It seems to me that German chocolate cake is just chocolate cake made with Baker's brand German chocolate. Is that right??
If I use a Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake will that be the same? I guess my question is can I get away with a box cake? And if not, will this scratch cake hold up well with tiers?
Someone requested that cake but I've never made it before.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Alex
Hey! It's true that German chocolate cake has nothing to do with Germany - Baker's chocolate bought the rights from a guy with the last name of German so they sold it as German's chocolate, and someone in Texas came up with the recipe in the 50's. Hey, I can't help it, I love useless trivia!
Anyway, I've made German chocolate cakes before and it's more than just using German chocolate. The main thing that distinguishes it from a regular chocolate cake is the coconut/pecan filling and/or icing. I've seen it completely iced with the coconut/pecan frosting but personally, I don't like the way it looks. Most of the gourmet type stores will frost it in a chocolate fudge frosting, fill the layers with coconut/pecan filling, and some put some on top of the cake too. What I usually do is put fudge rosettes around the top edge, put a shell or reverse shell inside that, and then fill it in with the coconut/pecan filling. That way everyone knows it's a German chocolate cake but it's a lot prettier than covering the whole thing with the coconut/pecan filling. If you Google German chocolate cake and click on "images" you'll probably see a lot of examples. And you'll find tons of different recipes for the coconut/pecan filling too. I don't remember which one I used, it's been a while, but I know it had brown sugar and butter in it. I tried one with just condensed milk and it was nasty!
Anyway, hope that helps! Good luck!
They sell german chocolate box cake mix as well. I would use that instead of devil's food, there is a difference.
Crissy 
I've only made German chocolate cake once, but if I remember correctly you mix egg whites beaten until stiff into the batter. The texture is different than a regular chocolate cake. Of course the main difference is the coconut pecan frosting/filling. When I did mine, I filled between the layers and frosted the top and left the rest plain.
http://www.kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_display&u1=keyword&u2=Coconut-Pecan%20Filling%20and%20Frosting&u3=**3*4&wf=9&recipe_id=51053This is the frosting recipe from Kraft food's which owns Baker's Chocolate. There is a German Chocolate box mix out there, it has a mild chocolate flavor. The frosting is normally just used as a filling and topping- putting on the sides is too much IMO. You can use a chocolate frosting on the sides if you like.
I purchase the Baker's brand German Choc. and go by the directions inside for both the cake and the coconut pecan frosting. It is far better than the box (yuck...never again!). I have always gotten GREAT complements on it! Good luck, HTH!
I make a German Chocolate cake often (it is my favorite cake). I use a cake mix and doctor (milk, vanilla flavor, powdered sugar). I do not recall if it is Betty Crocker or DH but pick the one with real Hershey's German Chocolate in the mix. I then use the recipe for the Pecan-Coconut Frosting from the Baker's Chocolate bar.
I always get compliments on it and has been my favorite since I was a little girl.
Making a German Chocolate cake from Devil's food will not be the same. It is a different chocolate taste. The Devil's food is more of a brownie taste to me.
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