Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures your cake bakes evenly and rises perfectly.

Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. You can also line the bottoms with parchment paper to make sure the cake comes out easily after baking.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This step ensures the dry ingredients are evenly distributed, which helps your cake rise properly.

In a separate bowl, chop the sweet baking chocolate and melt it in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth. Let it cool slightly.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This should take about 3-4 minutes with an electric mixer. It’s an important step for achieving a tender cake texture.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is well combined.

Add the melted chocolate and buttermilk to the mixture. Continue beating until smooth and well blended.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in 2-3 additions, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix, or your cake might be dense.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cakes are cooling, it’s time to make the coconut-pecan frosting. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, and butter. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and fold in the shredded coconut and chopped pecans. Let the frosting cool to room temperature before applying it to the cake.

Once the cakes are completely cool, place one layer on a serving plate. Spread a generous amount of frosting over the top.

Add the second layer of cake and frost the top and sides with the remaining coconut-pecan mixture.

Slice, serve, and enjoy your delicious homemade German chocolate cake! It’s the perfect combination of moist chocolate cake and sweet, nutty frosting.