Decadent chocolate cake, a sweet caramel pecan coconut filling, and rich chocolate buttercream make up this super dreamy Vegan German Chocolate Cake. This cake is incredible and undetectably vegan!
Calling all chocolate, caramel, and coconut lovers! This Vegan German Chocolate Cake is for you.
Every decadent German chocolate cake recipe comes with three delicious layers:
- Moist chocolate cake
- A caramelly coconut pecan filling
- And chocolate frosting
Every slice is loaded with sweetness and just the right amount of chocolate. While Vegan Chocolate Cake is rich and chocolatey, German chocolate cake tastes more like caramel and is always super moist. It’s a real indulgent dessert that would be welcome at any celebration or around the holidays!
German chocolate cake vs. regular chocolate cake
Did you know that German chocolate cake doesn’t actually come from Germany? The recipe was invented in the United States by the baker, Samuel German!
German chocolate cake is moist, sweet, and rich. Sounds like a regular chocolate cake, right? The major difference between the two is that German chocolate cake has a layer of caramel-like coconut pecan filling on the inside and on top. It’s also traditionally made with a little less cocoa powder, allowing more room for the coconut and pecan flavors to shine through.
How to make vegan German chocolate cake
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
To start, bake the two layers of chocolate cake:
- Pour the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together in a bowl. Leave it for a few minutes to curdle (this acts as a substitute for buttermilk).
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until well combined.
- Finish by slowly whisking in the boiling hot water. You’ll know it’s ready when the batter looks runny.
- Pour the batter into your cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Prepare the coconut pecan filling and chocolate frosting while you wait for the cakes to cool:
Whisk the coconut milk and cornstarch together in a bowl or measuring cup.
Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Next, add the sugars and coconut milk mixture. Stir until it’s bubbling and looks like a thin caramel.
Don’t worry that it seems thin; it thickens up considerably as it cools.
Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla, chopped pecans, and coconut flakes.
Transfer to a bowl and leave it to cool (you can stick it in the refrigerator to speed this up).
Look how thick and caramelly it gets after chilling. Try not to eat it all by the spoonful!
The vegan chocolate frosting is a breeze to make:
To make the frosting, beat the butter in a bowl until it looks creamy. Add the cocoa, powdered sugar, vanilla, and soy milk. Mix until everything is combined and the frosting looks fluffy. Yum!
It’s assembly time! You’re minutes away from enjoying decadent eggless German chocolate cake:
- To the first layer of chocolate cake, add a smooth layer of chocolate frosting on top. Spoon on half of the coconut pecan mixture and spread it into a smooth layer.
- Stack the second cake layer on top. Spread some frosting on top and over the sides of the entire cake. Pipe some frosting around the top of the cake, if desired.
- Spoon the rest of the coconut pecan filling on top, then slice and enjoy! The cake is a little messy when sliced right away. For cleaner pieces, refrigerate the whole cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Can it be made gluten free?
Use my Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Cake as a base layer to turn this into a vegan and gluten free German chocolate cake. The coconut pecan filling and chocolate frosting are both naturally gluten free.
Tips and substitutions
- Is the frosting too thick? Stir in another tablespoon or two of soy milk.
- Is the frosting too thin? Keep adding powdered sugar until you have a spreadable frosting.
- Decorating – To help contain the coconut pecan mixture on top of the cake, use a piping bag to pipe some frosting in a circle around the edge.
- Make it ahead of time – Feel free to bake the cakes, frosting, and filling 1 to 2 weeks ahead of serving. Wrap the cakes in plastic and refrigerate or freeze. Store the frosting and filling in covered containers in the fridge.
Freezing chocolate cake
The unfrosted baked cakes freeze very well on their own when wrapped in plastic. Alternatively, you can freeze the assembled slices and enjoy them as a quick freezer dessert later on!
More vegan cakes to try
Vegan German Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil (I used avocado oil)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling hot water
Coconut Pecan Filling
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup vegan butter, softened
- 3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk, as needed
Instructions
For the chocolate cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray two 8-inch round cake pans with oil. I also line them with a circle of parchment paper for easy removal.
- Measure 1 cup of soy milk and add the tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to it. Stir and set aside to curdle.
- In a large bowl (I use my stand mixer with whisk attachment), add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well to combine.
- To the bowl with the dry ingredients, add the oil, applesauce, vanilla and milk/vinegar mixture. Mix on medium speed, either with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, until well combined. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Lower the speed and slowly pour in the boiling hot water, continuing to mix until combined. The batter will seem runny, which is correct.
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 35-37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. After 10 minutes of cooling in the pans, carefully invert the cakes onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
For the coconut pecan filling
- In a glass measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the vegan butter over medium heat, then add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and coconut milk/cornstarch mixture and stir to combine. Stir for 5 minutes. It should be bubbling and look like thin caramel. It will thicken as it cools.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, chopped pecans and coconut flakes. Allow it to cool completely before layering.
For the chocolate frosting
- Make sure your vegan butter is softened but not at all melted. If it's melted the frosting will be runny and not work.
- Add the vegan butter to a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer (or stand mixer with whisk attachment) for about 2 minutes, until creamy.
- Sift in the cocoa powder if clumpy and add the powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of soy milk. Beat on low speed until the powdered sugar starts to incorporate, then increase the speed and beat for 3-4 minutes, until well combined and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- If the frosting is too thick, add another tablespoon or two of soy milk. If it's too thin, add additional powdered sugar until you have a spreadable frosting.
Cake assembly
- Place one cake layer on your cake stand or plate. Smooth a thin layer of chocolate frosting over the cake layer, then spoon half of the coconut pecan mixture on top, spreading it into a smooth layer. Leave 1/2 inch between the filling and the edge of the cake.
- Stack the second cake layer on top, then spread chocolate frosting over and on the sides of the whole cake. I also piped some frosting in a circle on top, which helps contain the coconut pecan mixture.
- Spoon the rest of the coconut pecan filling on top of the cake. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
-
Freeze – This cake freezes well if needed, though I prefer to cut slices, wrap them well and freeze for a quick freezer dessert!
-
Make Ahead – Feel free to bake the cakes and make each frosting ahead of time, up to 1-2 weeks ahead of when you plan to serve it. For the cakes, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze. Store the frosting and filling in covered containers.
-
Gluten free – Make my Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Cake as the base layer to make this recipe gluten free.
This cake was awesome! Thanks so much!
Diana
P. S. I realized too late that I was out of cornstarch, so after some research I was able to use glucomannan instead – 3/4 tsp. glucomannan in place of the 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch. If there are any people with corn allergies out there, it was a great replacement.
Hi Diana. I’m so glad you loved the cake! Thank you for sharing your great feedback and tips!
This cake is simply amazing! It’s not a cake that you would say “is good for a vegan cake”, it’s good cake period, Try it I promise you’ll love it and your vegan family members won’t know the difference, Thanks Nora!
Hi Michelle. You are welcome! Thank you for sharing your great feedback! I’m thrilled you love the cake!
Came out perfection! I don’t bake as I don’t often follow measuring well but this time it was great. I only had 9 inch pans so they were little thinner but worked ok. Excited to share this creation. Only thing i did different was adding chai spices to the chocolate elements. I have great photos too that I’ll be sharing to my blog with pingback here. thanks for all the recipe development. I feel empowered to explore more now.
I tried making the cake in two 10” rounds and tripled the recipe, splitting it evenly between both. Alas, it was too much batter, it overflowed, and it never solidified – liquid center after 55 min at 350. Where are all the ways it went wrong?
Hi there, so tripling the recipe would have made way too much batter for just two 10 inch cake pans. I’m not sure if even just doubling it would be too much, but even that might be. The cake is meant for two 8 or 9 inch pans. The problem is simply you had too much batter.
Used this recipe to make German chocolate cupcakes (it made two dozen). Absolutely love the texture of the cake, my family was delighted!!!! Thank you 🙂
Hi Nia. You are welcome! Thanks for sharing you feedback on the cake! I’m so glad that you and your family loved it!
Nia, that’s what I was planning to do! How long did you bake them for before you tested them? Thank you
Hi! For the canned coconut milk, should we just use the hardened portion on top (since it’s separated) or mix it all together and then measure out the cup? Thanks!
Hi Katie. Both the white part on top and the liquid coconut milk can be used when measuring the cup.
Can’t do soy milk,can I use coconut milk instead?
Hi Doris. You can use any plant based milk!
This was an absolute hit with the entire family!
I’m so glad! Thanks for your wonderful feedback!
This cake is sensational! I made it for my husband’s birthday and everyone loved it. The vegan butter in the icing is a little tricky. It needs to be just the right temperature, not cold or too warm. Thanks Nora for an outstanding recipe!
You are welcome! Happy birthday to your husband! I’m glad that everyone loved the cake! Thank you for sharing your great review and feedback!
I have made plenty of your cakes and this one is just as good as the rest. Incredibly moist, rich, and a unique flavour!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you loved the cake! I appreciate your wonderful feedback and review! Happy cooking!
Hi Nora,
I would like to try this recipe. Would this work using a 9 x 13 pan instead of the two 8” rounds?
Thanks ?
Yes, it will work in a 9×13 pan but it will require longer in the oven, probably around 40 minutes. Hope you enjoy it!
This looks delicious. The German chocolate cake my mother made didn’t have any buttercream frosting, only the coconut-nut mixture for frosting. Is it possible to make the cake that way, or is the buttercream frosting important to the overall taste?
The buttercream can prevent the caramel-nut mixture on top from spilling and adds a nice sweetness and presentation, but it isn’t crucial that you use it.
This cake is unbelievable! I made the mistake however, of frosting it before it had fully cooled. I ended up with German chocolate lava cake! It was kind of a mess. But after refrigerating it overnight, it was absolutely delicious!! It needed to firm up a bit. So good!
Haha, woops! I’m still happy to hear you loved the cake! Thanks for sharing your review and feedback 🙂
Hi Nora, this looks delicious, do you think the full fat coconut milk can be replaced with anything else say soy milk in this recipe? I wanted to replace the coconut flavor if possible.
No, I don’t recommend using another milk here. If it’s just the coconut flavor you’re worried about, it’s mostly hidden behind the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Plus, you can omit the coconut flakes if you really don’t like the taste.
Hi Nora!
My husband and I went 100% plant based 10 months ago. Your recipes have been so instrumental for us during our transition. I made this cake for my husband’s birthday (German chocolate cake is his favorite). He said “This is the best cake I have ever had!”
A regular statement at our house, “Nora did it again!”
I look forward to what you come up with next! You are so talented!! Thank you for what you do!
Thank you, Amanda, for your encouraging words and wonderful review! I am glad you and your husband are enjoying my recipes! Happy birthday to your husband, and I am glad the cake was a hit! I wish you happy cooking!
Could I halve the ingredients to make just one layer of the cake?
Absolutely!
Everyone loved it. Said they couldn’t believe it was vegan.
Thank you for sharing your feedback! I’m so glad the cake was a hit!
My ex-husband’s mom died 6 months ago & she always made him a German Chocolate cake. So, I made this for him yesterday & it was Amazing!!! I’ve made lots of your recipes & they’ve all been delicious. This one is super rich, gooey and decadent. Thank You!
Hi Trish. I’m so glad the German chocolate cake turned out delicious! What a beautiful and kind gift. Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and feedback!
All I can say is WOW! Made this for my fiancé’s birthday on Christmas Eve as he specifically asked for a German chocolate cake and it is by far the best cake we ever had! The recipe was so simple to follow and I had so much fun making it! This was my first attempt at baking a cake from scratch and I am so pleased with it! You are my go-to for baking recipes and I’m never disappointed! Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipes!
Thank you for your fabulous review and kind words! I’m so glad you are loving my recipes! Happy cooking!
I used oat milk and the coconut milk recommended and u cannot tell its vegan!! It’s hands down the recipe u have been waiting for!!! Delish!!?
Hi Jan. I’m glad you love the cake! Thank you for sharing your terrific review and comments!
this is the best cake I’ve ever made! I made it for my friends birthday, and seven people enjoyed it with about a slice left if anyone’s wondering about the size. I actually only used one 8″ tin and one 10″ bc I didn’t have two but it worked fine. I baked it for 40 minutes. if anyones looking for a german chocolate cake recipe just stop at this one and use it you won’t regret it!
Thank you for sharing your fantastic review and comments! I’m glad the cake was enjoyed by all!
Can you increase the recipe and add layers.
Yes, definitely!
This cake is to die for. The frosting was perfect and the cake was so moist and delicious. I made this for my birthday and upon tasting it, realized that I should send a couple slices to the neighbors so that I don’t eat the entire cake. The neighbors have also not stopped raving about it. Well done Nora!
Happy birthday to you! I’m thrilled the cake was perfect for your birthday! Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful review and comments!
The cake was so fun to make and so delicious! I made it for a friend the other day for the first time and he loved it!
I’m so glad you had fun making the cake! I love that! Thank you for taking time to share your great review and comments!
I can’t do soy. Is there another plant milk that would work as well?
Thanks!
Yes, any non-dairy milk is fine. I like almond, oat and cashew milk.
Oh wow, oh wow! I can’t wait to try this.
I hope you love it!