German Chocolate Cupcakes

Name: German Chocolate Cupcakes
Cuisine: European, German
Ingredients: 2 ounces (60g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chopped); 1/4 cup (60ml) boiling water or coffee; 8 tablespoons (4 ounces, 115 g) unsalted butter (at room temperature); 3/4 cup (150g) sugar; 2 large eggs (at room temperature, separated); 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (150g) cake flour (not self-rising); 1 tablespoon unsweetened natural (cocoa powder); 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk (at room temperature (see Note)); 3/4 cup (180ml) evaporated milk ((whole milk)); 1/4 cup (60g) packed light brown sugar; 2 large egg yolks; pinch of salt; 2 tablespoons (30g) butter (salted or unsalted, at room temperature); 2 ounces (55g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chopped); 1 1/2 cups (110g) sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes (lightly toasted); 1 cup (125g) chopped (toasted pecans); Optional: Additional toasted coconut (for a garnish)

Instructions

Adapted from Luscious Coconut Desserts (Chronicle) by Lori Longbotham Everyone loved these cupcakes who I handed them off to in Paris. Unlike sky-high American cakes, when I baked these, mine were more restrained in the height department, a bit sophisticated, with the sweetness kept in check. Hence their popularity. Lori advises not to use a high-percentage, fancy chocolate; so find one that has less than 60% cocoa solids. (Nowadays most packages give that information.) Also note that she uses natural cocoa. Since it’s a relatively small amount, I would imagine that you could give it a try with Dutch-process cocoa powder, although the natural cocoa gives it a slightly devilish red color.

Updated at: Tue, 13 May 2025 18:11:58 GMT