocolate (chopped)

½ cup buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract  

Coconut‑Pecan Frosting:

12 oz can evaporated milk

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

3 large egg yolks

1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

1½ cups roughly chopped pecans

1½ tsp vanilla extract 

Instructions

1. Preheat & Prepare Pan

Preheat oven to 400 °F (or 200 °C).

Grease a 13×18 ″ sheet pan (or 9×13″—larger pan just reduces thickness slightly) .

2. Make Cake Batter

In a saucepan, melt together water, butter, shortening, and chopped chocolate over medium heat until smooth.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder; pour in chocolate mixture and stir.

Mix in buttermilk, baking soda, salt, eggs, and vanilla until smooth .

Spread evenly in prepared pan.

3. Bake

Bake 20–22 minutes (400 °F) until a toothpick comes out clean .

Cool completely before frosting.

4. Prepare Frosting

In saucepan over medium heat, whisk evaporated milk, yolks, butter, sugars.

Simmer 10–12 minutes, stirring, until thick and glossy.

Remove from heat; stir in coconut, pecans, and vanilla .

Let cool slightly until spreadable.

5. Frost & Chill

Spread frosting over the cooled cake.

Chill 1–2 hours to set frosting before slicing .

Tips for Success

Use genuine German baking chocolate for authentic flavor .

Let the cake fully cool so the frosting doesn’t melt.

For extra gooey frosting, simmer a little longer until thickened.

Store covered in the fridge up to 4–5 days; freeze unfrosted base or individual slices up to 2 months .

Summary

This classic sheet cake balances a tender chocolate base with indulgent coconut‑pecan frosting—perfect for gatherings or satisfying your sweet cravings. Let me know if you'd like a scaled‑down version or gluten‑free adaptation!