Gluten Free German Chocolate Cupcakes

I distinctly remember scooping giant spoonfuls of Betty Crocker German Chocolate Frosting out of the plastic tub it comes in, and eating it gleefully when I was maybe eight or nine. Prying off the red plastic top to find perfectly-solidified caramel custard, pecan and coconut goop was like finding buried treasure. How I got my hands on the tub of frosting in the first place is the real question – either very impressive childhood sneaking into the kitchen and up into the baking cupboards, or maybe we all just indulged after making a cake or cupcakes or something more reasonable. Overall, this penchant for German Chocolate topping aligns with what seems to be my affinity for goopy, sweet, sticky things. Whether it’s peanut butter, dulce de leche, lemon meringue pie filling, all types of pudding (the American kind), or spoon fulls of coconut pecan caramel frosting, it has my name written all over it. So, when a coworker (back when we were all still in the office) mentioned one of his favorite treats was German Chocolate cake (not entirely but definitely significantly due to the frosting), these just had to be made.

These gluten free German Chocolate cupcakes are decadent. They’re the top-heavy diva in the opera, decked out in sashes and jewels and frills with a clean, slim waist. We could go into more completely outdated figure norms, but instead let’s just admire the pure brilliance of the German Chocolate Cake. Of course it would come out of the sugar-laden south, along with praline and sweet tea and jello salads (also a fantastic contribution to American cuisine – I still marvel at how good that pistachio, coconut, pecan, pineapple green jello salad at a family potluck in Mobile, AL was…). It drips southern charm, with frilly chocolate buttercream neatly tucking in heaps of sugar, custard, and some coconut and pecan bits.

It must be noted that German Chocolate Cake is not German at all. Although, since the man who invented the sweet baking chocolate used in the recipe was named Samuel German, you could say there was some German heritage baked in there somewhere (just assuming any other nationality would not inherit a last name of a different country entirely). Apparently, the American baker, Mr. German, invented the stuff back in 1852, though we do owe the entire ensemble – the “German Chocolate Cake” – to a Mrs. George Clay of Dallas, Texas, who, in 1957, submitted the recipe for a “German’s Chocolate Cake” to the Dallas Morning News. All hail, Mrs. George Clay. What a baking marvel. If you’re like me and enjoy snagging a spoonful of just the topping now and again, go ahead and just make that bit, and save the rest of the recipe for a rainy day! Or, if you’re looking for other decadent goodies, try out our coffee chocolate cupcakes (they’ll wake you up), or our browned butter millionaire shortbread bars (because while we can’t go out on the town right now, we can certainly dress to the nines and indulge with sweets!).

Print Recipe

Gluten Free German Chocolate Cupcakes

A classic made gluten free and topped with decadent coconut pecan caramel frosting!

Prep Time50 minutes mins

Cook Time16 minutes mins

Cooling time20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: chocolate, coconut, cupcakes, german chocolate, gluten free, pecan

Servings: 24 Cupcakes

Calories: 400kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• Cupcake pans

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 3/4 Cup canola oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 Cup white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 oz Baker's German Sweet Chocolate bar melted and cooled
• 1/2 Cup buttermilk
• 2 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum added (if it doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1/2 a teaspoon)
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 Cup hot coffee

For the pecan coconut topping:

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Cup brown sugar
• 1/2 Cup white sugar
• 3/4 Cup salted butter
• 2 3/4 Cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 Cup chopped toasted pecans

For the chocolate buttercream:

• 2 Cups salted butter room temperature
• 3 Cups powdered sugar
• 1 Cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

• First, roast your pecans. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Spread whole, unsalted pecans on a cookie sheet and pop in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the nuts are a bit darker, dry, and smell fragrant (be careful not to let them burn!). Remove and let cool, then chop into small bits.
• Then, make the coconut pecan topping. In a medium sauce pan, combine the egg yolks, evaporated milk, and vanilla and stir constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula while cooking over medium low heat. Once combined and silky, add in the brown and white sugars and butter and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the sugars have dissolved. Continue to cook for 12-15 minutes until thick and caramel-like. Add in the sweetened shredded coconut and chopped toasted pecans and stir until completely combined. Once mixed, remove from heat and let cool.
• Then, line two cupcake trays with paper liners then set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, and eggs until lighter and fluffy. Add in the vanilla, and melted and cooled chocolate and beat until lighter and smooth. Add in the buttermilk and beat until combined. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder and stir together with a spatula until smooth. Pour in the hot coffe and stir until combined and silky.
• Pour cupcake batter into the lined pans – each cupcake liner should be about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit or just until the tops spring back with touched or a toothpick inserted into the center of one cupcake comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
• While the cupcakes are baking, make the buttercream! In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the rest of the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until combined, then add in the cocoa powder and beat, on low, until combined. Add in the vanilla and salt and continue to beat until fluffy and lighter. Scoop buttercream into a piping bag.
• Once the cupcakes and the topping are cool, scoop about a 1/4 cup of the topping onto the top of each cupcake, then pipe the buttercream in a circle around the edge of the topping like the pictures above. Once completely frosted, serve!

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cupcakes!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber