Despite its misleading name, the American home baker should thank the Lone Star State for this coconut, caramel,
pecan, and chocolate extravaganza. The original recipe called for a heaping dose of German’s Sweet Chocolate, a
baking bar invented by Samuel German for Baker’s Chocolate Company in 1852. Flash forward to 1957, when the
Dallas Morning News featured “German’s Chocolate Cake” as its delectable recipe of the day. Chocolate cake recipes
were (and are) a dime a dozen, but this one had an instantly iconic component: a cooked coconut-pecan fi lling.
German Chocolate Cake