Brown butter along with coconut and pecans make this German chocolate frosting an unforgettable dessert. A deep, rich caramel coconut pecan frosting paired with your favorite German chocolate cake takes it to the next level of perfection.
I have perfected this German chocolate cake frosting recipe like no other frosting. For many years, those Duncan Hines German chocolate frosting tubs are what I used to make my mother’s favorite cake on her birthday.
Then I discovered a cooked German chocolate frosting recipe that I completely made my own. Sous Chefs make a point of coming into my bakery just to get a taste of this recipe!!
Wishing my mother could have tried this delicious frosting. She would have really appreciated the intense caramel flavor.
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How to Make Frosting without Powdered Sugar
Being a professional baker for more than 20 years, I have made a lot of powdered sugar frostings. Buttercream, cream cheese frosting, chocolate frosting, fondant and the list goes on.
This German chocolate cake frosting recipe is made without powdered sugar. The star of this frosting is brown butter.
Brown butter is something that I have recently discovered. Also known as Beurre Noisette (butt nwah-ZEHT) in the culinary world. It’s French for “brown butter”.
Brown butter is butter that is melted and cooked until it is a light to dark brown color. It has a nutty, intense caramel flavor from the milk solids in the butter.
What is German Chocolate Frosting Made of?
You start the process of making German chocolate cake icing with making brown butter. Next, add the sugar, evaporated milk and egg yolks.
Finally, the coconut, pecan and vanilla are stirred in. Seven simple ingredients are all it takes to make this German chocolate icing.
How to Make Frosting
Gather all your ingredients.
Separate your egg whites from the egg yolks. Weight your egg yolks. I cannot stress this enough. Your frosting will not thicken correctly if you do not have the proper amount of egg yolks.
Egg Yolks and Evaporated Milk Combine Egg Yolks and Evaporated Milk Egg/Milk Mixture
Whip the egg yolks and the evaporated milk together until just combined. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium/low heat. Let the butter come to a low boil.
Brown Butter
This is where you turn melted butter into brown butter. Let the butter boil on low until you start to see the butter turn brown. Read more about brown butter here.
Melted Butter in a Saucepan 
Brown butter – browned milk solids boiling.
Stir the melted butter occasionally making sure to scrap the milk solids from the bottom of the pan. Do not burn the butter, you just want to boil it on low to brown the milk solids.
Time varies on how long this takes depending on your stove and the temperature you are using. You want your brown butter to be a deep golden-brown color.
Time to add the sugar and the egg yolk mixture. Stir to combine. Make sure to stir constantly or your mixture will burn on the bottom.
Using a digital thermometer, bring the mixture to 195° Fahrenheit. I strongly recommend this Taylor thermometer because it is an instant read, durable and is well worth the money.
I have one of these in my home bakery, home kitchen and work bakery. Quickly add the coconut and pecan pieces. Stir to combine.
German Chocolate Frosting – Stage 1 German Chocolate Frosting – Stage 2
Finally add the vanilla and continue to stir. Bring the frosting back up to 195° Fahrenheit making sure to stir constantly. Stage 1 is when coconut, pecan pieces and vanilla is added. Stage 2 is final cooking phase with a good golden brown color.
Remove from heat. Pour into a 9×13 baking pan and let cool. Place in the refrigerator until ready to frost your cake.
How Do You Thicken German Chocolate Cake Frosting?
The egg yolks are an emulsifier when added to a mixture of low water and high fat content ingredients. When bought to the right temperature the protein makes a strong and stable bond.
The 195° Fahrenheit temperature is the key to this frosting. Bacteria will be a concern if the temperature is too low. If cooked too high, the mixture will turn into scrambled egg.
How Do You Frost A Cake?
Place your cake on the stand or base board. Room temperature frosting works best. Not too cold but not too warmed up.
Scoop a mound of cooled frosting onto the top of the cake. With a cake spatula, spread the frosting across the top of the cake.
Add another layer of cake and repeat the process of frosting the top. If you have other layers repeat the above steps.
With any extra frosting, if you want to frost the side, use your spatula to spread an even layer. Place in the refrigerator to set up the frosting.
Can I Freeze Coconut Pecan Frosting?
Yes, you can freeze the coconut pecan frosting. Freeze for up to 6 months in an airtight container.
When ready to use, remove from the freezer. Thaw in the microwave or let sit at room temperature.
German Chocolate Frosting
Brown butter along with coconut and pecans make this German chocolate frosting an unforgettable dessert. A deep, rich caramel coconut pecan frosting paired with your favorite German chocolate cake takes it to the next level of perfection.
Ingredients
- Butter 3/4 cup (6 oz) (171 g)
- Sugar, granulated 1 2/3 cup (12 oz) (340 g)
- Evaporated Milk 1 1/2 cup (12 fl oz) (367 g)
- Egg Yolks 6 yolks (3 oz) (86 g)
- Coconut, sweetened, flakes 2 1/4 cup (6 oz) (171 g)
- Pecan Pieces 1 1/2 cups (6 oz) (171 g)
- Vanilla Extract 1 1/2 teaspoon (0.3 fl oz) (9 g)
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients.
- Separate your egg whites from the egg yolks. Weight your egg yolks. I cannot stress this enough. Your frosting will not thicken correctly if you do not have the proper amount of egg yolks.
- Whip the egg yolks and the evaporated milk together until just combined.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium/low heat. Let the butter come to a low boil. This is where you turn melted butter into brown butter. Let the butter boil on low until you start to see the butter turn brown.
- Stir the melted butter occasionally making sure to scrap the milk solids from the bottom of the pan. Do not burn the butter, you just want to boil it on low to brown the milk solids. Time varies on how long this takes depending on your stove and the temperature you are using. You want your brown butter to be a deep golden-brown color.
- Time to add the sugar and the egg yolk mixture. Stir to combine. Stir constantly or your mixture will burn on the bottom.
- Using a digital thermometer, bring the mixture to 195° Fahrenheit.
- Quickly add the coconut and pecan pieces. Stir to combine.
- Finally add the vanilla and continue to stir.
- Bring the frosting back up to 195° Fahrenheit making sure to stir constantly. Remove from heat.
- Pour into a 9x13 baking pan and let cool. Place in the refrigerator until ready to frost your cake.
Notes
How Do You Thicken German Chocolate Cake Frosting?
The egg yolks are an emulsifier when added to a mixture of low water and high fat content. When bought to the right temperature the protein makes a strong and stable bond. The 195° Fahrenheit temperature is the key to this frosting. Bacteria will be a hazard if the temperature is too low. If cooked too high, the mixture will turn into scrambled eggs.
How Do You Frost A Cake?
Place your cake on the stand or base board. Room temperature frosting works best. Not too cold but not too warmed up. Scoop a mound of cooled frosting onto the top of the cake. With a cake spatula, spread the frosting across the top of the cake. Add another layer of cake and repeat the process of frosting the top. If you have other layers repeat the above steps. With any extra frosting, if you want to frost the side, use your spatula to spread an even layer. Place in the refrigerator to set up the frosting.
Can I Freeze Coconut Pecan Frosting?
Yes, you can freeze the coconut pecan frosting. Freeze for up to 6 months in an airtight container. When ready to use, remove from the freezer. Thaw in the microwave or let sit at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 336Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 110mgSodium 131mgCarbohydrates 31gFiber 2gSugar 28gProtein 4g
Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.
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I make this frosting
I’m glad I found you. I have been making German’s chocolate cake every year for my husband’s birthday for 47 years. For the last several years the frosting has not thickened well and runs down the sides of the cake. Not pretty! I couldn’t figure what I was doing wrong until I read your recipe. You stressed weighing the ingredients, especially the eggs. The proverbial light bulb went on! The current standards of egg grading result in a smaller egg labeled as large than when I was making this cake 20 years ago. Thus, I am not using enough egg yolk to properly thicken the frosting. Thank you!
I am happy that my German Chocolate Frosting recipe helped you! Baking professionally for many year, this recipe is one that I make regularly and my customers come back again and again!!