German Chocolate Upside-Down Cake

This German chocolate upside-down cake provides a distinctive spin on the traditional recipe. The classic German chocolate cake is a towering confection consisting of multiple cake layers, spread with a butterscotch-y icing that’s rich with coconut and studded with pecans. It’s an elaborate dessert that takes time and a modicum of skill to pull off.

This recipe, however, is a much simpler affair, coming together in just minutes and baking in a square 9-inch pan. The butterscotch, coconut and pecans come in the form of its topping, baked in the bottom of the pan before it’s turned upside-down onto a serving plate.

Ingredients for German Chocolate Upside-Down Cake

• Brown sugar: Brown sugar gives the cake’s upside-down topping its sweetness, but also contributes to its sticky, melty, sauce-like consistency.
• Butter: Butter is used in the topping to give it richness and contribute to its texture, and in the cake, it’s creamed with white sugar to help give the cake its lightness.
• Pecan halves: The combination of pecans and caramelized sugar is a slam-dunk that’s used in many recipes, and it’s as good as ever in this one.
• Shredded coconut: The coconut is a signature ingredient in any German chocolate cake, and an upside-down German chocolate cake is no exception.
• Evaporated milk: Evaporated milk adds richness to the topping and helps give it texture. Don’t use sweetened condensed milk, which is a very different product.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar is used here as a sweetener, but whenever a cake recipe calls for it to be creamed with butter, the sugar also contributes to the cake’s lightness.
• German sweet chocolate: German chocolate has a lighter and sweeter flavor than most other brands of baking chocolate, and the original German chocolate cake was created to showcase its flavor. This upside-down version does the same, in its way.
• Eggs: The protein in eggs helps give the cake its fluffy crumb, while their yolks help the fat blend more easily with the wet and dry ingredients.
• Vanilla: Vanilla’s subtle complexity isn’t the star here, it just plays a supporting role in helping the chocolate taste better.
• Flour: The flour’s starches and proteins play a leading role in helping the cake set to its final texture.
• Baking soda and baking powder: Baking soda and baking powder both leaven the cake, helping it rise and lighten. Baking powder is triggered by heat and moisture, while baking soda requires an acidic ingredient in the batter to generate leavening.
• Buttermilk: The buttermilk in this recipe brings richness and a pleasing tang that elevates the chocolate flavor. It also provides the acidity needed to activate the baking soda.
• Whipped topping (optional): The whipped topping (or whipped cream, if you’re a purist) is optional, and the cake is fine as is, but it’s a nice touch and makes each serving just a bit prettier.

Directions

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Step 1: Prepare the topping

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan over low heat, cook and stir the brown sugar and butter until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted. Spread this mixture into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle the pecans and coconut evenly over the sugar mixture, then drizzle the evaporated milk over the top and set the pan aside.

Step 2: Start the cake batter

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until they’re light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate, eggs and vanilla.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Pour the batter over the topping already in the pan.

Step 4: Bake the cake

Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for five minutes before inverting it onto a serving plate. Serve with whipped topping, if desired.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t allow the cake to cool for more than five minutes before turning it out of the pan. Otherwise, the sugary topping may set and “glue” the cake to the pan. If the cake does stick, heating the pan gently for a few minutes in a skillet of simmering water should warm the topping enough to loosen it.

German Chocolate Upside-Down Cake Variations

• Make a butterscotch version instead: If you replace the chocolate with butterscotch chips melted in water, and use equal parts white and brown sugar, the cake comes out with a bold butterscotch flavor. See our butterscotch cake recipe for guidance, but scale down the quantity of butterscotch chips to suit the smaller pan size. The topping for the German chocolate version works equally well with this one.
• Give your cake a “mocha” twist: German chocolate cakes are an example of “less is more,” where chocolate is concerned. They have a lighter chocolate flavor than cakes that aim at flat-out chocolate overload. We frequently suggest adding espresso powder to chocolate-centric baked goods, because it complements the chocolate so well. In this case, you’ll taste the espresso as a distinct second flavor in its own right alongside the light chocolate flavor. That gives the finished cake a “mocha” taste that makes it even better with your cup of coffee.

How to Store German Chocolate Upside-Down Cake

This cake is best if eaten on the day it’s made, fresh from the oven. Any leftovers should be packed into a food-storage container with a tight-fitting lid, then refrigerated.

How long will my upside-down German chocolate cake keep?

In an airtight storage container, it should keep for about three days in your refrigerator. To recapture the original texture, try heating it gently for a few seconds in your microwave.

Can I freeze this cake?

If you want to make this upside-down German chocolate cake recipe and freeze it, your best bet is to arrange individual servings on a baking sheet and freeze them, uncovered. Once they’re frozen, you can wrap them and pack them into a heavy-duty freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Thawing the cake in the microwave, or at room temperature, may cause condensation that will affect the sugary topping. It’s best to thaw the cake overnight in your refrigerator, then reheat it gently in your microwave before serving.

German Chocolate Upside-Down Cake Tips

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Can I use a box cake mix instead of making it from scratch?

You certainly can. A few companies actually make a box cake mix in the German chocolate flavor, though any chocolate cake will do in a pinch. Bear in mind that most box mixes are meant for a 13×9-inch cake pan. You’ll need to bake the rest of the batter separately, as cupcakes or a smaller cake. Alternatively you might opt for a brownie mix instead, which comes closer to the ideal texture of an upside-down cake.

What should I serve with German chocolate upside-down cake?

Don’t overthink it. A cup of good coffee is always a solid choice with a chocolate cake (our Test Kitchen has some thoughts about the best coffee brands), and if you’re not a coffee person you can’t go wrong with a glass of milk. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a mound of real whipped cream (rather than whipped topping) is good too. We have lots of other recipes that rely on the unique flavor of German chocolate, so looking at the serving suggestions for those can also give you some useful inspiration.

Can I substitute a different nut?

Sure! Pecans are canonical in German chocolate cake, but they’re not your only option. Walnuts work just as well in this recipe, and you could also use crushed almonds, hazelnuts or even peanuts.