Another birthday for the Mr. means another German Chocolate dessert in the books. Team Bacon doesn’t love all things sweet like Team Cake, but one thing he does request every year and actually enjoys is anything German Chocolate.

Since we baked him a pretty traditional German Chocolate cake last year, we went a cupcake route this year. Plus, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to try this cupcake corer the little one got for her birthday. So we filled the cupcakes with the decadent German Chocolate filling and wow. How delicious. Good thing 3 cupcakes = 1 serving of cake, right?…I swear I read that somewhere…

Split the recipe into three parts: the cupcake, the filling, and the frosting.

Start with the cupcakes

What you need:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream

After pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees, and lining your cupcake tins with their liners, (this recipe should make at least 24 cupcakes, probably more if you eat less batter than we did), whisk together the cocoa and hot water in a medium sized bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set this aside as well.

Next, melt the butter with the sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until combined. Remove from heat and pour into the bowl of your electric stand mixer, then beat on medium speed until cool, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each one is incorporated and then add the vanilla and the cocoa mixture you previously set aside. Beat until combined. Reduce speed to low, and add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream. Beat until just combined after each addition.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Next, make the filling

What you need:

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cups butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Heat the egg yolks, evaporated milk, brown sugar and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick – about 15 minutes from when it starts to boil. Stir in the vanilla and salt, then add the coconut and pecans. Stir until combined and then remove from heat and let cool completely.

Once the cupcakes and filling are both cool, use previously mentioned awesome cupcake corer and punch out the middle of the cupcakes (which we ate.) Then fill a piping bag with the cooled German Chocolate filling and pipe it into the hollow center of the cupcake, overfilling it so it comes out the top. Freeze any excess filling for a future cupcake batch, or for snacking on by the spoonful in the middle of the night. (Just an idea…)

Now for the frosting

What you need:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt the butter and add it to the stand mixer. Stir in the cocoa powder until combined. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, alternating with a little bit of the evaporated milk in between each cup. Beat until smooth. Add in the vanilla last.

Fill a piping bag with the frosting and choose a decorative tip, then pipe your desired pattern around the perimeter of the cupcake – surrounding the German Chocolate filling. It came out looking like a chocolatey, pecan and coconuty edible flower. We’ll take it!

I’m not sure what the heck we’ll come up with to fulfill Kyle’s German Chocolate wishes next year, but these were so amazing I wouldn’t be sad if he requested a repeat.

 

Recipe adapted from Lady Behind the Curtain https://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/