By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 18
373 cal · 30 min
German Chocolate Cake Donuts
Recipe GLPRfbfad5381ccb15
Rich chocolate cake donuts topped with a decadent German chocolate frosting made from evaporated milk, butter, sugar, and toasted pecans with shredded coconut. These indulgent treats deliver the classic flavors of German chocolate cake in a delightful donut form.
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Ingredients
1 recipe Chocolate Cake Doughnuts, cooled
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups toasted chopped pecans
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
Directions
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and evaporated milk, stirring gently to combine.
In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks. Slowly add them to the saucepan while stirring constantly to temper them evenly into the warm mixture. Continue cooking and stirring over medium heat.
Keep the mixture at a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 160F on an instant-read thermometer. This should take approximately 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat immediately once the target temperature is reached.
Stir in the vanilla extract, then fold in the toasted chopped pecans and shredded coconut until evenly distributed throughout the frosting.
Allow the frosting to cool for 5-10 minutes until it reaches a spreadable consistency but is still warm enough to adhere well to the donuts.
Generously top each cooled chocolate cake donut with the German chocolate frosting, using a spoon or offset spatula to distribute it evenly. Allow the frosting to set at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Comments
This recipe relies on store-bought chocolate cake donuts as its base, which simplifies execution but means you're paying a premium for convenience—a box of six quality cake donuts runs $4–5 at Harris Teeter or Kroger, so feeding eighteen servings becomes expensive per unit. The thirty-minute stated time omits the toasting of pecans and coconut, and the caramel sauce needs cooling before topping; budget forty-five minutes realistically. The German chocolate frosting itself is a classic weeknight winner—butter, brown sugar, evaporated milk, and egg yolk come together quickly and taste worth the effort—but the reliance on purchased donuts means no meaningful savings versus a bakery cake. Pecans and shredded coconut are standard at all Charlotte chains, so this poses no sourcing problem.
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