By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 24
111 cal · 35 min
German Chocolate Cupcakes
Recipe GLPR73c4d6b9c949d5
Rich, moist devil's food cupcakes infused with sauerkraut and pears for unexpected depth and moisture, topped with creamy frosting and traditional German chocolate cake toppings of toasted coconut and pecans.
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Ingredients
1 box devil's food cake mix
1 can sauerkraut, drained and finely chopped
2 cans pear halves, drained and pureed
3 large eggs
1 cup condensed milk
¾ cup applesauce
¼ cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners in two standard cupcake pans.
Drain the sauerkraut thoroughly and chop it finely into small pieces. Drain the canned pears and puree them until smooth.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the devil's food cake mix, eggs, condensed milk, applesauce, cornstarch, melted butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Stir in the chopped sauerkraut and pear puree until the batter is well blended and smooth.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. The internal temperature should reach 160°F. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely in the pans on a wire rack before frosting.
Toss the shredded coconut and chopped pecans together. Top each cooled cupcake with a generous dollop of frosting and sprinkle with the coconut-pecan mixture to finish.
Comments
Sauerkraut in cupcake batter is unusual but all ingredients—including the cake mix, condensed milk, applesauce, and nuts—are stocked at every major Charlotte chain without a second stop. The 35-minute stated time excludes cooling, so expect closer to an hour from start to plating; this is a weekend project, not a weeknight sprint. Cost per serving lands around $0.70–$0.85 once you factor in the cake mix and condensed milk, reasonable for a batch this large. German chocolate cake is a Southern staple, and these travel well and keep for days, making them solid potluck fare, though the flavor relies on a savory-sweet shock that does not suit every palate.
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