Reduced-Fat German Chocolate Cake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 12, 2011
Time
2¼ hours
Yield
Serves 12
Ingredients
CAKE
3 ounces (85 grams) milk chocolate, chopped3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder ⅓ cup boiling water 1 ⅓ cups (6⅔ ounces/189 grams) all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking soda 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) brown sugar ⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar ½ teaspoon salt 3 large eggs, room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup low-fat sour cream, room temperatureFROSTING
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk 3 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ⅔ cup packed (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) packed brown sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vanilla extract ⅓ cup pecans, toasted (see note) and chopped fine½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) sweetened shredded coconut, toastedBefore You Begin
Avoid fat-free sour cream, which will make the cake gummy. Toast the coconut and nuts in a 325-degree oven, shaking the pan often, for about 15 minutes.
Instructions
- MAKE BATTER Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Whisk chocolate, cocoa, and boiling water in bowl until smooth; let cool. Combine flour and baking soda in separate bowl. With electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat butter, sugars, and salt until combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until mixture -lightens in color and sticks to sides of bowl, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl, then add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix until well combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to low and add chocolate mixture and vanilla until incorporated. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with 2 additions of sour cream, and mix until just combined.
- BAKE CAKE Divide batter into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely, at least 1 hour. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for 2 days.)
- MAKE FROSTING Whisk evaporated milk, cornstarch, butter, brown sugar, and salt in saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbling, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook until mixture is thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in vanilla and all but 1 tablespoon each of pecans and coconut. Cool to room temperature.
- ASSEMBLE CAKE Place 1 cake round on serving platter. Spread with half of frosting, then top with second cake. Spread remaining frosting over top of cake. Sprinkle with remaining pecans and coconut. Serve.
Time
2¼ hoursYield
Serves 12Ingredients
CAKE
3 ounces (85 grams) milk chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
⅓ cup boiling water
1 ⅓ cups (6⅔ ounces/189 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) brown sugar
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup low-fat sour cream, room temperature
FROSTING
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup packed (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup pecans, toasted (see note) and chopped fine
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
CAKE
3 ounces (85 grams) milk chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
⅓ cup boiling water
1 ⅓ cups (6⅔ ounces/189 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) brown sugar
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup low-fat sour cream, room temperature
FROSTING
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup packed (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup pecans, toasted (see note) and chopped fine
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
CAKE
3 ounces (85 grams) milk chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
⅓ cup boiling water
1 ⅓ cups (6⅔ ounces/189 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) brown sugar
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup low-fat sour cream, room temperature
FROSTING
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup packed (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup pecans, toasted (see note) and chopped fine
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Although we usually don’t cut portion size to reduce calorie count, a triple-layer Reduced-Fat German Chocolate Cake was too over-the-top. Two layers provided an ample serving. Despite the cake’s namesake, we rejected traditional German’s chocolate as it tasted more of sugar than anything else. Instead we used a combination of chopped milk chocolate and Dutch-processed cocoa. For frosting with deep caramel flavor, we relied entirely on brown sugar. Fatty egg yolks typically thicken the frosting, but we found cornstarch worked equally well in our Reduced-Fat German Chocolate Cake recipe without so many added calories.
Before You Begin
Avoid fat-free sour cream, which will make the cake gummy. Toast the coconut and nuts in a 325-degree oven, shaking the pan often, for about 15 minutes.
Instructions
- MAKE BATTER Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Whisk chocolate, cocoa, and boiling water in bowl until smooth; let cool. Combine flour and baking soda in separate bowl. With electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat butter, sugars, and salt until combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until mixture -lightens in color and sticks to sides of bowl, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl, then add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix until well combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to low and add chocolate mixture and vanilla until incorporated. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with 2 additions of sour cream, and mix until just combined.
- BAKE CAKE Divide batter into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely, at least 1 hour. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for 2 days.)
- MAKE FROSTING Whisk evaporated milk, cornstarch, butter, brown sugar, and salt in saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbling, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook until mixture is thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in vanilla and all but 1 tablespoon each of pecans and coconut. Cool to room temperature.
- ASSEMBLE CAKE Place 1 cake round on serving platter. Spread with half of frosting, then top with second cake. Spread remaining frosting over top of cake. Sprinkle with remaining pecans and coconut. Serve.
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