German Chocolate Cupcakes

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There is really no substitute for Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes – especially homemade frosting – as these easy German Chocolate Cupcakes set out to prove!

German Chocolate Cupcakes, a delicious homemade chocolate cupcake recipe inspired by the bakery classic with caramelized coconut and pecan topping

These authentic German Chocolate Cupcakes come together super quick (despite the daunting list of ingredients). It’s well worth cluttering your kitchen counter for a few minutes to get perfect German Chocolate Cupcakes – whether for a special birthday treat or just a very specific craving! Those who love German Chocolate accept no substitutes or flimsy boxed offerings.

To save some time (and ingredients) you can just combine the coconut and pecans with some store-bought caramel ice cream topping rather than making a traditional soft German caramel mixture (as described below), but I wanted to provide an authentic, from-scratch option for those who want it.

German Chocolate Cupcakes traditionally have a tart, semi-sweet chocolate frosting but you can instead swap out our Nutella frosting or a chocolate buttercream if tart isn’t your thing.

And finally, traditionally German Chocolate cake is topped with a sticky coconut-pecan topping, but I had walnuts on hand so I used those instead and it worked great. If you have time to order some pecans, I highly recommend Millican Pecan’s Pecan Pieces. I didn’t realize what a difference there could be between pecan brands, but these are so incredibly fresh and flavorful. They also have delicious snack options like the Sweet and Spicy Pecans which are perfect for the holidays. My next order, I’m trying their Pecan Butter and the Caramel Pecan Coffee – yum!

Ingredients for German Chocolate Cupcakes

For the Coconut Pecan Topping:

For the Tart Chocolate Frosting:

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

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How to Make German Chocolate Cupcakes

Heat oven to 350°F and line 2 muffin pans with paper or silicone liners.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl for 2 minutes, until butter is melted.

Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended.

Using a mixer, beat in the sugar and then the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, baking soda and salt. Add to chocolate mixture and mix well. Add remaining flour alternately with buttermilk, mixing well after each addition.

Scoop into the lined muffin trays and bake 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.

For the Coconut Pecan Topping:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine evaporated milk, egg yolks, brown sugar and butter.

Stir constantly, until thickened, about 10 – 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, shredded coconut and chopped pecans and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

For the Chocolate Frosting:

Place semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 20 second bursts in the microwave, stirring in between each heating, until melted.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add in cocoa powder and powdered sugar, then slowly add in the (cooled) melted chocolate and mix until well combined.

Add in cream 1 teaspoon at a time (as needed) to reach desired consistency.

Scoop the chocolate frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and swirl onto the cupcakes. Top with a scoop of the coconut pecan mixture and some chocolate shavings.

 

Pin this Easy German Chocolate Cupcake recipe:

Authentic German Chocolate Cupcakes with tart chocolate frosting and a sticky coconut-pecan topping. These from-scratch chocolate cupcakes are perfect for the semi-sweet chocolate fan

Grab your free printable for our German Chocolate cupcakes recipe:

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Yield: 18 cupcakes

German Chocolate Cupcakes

German Chocolate Cupcakes

These decadent German Chocolate Cupcakes taste like a cupcake version of a Samoa Cookie.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Additional Time 20 minutes
Total Time 48 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3/4 cup butter or margarine 
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 cups flour, divided
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk

For the Coconut Pecan Topping:

  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

For the Tart Chocolate Frosting:

  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate , chopped
  • 6 Tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2-3 teaspoons heavy cream 

Optional Garnish:

  • Chocolate Shavings

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F and line 2 muffin pans with paper or silicone liners.
  2. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl for 2 minutes, until butter is melted.
  3. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended.
  4. Using a mixer, beat in the sugar and then the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.
  5. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, baking soda and salt. Add to chocolate mixture and mix well. Add remaining flour alternately with buttermilk, mixing well after each addition.
  6. Scoop into the lined muffin trays and bake 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.

For the Coconut Pecan Topping:

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine evaporated milk, egg yolks, brown sugar and butter.
  2. Stir constantly, until thickened, about 10 - 15 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, shredded coconut and chopped pecans and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

For the Chocolate Frosting:

  1. Place semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 20 second bursts in the microwave, stirring in between each heating, until melted.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add in cocoa powder and powdered sugar, then slowly add in the (cooled) melted chocolate and mix until well combined.
  4. Add in cream 1 teaspoon at a time (as needed) to reach desired consistency.
  5. Scoop the chocolate frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and swirl onto the cupcakes. Top with a scoop of the coconut pecan mixture and some chocolate shavings.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 482Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 289mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 2gSugar: 45gProtein: 5g

Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.

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These German Chocolate Cupcakes are the perfect semi-sweet chocolate cupcake!

For more delicious chocolate dessert recipes, check out our Hot Chocolate Fudge or our Peanut Butter Chocolate Lush.

Check out our other Delicious Cupcake Recipes:

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2 Comments

  1. Can I use the Bakers German chocolate instead of the semi sweet? I want the taste to be authentic german chocolate.

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