Not your ordinary German chocolate cake, this one is extra chocolatey, and loaded with coconut-pecan frosting! Better still, it’s ultra easy. Made from doctored-up cake mix, this easy German Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe is one you’ll turn to often!
I seriously have no idea why I was inspired to make this German chocolate bundt cake. I made this in early October, so I honestly can’t remember what prompted me to make it. I think I was just in the mood for something German chocolate!
I usually take notes as I’m making recipes, but I can’t find any notes about this one! I always take notes for this very reason… sometimes I don’t post a recipe for a few weeks. When I sit down to write, I can’t remember all the little things I wanted to tell you while I was making and photographing it.
In this case, it wasn’t just a few weeks. Five month went by. FIVE MONTHS. These things happen. I overbake and overplan for the blog, and it’s hard to keep up with the writing.
As it stands, even if I had jotted down musings or observations about this recipe, I don’t know if I could speak to those things coherently at the moment. Some days the words flow, and more often than not, they don’t. Lately, anyway.
Today is one of those days. I’m struggling! And it’s not helpful that my S.O. is blaring “Cheers” reruns in the background. It’s fun to watch that show again, but it’s a total distraction.
Okay, this Easy German Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe. My Grandma’s Pistachio Bread is really more like cake, and it’s super moist and wonderful. It starts with cake mix, and it gets doctored up pretty good. I used her recipe to make this German chocolate bundt cake. However, there are a few notable changes that make a tremendous difference.
The pistachio bread recipe uses pudding mix to doctor up the cake mix. I used coconut cream pudding mix. Yes!!! Extra coconutty flavor to this cake right at the outset. I also added milk chocolate chips to the cake batter (why not?), pecans, and shredded coconut. You could almost stop there and have this be a German Chocolate Bundt Cake – it’s really good – but you shouldn’t.
For the coconut-pecan frosting, I used the same recipe as these German Chocolate Brownies. That frosting is gooey, sticky, caramel-y, sweet, and just all-around awesome. The pecans give it a little soft crunch.
And because it’s more fun if this German Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe is over-the-top, but still ultra-easy, I made a quick batch of milk chocolate ganache in the microwave, and spooned it over the top. I can always count on chocolate ganache to crank things up a notch, and I was very happy with the decision.
I have a bunch more simple and amazingly delicious cake recipes that I’ve based on my Grandma’s Pistachio Bread, so I’ll link below if you want to check those out too!
Easy German Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For cake:
- 1 box German chocolate cake mix
- 1 box instant coconut cream pudding mix
- 4 eggs
- 1 c. sour cream reduced-fat is fine
- 1/4 c. vegetable oil
- 1 c. milk chocolate chips
- 1/3 c. shredded coconut
- 1/3 c. chopped pecans
For coconut-pecan frosting:
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 c. evaporated milk
- 1/2 c. butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/3 c. coconut
- 1 c. chopped pecans
- 1 tsp. vanilla
For topping:
- 1 c. milk chocolate chips
- 1/4 c. heavy cream
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 c. toasted coconut
Instructions
For cake:
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In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, instant pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut. Batter will be thick!
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Spray a large tube pan or bundt pan with non-stick spray.
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Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
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Remove pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the wire rack to cool completely.
For coconut-pecan frosting:
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In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and eggs.
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Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Do not walk away from it - it will heat and cook quickly, and you don't want to scramble the eggs!
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Once it comes to a boil and thickens, remove from heat, and stir in the coconut, pecans, and vanilla.
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Cool to room temperature.
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Spread on top of the cooled bundt cake.
For topping:
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In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, heavy cream, and butter.
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Microwave on high at 30-second intervals until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
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Drizzle over bundt cake.
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Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the ganache.
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Allow 10-15 minutes for topping to set. Cut and serve.
You may also like:
Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze
Easiest Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake
I am not able to find “Instant” coconut pudding mix here…can I substitute regular cook coconut pudding(dry mix) instead?
Hi Tami! You can just use a regular pudding mix! Vanilla or chocolate would work. Doesn’t have to be coconut cream pudding mix! But I did find it, and had it, so it was definitely a fun addition. It will turn out great with a different flavor. 🙂
Delicious chocolate bundt cake for the weekend party and birthday. I m fond of baking and every week I try new cakes. This week I will be trying this one. Hope everyone will love it and thanks for sharing it.
The cake mix I bought has pudding mix in it. Do I need to add pudding mix.
Hi Vicki: I don’t usually use cake mix that has pudding mix in it, but yes, I would treat it like a regular cake mix, and I’d follow the recipe as written! Please let me know if you need anything else, and I hope you like the cake! 🙂
Thanks
Was I supposed to make the pudding according to the package first and then add it to the cake mix?
Hi Susan: No! You just add the pudding mix to the cake mix and the other ingredients – just the pudding mix! 🙂
Any suggestions on The frosting? Mine is coming out too runny.
Hi Selene! I’m sorry to hear that. It should thicken as it cooks, and thicken as it cools. The eggs help bring it together – I would just make sure that you’re cooking it long enough that the eggs have a chance to thicken it! Good luck!
What size of pudding mix?
Great question! Thank you for pointing that out! In all my pudding mix bundt cakes, I usually use a 3.4 oz. box, but I think the Oreo Cookies ‘n Cream only comes in a larger 4.2 oz. box (I think because it has cookie crumbs in it that probably add to its weight). If you use the Oreo pudding mix, it’ll be a 4.2 oz. box. If you use just chocolate (someone in another country couldn’t find Oreo), then it’ll be 3.4 oz. box. Make sense? Thank you! 🙂
Hello Sarah,
Can this receipe be used to make cupcakes versus cake? If so, how long do I have to bake them? In addition, are there any other changes that I need to make to the receipe?
Hi Michelle: For cupcakes, the frosting will work great, definitely. For cupcakes though, I think I would use a different cake recipe – I would use one made specifically for chocolate cupcakes or a chocolate layer cake. Bundt cakes are denser, and I don’t know if it would work as well. Try these from Life, Love & Sugar! for the cupcake itself: https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2017/05/31/moist-homemade-chocolate-cupcakes/
How do I pin your recipes? I want to save a bunch but don’t see a pin button?
Hi!! You should be able to hover over any image at all, and the Pin button should appear. Any image should display it when you hover. Please let me know if that works! All my recipes are here though: https://www.pinterest.com/theGLG/the-gold-lining-girl-blog-recipes/
I hope that helps! 🙂
How can I tell if the frosting has finished cooking? I don’t want to serve raw eggs 😂
As long as it thickens, and as long as you cook it for a few minutes, you’ll be fine!! Just make sure it’s thickened and that you stir it around for a few minutes. 🙂
This cake is delicious. Wife said it would win a baking contest.
LOL! That’s fantastic! I’m so happy you guys liked it. Thanks so much for the feedback!