Box O Chocolates - German Chocolate Cake

German Chocolate Cake

In 1957, the world was introduced to a new dessert--German chocolate cake. But this is not a German recipe. On this page, we'll tell you where German chocolate cake came from. We might even be able to find a recipe!

A Tasty American Treat

That's right--German chocolate cake is actually an American treat. But it does have roots in England. There was an Englishman named Sam German who worked for Baker's Chocolate who developed a new kind of chocolate that was similar to milk chocolate but sweeter than baking chocolate. It was such a hit that Baker's named the chocolate "German's" chocolate. Eventually, the apostrophe and s were dropped, and now it's referred to as German chocolate. Is it a gourmet chocolate? Not really. It's more of a baking chocolate.

You could argue that German chocolate is a form of European chocolate and probably win the argument, but German chocolate cake originated in America. As the story goes, a Dallas housewife submitted the recipe to a Dallas newspaper in 1957, and after that, it took off like wildfire. Nobody really knows if this housewife actually came up with the recipe on her own or not, but who cares?! As a result of her giving it to the newspaper, German chocolate cakes are enjoyed by millions of people everywhere.

Here's a simple recipe for German chocolate cake:

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 box German chocolate cake mix

1/3 cup oil

1 cup water

3 eggs

1 (8 oz.) container sour cream

1 bar German chocolate

1 (6 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Melt German chocolate with oil in a double boiler. (Be careful not to let any water get in the mixture.)

3. Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips with mixer.

4. Add chips and bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan at 350 degrees.

FROSTING:

1 1/2 sticks butter

1/2 cup evaporated milk

2 cups of pecans, chopped

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup coconut

1. Cook first 3 ingredients 5 minutes, stitrring occasionally.

2. Cool slightly; stir in coconut and pecans.

Enjoy!

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