Grandma's Shortcut German Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe With Coconut Pecan Frosting by Donna John

My grandma was a great baker, but one thing she rarely made from scratch was cakes. She loved boxed cake mixes, but liked to make cake frosting homemade. I agree with her. I've never been disappointed in a boxed cake mix, and if I was, it was my fault by over- or under-baking it. So when my husband's birthday rolled around I made is favorite dessert, German chocolate cake, in cupcake form using a boxed cake mix and homemade coconut pecan frosting. They turned out beautifully!

To make the cake all you need is a box of German chocolate cake mix and the ingredients to make it, which typically are eggs, water and cooking oil. For the sweet, creamy, irresistible coconut pecan frosting you need egg yolks (save the whites for breakfast), a can of evaporated milk, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, butter, sweetened shredded coconut and chopped pecans. The frosting cooks up in about 10 minutes on the stovetop while the cupcakes bake in the oven.

The chocolate cupcakes are the perfect size for dessert after dinner, for birthday parties or as a sweet snack during the day just because.

Fun Fact: Despite its name, German chocolate cake did not originate in Germany, but in Texas. In 1957, Mrs. George Clay sent her cake recipe to the Dallas Morning News. The cake was so popular that the baking chocolate she used increased in sales by 73 percent that year. The cake is named after the chocolate she used, Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate.

Cuisine: American 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 21

Ingredients

Cake

• 15 ounces (1 box) German chocolate cake mix, plus ingredients to make it (water, eggs, oil)

Coconut Pecan Frosting

• 4 egg yolks
• 12 ounces (1 can) evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) butter
• 7 ounces (1 bag) sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Recipe Notes

• There are several brands of German chocolate cake mix out there, so use your favorite. You can most definitely make your own homemade from-scratch German chocolate cake recipe to use with this icing.
  

• Try the coconut pecan frosting on vanilla cake or on pancakes or waffles.

• If you prefer, bake a cake instead of cupcakes. There's enough frosting for one 13x9-inch cake or up to 24 cupcakes.

• If you want a thicker frosting, add more coconut. For a looser frosting, add less. 

• Change things up by using sliced almonds instead of pecans.

• Store the cupcakes in an airtight container to keep them fresh.

Here's how to make it: 

1. Make the cake mix according to package directions.
   
2. Pour into muffin tins lined with baking liners.
   
3. Bake according to package directions. Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool completely.
   
4. To make the coconut pecan frosting, beat the egg yolks, milk and vanilla together is a saucepan. Add the butter and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Cool.
   
5. Frost the cupcakes with the frosting.
   
   
   
   

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by HappyForks. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

Need to convert cooking and baking measurements? Here are some kitchen conversion charts. Here's how to submit your recipes to 30Seconds.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get recipes in your newsfeed daily.