# German Chocolate Cake **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312 "2004-06-14T17:22:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/1 "2004-06-14T17:22:24Z")
As I’m sure you all know, “German Chocolate Cake” is a chocolate cake with a vile, goopy topping made with large amounts of shredded coconut. The coconut topping is the only difference I can see between this and an “ordinary” chocolate cake. My question is this: Why is it called “German Chocolate Cake”?? Just how much coconut _do_ they grow in Germany? For that matter, what about “Hawaiian Pizza”? Is Hawaii a major producer of Canadian bacon? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/2 "2004-06-14T17:32:43Z")
It’s not German. The original recipe called for “German’s Chocolate” and the name was corrupted down the line to “German Chocolate Cake.” [Cite](http://www.kitchenproject.com/html/Is_German_Chocolate_Cake_Really_German.html). [Or here.](http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/weekly/aa030500a.htm) ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/3 "2004-06-14T17:47:55Z")
And [here](http://www.snopes.com/business/names/cake.asp) ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/4 "2004-06-14T17:48:49Z")
> [@Phase42](#): > > As I’m sure you all know, “German Chocolate Cake” is a chocolate cake with a vile, goopy topping made with large amounts of shredded coconut. The coconut topping is the only difference I can see between this and an “ordinary” chocolate cake. > > My question is this: Why is it called “German Chocolate Cake”?? Just how much coconut _do_ they grow in Germany? The mystery is more easily solved when you see the cake’s _full_ name, which is German Sweet Chocolate Cake, or, more fully, German\*\*'s\*\* Sweet Chocolate Cake, or, more fully still, Baker’s® German’s® Sweet Chocolate Cake. [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/business/names/cake.asp) gives the details. See, there was a man called Mr. Sam German (Snopes says he was American, other sources say he was English) who, in 1852, developed a sweet baking chocolate for his employer, Baker’s Chocolate. That chocolate was (and still is) called Baker’s® German’s® Sweet Chocolate. Apparently, in 1957 the familiar cake recipe, calling for Baker’s® German’s® Sweet Chocolate by name, appeared in a Dallas newspaper. Baker’s helpfully which reproduced the recipe on its wrapper, and so far as I know they still do. So, you see, no Germans were involved in (or, so far as we know, harmed by) the cake recipe. Oh, and as for the recipe itself: most chocolate cake recipes call for unsweetened chocolate or cocoa, not sweet chocolate. Both the [original](http://www.kraftfoods.com/recipes/CakesPiesCheesecakes/CakesLayer/OriginalGERMANSSweetChocolateCake.html) and [updated](http://www.kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_display&u1=keyword&u2=german's%20chocolate&u3=**3*6&wf=9&recipe_id=51758) recipes are quite different from other chocolate cakes I’ve made - they don’t call for eggs, for example. As for the filling, well, I tolerate it just fine. But it is _super_-sweet, something that seems typical of fifties recipes - especially from the South. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/5 "2004-06-14T17:51:20Z")
Argh. Just a little late. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/6 "2004-06-14T18:38:54Z")
Thanks for the answers. That clears that up for me! However: > [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > It’s not German. The original recipe called for “German’s Chocolate” and the name was corrupted down the line to “German Chocolate Cake.” > > [Cite](http://www.kitchenproject.com/html/Is_German_Chocolate_Cake_Really_German.html). According to that recipe, the topping is made with chopped pecans. I’d swear that was coconut on top of every one of these cakes I’ve ever seen. Regional variation, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/7 "2004-06-14T18:45:20Z")
> [@Phase42](#): > > According to that recipe, the topping is made with chopped pecans. I’d swear that was coconut on top of every one of these cakes I’ve ever seen. Regional variation, perhaps? Probably. I hadn’t even noticed the recipe, but I’ve always seen it with coconut as well. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/8 "2004-06-14T20:03:58Z")
Most versions of this I have had included coconut and pecans in the “topping” ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/9 "2004-06-14T20:12:55Z")
> [@Phase42](#): > > My question is this: Why is it called “German Chocolate Cake”?? Just how much coconut _do_ they grow in Germany? Coconuts don’t have to grow in Germany. Two words: Migratory Swallows. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/10 "2004-06-14T21:55:40Z")
Are they African or European swallows? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/11 "2009-10-05T00:58:45Z")
> [@OxyMoron](#): > > Apparently, in 1957 the familiar cake recipe, calling for Baker’s® German’s® Sweet Chocolate by name, appeared in a Dallas newspaper. Yes it did. But today, a researcher/etymologist named [Barry Popik](http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/german/) has researched many food items and come up with earlier info. So now, we can date the recipe to 1935. But, still in Texas. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/12 "2009-10-05T01:41:06Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > For that matter, what about “Hawaiian Pizza”? Is Hawaii a major producer of Canadian bacon? I have never had Hawaiian pizza with Canadian bacon, just regular baked ham. Pork is popular in Hawaii and I think is a traditional luau food, and pineapple used to be a major crop in Hawaii, though no more. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/13 "2009-10-05T05:03:59Z")
Moving to Cafe Society from GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator PS. In case anyone notices the zombie nature of this thread, revivification is warranted since new information has been provided. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-chocolate-cake/250312/14 "2009-10-05T11:04:08Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > For that matter, what about “Hawaiian Pizza”? Is Hawaii a major producer of Canadian bacon? Or, for that matter, “Canadian bacon”.