5 from 5 votes

German Chocolate Cheesecake Cake starts with a cake mix swirled with a cheesecake filling and topped with the most amazing homemade frosting!

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE CAKE

Name: GERMAN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE CAKE
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 box German chocolate cake mix; ingredients needed per package directions (eggs, oil & water); 2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, (softened); 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar; 4 eggs, (lightly beaten); 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup evaporated milk; 1/2 cup butter, (cubed); 3 egg yolks, (lightly beaten); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2-1/2 cups sweetened flaked or shredded coconut; 1-1/2 cup chopped pecans

Y’all, this cake recipe is so amazingly wonderful. It’s what happens when German Chocolate Cake and Cheesecake decide to get together and do a little hanky panky. The base of this cake starts off with a boxed cake mix (yay!) but the cheesecake layer and the frosting are from scratch. And the frosting, oh the frosting. It is heaven. The cake weighs about 2 tons when all is said and done, but it is so worth it (kinda like pregnancy).

CAKE + CHEESECAKE

My co-workers actually renamed this cake. The actual name given to this cake is “German Chocolate Cheesecake.” However, when I told them what I was bringing to share, they were expecting cheesecake with a German chocolate topping. Noooo, it’s a German chocolate cake with cheesecake running through it, I told them. So they ask, “Well, why isn’t it called German Chocolate Cheesecake Cake?” I said, “I don’t know, this is just what they call it. Will you just eat it?” And they did. And they loved it. And they keep asking for more. They are a spoiled bunch.

German Chocolate Cheesecake Cake recipe from The Country Cook

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
for the cake:
German chocolate cake mix
(plus ingredients needed per package directions, usually eggs, oil & water)

cream cheese filling:
cream cheese
sugar
eggs

German Chocolate cake frosting:
sugar
evaporated milk
salted butter
egg yolks
vanilla extract
sweetened flaked coconut
chopped pecans

HOW TO MAKE GERMAN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE CAKE:

Prepare cake batter according to package directions; set aside. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour half of the cake batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Gently pour cream cheese mixture over batter. Gently spoon remaining cake batter over top; spread to edge of pan.

cheesecake filling mixed with chocolate cake batter

Bake at 325° for 70-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 1 hour. For the frosting, in a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, butter and egg yolks. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until thickened and a thermometer reads 160° or is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla; fold in coconut and pecans. Cool until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cooled cake.

spreading homemade German Chocolate cake frosting onto chocolate cake

Refrigerate leftovers.

Makes about 16 servings

Enjoy!

Originally published: April 2011
Updated & Republished: June 2019