German chocolate cupcakes are soft cocoa cupcakes made with buttermilk and hot water, topped with a cooked coconut pecan frosting and a thin drizzle of chocolate ganache. One batch makes 12 cupcakes in about an hour, most of it cooling time.
The step that decides how they turn out is the topping. Egg yolks, evaporated milk, butter and sugar cook together until they look like light caramel, and that needs steady stirring, not speed. It is the topping you know from German chocolate cake, and my German chocolate frosting post covers it for a full layer cake.
Following a special diet?
Every recipe on this site can be converted to gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, keto, nut-free or egg-free with adjusted ratios so nothing falls flat.
Try the Recipe Converter →One Batch: 12 Cupcakes, Three Parts
- Yield: 12 standard cupcakes
- Oven: 350°F (175°C), 18 to 20 minutes
- Time: 25 minutes prep, about 1 hour start to finish
- Topping: 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut pecan frosting per cupcake
- Ganache: ½ cup semi-sweet chips to ¼ cup heavy cream, a thick drizzle
- Make ahead: bake the cupcakes a day early and keep them unfrosted and covered
Why the Cocoa Batter Should Be Thin
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into one bowl. Cocoa clumps easily, and a lump of dry cocoa will not dissolve once the liquid goes in. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla in a second bowl, then stir them into the dry mix until no streaks remain.
The ½ cup of hot water goes in last. It loosens the batter and brings out the cocoa flavor, and the batter will look thin, almost like chocolate milk with body. That is right. Oil instead of butter keeps the crumb moist for days, which is why these hold up so well when you bake them ahead.
Stir gently once the water is in. Beating a thin batter hard does not make it lighter; it only works the flour and gives you tougher, peaked tops.
Filling the Liners and Knowing When They Are Done
Fill each liner about two thirds full. Thin batter rises fast, and fuller liners spill over the edge and bake into a ring. A ¼ cup measure or a large cookie scoop keeps all 12 even, so they finish at the same time.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed. Let them cool completely on a rack. A warm cupcake melts the topping and the ganache slides right off.
Natural Cocoa and Buttermilk, or Dutch Cocoa and Sour Cream?
Use unsweetened natural cocoa here, not Dutch process. Natural cocoa is acidic, and together with the buttermilk it gives the baking soda something to react with, so the cupcakes rise well and taste bright and chocolatey. Dutch process cocoa is less acidic. With this leavening it bakes a darker, flatter cupcake with a milder flavor.
The same logic applies to the dairy. Buttermilk keeps the crumb light and tender. Sour cream can stand in if that is what you have, but it makes a denser, richer cupcake, closer to a pound cake. For a fluffy, everyday chocolate cupcake with a different finish, my moist homemade chocolate cupcakes use a similar thin batter.
Cooking the Coconut Pecan Topping Without Scrambling the Yolks
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the evaporated milk, sugar and lightly beaten egg yolks. Keep stirring for 10 to 12 minutes. The mixture goes from thin and pale yellow to a light caramel color, and it is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean line.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the coconut, pecans and vanilla. It will look loose. Let it cool to room temperature and it firms up into a thick, spoonable topping. Toasting the pecans for about 5 minutes in a dry pan first is optional, but it gives a deeper, nuttier flavor against the sweet coconut.
Grainy or Runny Coconut Pecan Frosting: What Happened
- Tiny cooked bits: the yolks set on the hot bottom of the pan. Stir across the whole base, not just the middle. If you see bits starting, pull the pan off the heat and whisk hard; a few small specks will not be noticed once the coconut is in.
- Still runny after cooling: it came off the heat too early. Return it to the pan before adding more coconut and stir a few more minutes until it coats the spoon.
- Too stiff to spread: it was chilled. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes and stir.
A Small Ganache for the Drizzle
Heat the ¼ cup of cream until it just simmers, pour it over the ½ cup of chocolate chips, and leave it alone for 2 to 3 minutes. Then stir slowly from the center out until it is smooth and glossy. Two parts chocolate to one part cream gives a ganache thick enough to sit on the topping instead of soaking into it.
Let it cool for about 10 minutes, until it falls off the spoon in a slow ribbon, then spoon or pipe it over the frosted cupcakes. If it stiffens, warm it for 5 seconds at a time in the microwave. If you want enough to frost cupcakes rather than drizzle them, use my chocolate ganache frosting instead.
Filled German Chocolate Cupcakes
To make filled German chocolate cupcakes, cut a cone about 1 inch wide and 1 inch deep from the center of each cooled cupcake with a small knife or an apple corer. Spoon in about 2 teaspoons of the cooled coconut pecan frosting, put a thin slice of the removed top back on if you like, then mound more frosting on top and finish with the ganache.
One batch of coconut pecan frosting makes more than the 1 to 2 tablespoons per cupcake used for topping, so there is usually enough to fill and top all 12. If you run short, fill the centers with the frosting and drizzle the ganache straight over the top. Always fill with room temperature topping; warm frosting soaks into the crumb and makes the middle soggy.
Box Mix, Mini Pans, and Muffin Tins
Short on time? A boxed chocolate or German chocolate cake mix baked as cupcakes works with this coconut pecan topping and ganache. People remember the coconut pecan layer most, and that is the part worth making from scratch.
For mini German chocolate cupcakes, fill mini liners two thirds full and start checking at 10 minutes; most take 10 to 12. One batch gives roughly three times as many minis, and each needs only about 1 teaspoon of topping. Without liners, grease the tin well, since the sugary batter sticks.
Making Them a Day Ahead and Keeping Leftovers
Bake the cupcakes a day early, cool them, and keep them unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also cook the coconut pecan frosting a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; let it come back to room temperature before spreading so it does not tear the tops.
Frosted cupcakes are fine at room temperature for the day you serve them. The topping has egg yolks and dairy, so store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days and set them out for 30 minutes before eating. The ganache loses a little shine in the fridge, but the flavor does not change. Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well for up to 3 months.
German Chocolate Cupcake Questions
Is German chocolate from Germany?
No. The name comes from Sam German, who created a sweet baking chocolate for Baker’s in the 1850s. The cake that made the coconut pecan topping famous is American.
Can I use German’s sweet chocolate in the batter?
This recipe gets its chocolate flavor from natural cocoa powder, so no bar chocolate goes into the batter. Keep the cocoa and the leavening as written for the same rise.
Do German chocolate cupcakes need to be refrigerated?
Not on the day you serve them. After that, keep them covered in the fridge, because the coconut pecan topping is made with egg yolks and evaporated milk.
More cupcakes from the same chocolate family: chocolate hazelnut truffle cupcakes, chocolate peanut butter cupcakes, and coffee cupcakes for anyone who likes a little bitterness with their sugar.
German Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
These German chocolate cupcakes are moist cocoa cupcakes made with natural cocoa, buttermilk, oil and hot water, topped with a cooked coconut pecan frosting and a drizzle of chocolate ganache. The recipe makes 12 standard cupcakes in about 1 hour, baked at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes. The batter is thin on purpose, and the frosting of egg yolks, evaporated milk, butter and sugar is stirred over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes until it turns light caramel and coats a spoon. Serve them for birthdays, potlucks and holidays, or make filled German chocolate cupcakes by coring the centers and spooning in extra coconut pecan frosting. Bake the cupcakes a day ahead; store frosted ones in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup hot water
- FOR THE COCONUT-PECAN FROSTING
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- COMBINE THE WET INGREDIENTS: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- MIX THE BATTER: Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until fully incorporated. Slowly stir in the hot water; the batter will be thin.
- BAKE THE CUPCAKES: Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- MAKE THE COCONUT-PECAN FROSTING: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the evaporated milk, sugar, and beaten egg yolks.
- COOK THE FROSTING: Stir the mixture constantly for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it thickens and reaches a light caramel color. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon when ready. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded coconut, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract. Let the frosting cool to room temperature; it will thicken as it cools.
- MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE: Heat the heavy cream until just simmering, either on the stovetop or in the microwave. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy. Allow the ganache to cool slightly before using.
- ASSEMBLE THE CUPCAKES: Use a small offset spatula or spoon to mound about 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut-pecan frosting onto each cooled cupcake. Drizzle the cooled ganache over the top, either by spoon or piping bag. Optionally, top with a small chocolate disc for a decorative finish.
Notes
Cook the coconut-pecan frosting over medium heat and stir constantly, scraping the whole bottom of the pan, so the egg yolks do not scramble. It is ready when it is light caramel colored and coats the back of a spoon; it thickens as it cools. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. To fill them, core a 1 inch hole in each cooled cupcake and spoon in room temperature frosting before topping. Use natural (not Dutch process) cocoa so the baking soda reacts with the cocoa and buttermilk. Bake the cupcakes up to 1 day ahead and keep them unfrosted in an airtight container. Store frosted cupcakes covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; unfrosted cupcakes freeze for up to 3 months.
