These German chocolate cupcakes with coconut frosting and coconut pecan salted caramel topping are absolutely delicious! A yummy play on a classic German chocolate cake. The secret to these is the coconut cream or slowly simmered coconut milk that gets added to the batter. It gives these an amazing coconut flavor through out the whole cupcake.
These German chocolate cupcakes took inspiration from my coconut cupcakes (recipe here) that have coconut cream in the batter, giving them a amazing coconut and chocolate flavor that perfectly mirrors the soft and silky coconut frosting and then all comes together with the addition of the coconut pecan salted caramel on top! So Delicious!
A little dose of nostalgia – because it’s good for the soul
My grandpa didn’t really have an affinity for chocolate but he loved German chocolate cake! Every time I make these German chocolate cupcakes or eat German chocolate cake, I think about him! If you have read my about page on here you might remember I mentioned having some interesting food innovators in my family growing up and my grandpa was a master.
My grandpa had grown up on a ranch in Wyoming and did not know how to sleep in and was famous for early morning bedside wake up calls like “rise and shine, the day is here and the day is fine!” or “why are you still in bed, don’t you know most people die in bed!” Even if you were lucky enough to avoid his bedside wake up calls at the crack of dawn you could not avoid the sounds coming from the kitchen, pots banging extra loud while he prepared breakfast, which he always did.
Fried Spaghetti
One time, me and my cousins were having a sleep over at grandma and grandpas house and as usual he was preparing us breakfast. Instead of his normal classics like silver dollar pancakes or biscuits and gravy he had an excess of spaghetti in his fridge from a few nights before and not wanting to be wasteful decided it would serve just fine as a breakfast for us. So he pile them into little nests and fried them up and topped them with maple syrup. They were awful! Chewy, crunchy, and sweet in all the wrong ways! To this day we still talk about that fried spaghetti breakfast, but its in loving memory of him! It embodies who he was, resourceful, loving, giving, and innovative. He passed away when my kids were were little and I miss him!
Connection
One of the biggest reasons I cook, bake, create and share is because of the connection it brings to past, present and future! I love that I can make a dish and instantly be transported and connected to generations before me. This German chocolate cake does that for me.
I love that recipes can create a connection with others in the present as well! I can share with my friends and family and create a bond over something as simple as a cupcake. It’s a conduit for love, memories and compassion. I love that the recipes I create today can be written down and shared with future generations and thus the connection cycle continues. It’s a beautiful thing and where the seed of my passion for food, creating and sharing begins. So I thank you for being apart of that circle.
What you need to make these German Chocolate Cupcakes:
Makes 24 Standard Cupcakes
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup melted salted butter
- 4 eggs and 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups coconut cream or simmered and reduced coconut milk – you will need 3 cans of coconut milk to create this and also have enough for the frosting.
Instructions for the cake:
- *If not using coconut cream, to make the reduced coconut milk you will need 3 cans of coconut milk. Pour into a sauce pot and bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and simmer for 35 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken and can nicely coat the back of a spoon. Be sure to stir the whole time so it doesn’t burn or boil over. Allow that mixture to cool. This step can be done a day or two ahead of time.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Combine sugar, butter, eggs, egg yolk and vanilla in a mixing bowl and blend together.
- In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
- Add half of the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stir. Followed by half of the coconut cream or reduced coconut milk, then the remaining dry mixture, followed by the remaining coconut milk.
- Stir until a batter forms.
- Pour into cupcake liner in cupcake tins or if you are making this into a cake, grease your pans and pour batter into them.
- For cupcakes bake for 16-18 minutes or until centers are risen or a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
- Baking times for cakes are as followed:
- 8 inch pans for 20-22 minutes or until centers are risen and a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
- 9 inch pans will bake for 22-23 minutes or until centers are risen and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- 9 x 13 pan will bake for 22-25 minutes or until center is risen and a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
For the Chocolate Coconut Frosting:
- 1/2 cup softened salted butter
- 1/4 cup reduced coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa Powder
Instructions for frosting:
- In a mixing bowl, with a whisk attachment blend all of the ingredients together until a smooth creamy frosting forms.
Coconut Pecan Salted Caramel
- 1/4 stick butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 eggs yolks
- 1/2 cup half or chopped pecans
- 3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.
- When butter begins to melt, whisk in the heavy cream.
- Stir until the sugar begins to dissolve and cook to the thread stage or when the mixture begins to thicken like a syrup. Pour out 2 tablespoons of the hot sugar mixture into a small bowl and whisk with your egg yokes. This is called tempering your eggs and will prevent you from getting curdled eggs in your sauce.
- Remove the sugar mixture from the stove and whisk in the tempered eggs. Return to low heat and stir while you add the pecans and coconut flakes for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool so you can top your cupcakes without melting your buttercream.
Here are a few other cupcakes or cakes you may love:
Simple Vanilla Cupcakes
Healthier Chocolate Cupcakes
Island Honey Cake
Chocolate Molten Lava Cake
German Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup melted salted butter
- 4 eggs and 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups coconut cream or simmered and reduced coconut milk – you will need 3 cans of coconut milk to create this and also have enough for the frosting.
Instructions
- *If not using coconut cream, to make the reduced coconut milk you will need 3 cans of coconut milk. Pour into a sauce pot and bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and simmer for 35 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken and can nicely coat the back of a spoon. Be sure to stir the whole time so it doesn’t burn or boil over. Allow that mixture to cool. This step can be done a day or two ahead of time.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Combine sugar, butter, eggs, egg yolk and vanilla in a mixing bowl and blend together.
- In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
- Add half of the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stir. Followed by half of the coconut cream or reduced coconut milk, then the remaining dry mixture, followed by the remaining coconut milk.
- Stir until a batter forms.
- Pour into cupcake liner in cupcake tins or if you are making this into a cake, grease your pans and pour batter into them.
- For cupcakes bake for 16-18 minutes or until centers are risen or a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
- Baking times for cakes are as followed:
- 8 inch pans for 20-22 minutes or until centers are risen and a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
- 9 inch pans will bake for 22-23 minutes or until centers are risen and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- 9 x 13 pan will bake for 22-25 minutes or until center is risen and a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.