Did you know that German Chocolate Cake is not actually German? It was named after an American baker named Samuel German who created a new type of dark baking chocolate while working for Baker’s Chocolate Company. In his honor, it was called Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate. More than 100 years later, a homemaker in Texas created a recipe that she called “German’s Chocolate Cake” because she used the baking chocolate from Baker’s Chocolate Company, named after Samuel. The Dallas Morning News published that recipe and today, that cake is known as German Chocolate Cake. This recipe was created at the request of the Coronary Health Improvement Program founder, Dr. Hans Diehl, and I am so thankful he suggested it because it was the best-selling cake at the restaurant where I worked. I once made 30 of them for a Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine event, and they barely fit in my car.
Yields12 ServingsPrep Time15 minsCook Time35 minsTotal Time50 mins
Ingredients
The Cake
3cupsgluten-free baking flour (see Chef’s Tip)
¾cupcocoa powder
1 ½cupsdate syrup
2cupsunsweetened plant milk
1cupunsweetened applesauce
5ozunsweetened or date-sweetened dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)
1 ½tspaluminum and sodium-free baking powder
1 ½tspsodium-free baking soda
1tspvanilla bean powder
1tbspapple cider vinegar
Filling
12.30ozpack of Mori-Nu Silken tofu, extra firm
½cupcocoa powder
5ozunsweetened or date-sweetened dairy-free chocolate chips
½cupdate syrup
⅓cupunsweetened plant milk
1tspvanilla bean powder
Frosting
3cupsDate Paste
5ozunsweetened coconut, medium shred
10ozchopped raw, unsalted pecans
1tspvanilla bean powder
whole pecans (for garnish)
Unsweetened coconut, fine shred (for garnish)
Directions
THE CAKE
1
Preheat oven to 325°F.
2
Using a high-speed blender, briefly blend the date syrup, plant milk, cocoa powder, applesauce, and vanilla bean powder until ingredients are fully incorporated. If you do not have a high-speed blender, then mix ingredients together in a large bowl using a whisk.
3
Next, add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and process briefly until flour is incorporated. Then add the apple cider vinegar and briefly process again. Do not overprocess.
4
Pour batter evenly into three 8-inch silicone baking pans. If desired, divide the cup of chocolate chips and sprinkle 1⁄3 cup over the cake batter of each pan.
5
Bake for 35 minutes.
6
Remove from oven and cool completely on a cooling rack. Then invert cakes onto a plate for assembly.
FILLING
7
Using a double boiler, or very carefully in a nonstick sauté pan, melt the chocolate chips and date syrup over low heat until melted and velvety smooth, stirring constantly.
8
Place the mixture in a high-speed blender, or a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, along with the remaining filling ingredients and blend or process until smooth.
9
Place in a bowl and refrigerate until firm.
FROSTING
10
Place Date Paste, coconut, pecans and vanilla in a large bowl and mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
11
If the rest of the cake is ready to be assembled, you can use this immediately. If not, place in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use.
ASSEMBLY
12
Place half of the filling on one of the cooled cake layers and half of the filling on a second layer. You are making a 3-layer cake, so the order is: one cake layer, half of the filling, the second cake layer, the other half of the filling, and then the third cake layer.
13
Using your hands, place the frosting evenly on the cake. I start on the sides and build my way up until the frosting is evenly distributed on all sides and the top. You can wear latex-free food service gloves to do this if you prefer.
14
Pat the top and sides so that the frosting is evenly distributed over the layers and is smooth and not lumpy.
15
Sprinkle unsweetened coconut over the cake.
16
Garnish vegan German chocolate cake with whole pecans if you like. You can get them to easily stick to the cake by using a bit of additional date paste.
Chef’s Notes
Substitutions The flour used in this recipe must be gluten-free baking flour, not simply the flour of any gluten-free grain like rice or millet. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour or King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour.
Nutrition Facts
12 servings
Serving size
Ingredients
The Cake
3cupsgluten-free baking flour (see Chef’s Tip)
¾cupcocoa powder
1 ½cupsdate syrup
2cupsunsweetened plant milk
1cupunsweetened applesauce
5ozunsweetened or date-sweetened dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)
1 ½tspaluminum and sodium-free baking powder
1 ½tspsodium-free baking soda
1tspvanilla bean powder
1tbspapple cider vinegar
Filling
12.30ozpack of Mori-Nu Silken tofu, extra firm
½cupcocoa powder
5ozunsweetened or date-sweetened dairy-free chocolate chips
½cupdate syrup
⅓cupunsweetened plant milk
1tspvanilla bean powder
Frosting
3cupsDate Paste
5ozunsweetened coconut, medium shred
10ozchopped raw, unsalted pecans
1tspvanilla bean powder
whole pecans (for garnish)
Unsweetened coconut, fine shred (for garnish)
Directions
THE CAKE
1
Preheat oven to 325°F.
2
Using a high-speed blender, briefly blend the date syrup, plant milk, cocoa powder, applesauce, and vanilla bean powder until ingredients are fully incorporated. If you do not have a high-speed blender, then mix ingredients together in a large bowl using a whisk.
3
Next, add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and process briefly until flour is incorporated. Then add the apple cider vinegar and briefly process again. Do not overprocess.
4
Pour batter evenly into three 8-inch silicone baking pans. If desired, divide the cup of chocolate chips and sprinkle 1⁄3 cup over the cake batter of each pan.
5
Bake for 35 minutes.
6
Remove from oven and cool completely on a cooling rack. Then invert cakes onto a plate for assembly.
FILLING
7
Using a double boiler, or very carefully in a nonstick sauté pan, melt the chocolate chips and date syrup over low heat until melted and velvety smooth, stirring constantly.
8
Place the mixture in a high-speed blender, or a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, along with the remaining filling ingredients and blend or process until smooth.
9
Place in a bowl and refrigerate until firm.
FROSTING
10
Place Date Paste, coconut, pecans and vanilla in a large bowl and mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
11
If the rest of the cake is ready to be assembled, you can use this immediately. If not, place in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use.
ASSEMBLY
12
Place half of the filling on one of the cooled cake layers and half of the filling on a second layer. You are making a 3-layer cake, so the order is: one cake layer, half of the filling, the second cake layer, the other half of the filling, and then the third cake layer.
13
Using your hands, place the frosting evenly on the cake. I start on the sides and build my way up until the frosting is evenly distributed on all sides and the top. You can wear latex-free food service gloves to do this if you prefer.
14
Pat the top and sides so that the frosting is evenly distributed over the layers and is smooth and not lumpy.
15
Sprinkle unsweetened coconut over the cake.
16
Garnish vegan German chocolate cake with whole pecans if you like. You can get them to easily stick to the cake by using a bit of additional date paste.
