Photo by Isaac Harrell
David Rohrer has generously shared both a conventional and a vegan version of a classic German Chocolate Cake. As a side note, he points out that the original recipe isn't German at all, thereby explaining the presence of the very non-German coconut and pecans. It was actually a "Recipe of the Day" in the Dallas Morning Star in 1957, utilizing a product called "Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate."
Main Feature
Conventional 2 cups of all-purpose flour 2 cups of sugar 3/4 cup of cocoa powder 2 teaspoons of baking soda 1 teaspoon of baking powder 1 teaspoon of salt 1 cup of buttermilk 1/2 cup of canola oil 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 1 cup of hot coffee Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and cooking spray. Sift the dry ingredients into a stand-mixer bowl and mix on low until combined. Remove. In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla on medium. Shift the mixer's speed to low and slowly add to the dry ingredients. Add the hot coffee until just combined. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and stir. Pour into the prepared cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Vegan 3 cups of all-purpose flour 2 cups of sugar 2/3 cup of cocoa powder 2 teaspoons of baking soda 1 teaspoon of salt 1 cup of water 1 cup of coffee 1 cup of canola oil 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and cooking spray. Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Combine the water, oil, coffee and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula. Add the balsamic vinegar to the batter and stir until it looks marbled. Immediately divide the batter between the two pans and bake at 350 degrees for 28 to 35 minutes. Vegan German Chocolate Icing (for both cakes) 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot water 2 to 3 tablespoons of cornstarch 1 cup of shredded coconut 1 14-ounce can of coconut milk 1 cup of chopped pecans 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 1 teaspoon of salt 1 cup of light brown sugar 2 tablespoons of canola oil Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to make a slurry. Add all of the other ingredients to a medium pot, stir and bring to a boil. Continue stirring and add the slurry, cooking until the icing thickens. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Decorate the cake while the icing is still warm and before it sets
