Here’s a rich, moist, bakery-style German Chocolate Pecan Pound Cake—complete with a buttery chocolate batter, toasted pecans, and a gooey coconut-pecan frosting on top. It tastes like German chocolate cake and pound cake had a delicious baby!
German Chocolate Pecan Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the Pound Cake
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasted is best)
- Optional: 1 cup mini chocolate chips
For the Coconut-Pecan Frosting (German Chocolate Topping)
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
1. Make the Pound Cake
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease and flour a bundt pan.
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (3–4 minutes).
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla.
- In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream, mixing just until combined.
- Fold in pecans (and chocolate chips if using).
- Spread batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake 55–70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack.
2. Make the German Chocolate Frosting
- In a saucepan, combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, and butter.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 8–10 minutes).
- Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, coconut, and pecans.
- Let cool 10–15 minutes until spreadable.
3. Assemble
- Spoon the warm coconut-pecan frosting over the cooled pound cake.
- Let set before slicing.
Tips & Variations
- Extra decadent: Pour warm chocolate ganache under the coconut-pecan frosting.
- More texture: Add a pecan streusel swirl inside the cake.
- Shortcut: Use a chocolate cake mix + pudding + sour cream method if you want a “doctored mix” version.
- Freezer friendly: Freeze the unfrosted cake up to 3 months. Frost when thawed.
If you want, I can give you a cake-mix version, a mini loaf version, or a chocolate-rum variation!
