The cake above is meant for just one person.
Yes, you’re really supposed to eat the whole thing at once.
Don’t argue.
Arguing will get you nowhere.
Whereas not arguing will get you… cake!
Double-layer chocolate cake, with gooey caramel-coconut-pecan frosting in each and every decadent bite. The cake part is just my recipe for One-Minute Chocolate Cake. So today’s recipe is really all about the gooey frosting.
German Chocolate Mug Cake
Cake:
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 tsp cocoa powder (8g)
- 3 tablespoons spelt flour (or white, or Arrowhead Mills gf) (See nutrition link below, for substitution notes.) (30g)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar or evaporated cane juice (edit: xylitol works as well) (10g)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 stevia packet (or 1 tablespoon more sugar)
- 2-3 tsp coconut oil or vegetable oil (10-12g) (Many readers say it still tastes good if you sub applesauce or mashed banana. But I can’t personally vouch for the results if you make that substitution.)
- 3 tablespoons milk of choice (45g) (I used almond milk)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 1 cup pecans (100g)
- 1/4 cup pitted dates (40g) (If you don’t like dates, you can omit this, but it doesn’t make the frosting taste like dates; it just gives a caramel taste.)
- 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp water (105g)
- scant 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp maple syrup (10g)
- 2 nunaturals stevia packets, or 2 tbsp powdered sugar (or omit and simply increase maple syrup to 3 tbsp, while cutting the water back to 1/4 cup)
- optional: 3 tbsp coconut butter, for a more buttery taste (45g)
- 1 tbsp shredded coconut (5g)
For the cake: Combine first 6 ingredients and mix very, very well. Add ingredients 7-9, stir, then transfer to two 1/2-cup ramekins that have been greased well. If using the oven, cook 13-14 at 350F. If using the microwave, heat 30-60 seconds (depending on the type of flour). If you don’t want to eat it straight out of the dish, be sure to wait for them to cool before trying to remove.
For the frosting: In a dish, cover the pecans and dates in water (not the measured water listed in the recipe) and let soak at least 8 hours. Drain completely, then combine all frosting ingredients except coconut and blend very well, until it is completely smooth. Frost each cake, sprinkle with coconut, and stack one on top of the other. (Frosting recipe makes about 1 1/4c total. Obviously you won’t need all of this for the single-serving cake, but it’s important to make the full batch for optimum blending. Besides… when is leftover frosting a bad thing?)
View German Chocolate Cake Nutrition Facts
**Side note: I always seem to forget that when one runs a food blog, everything is taken literally. No, I did not have just one small plate of food for Thanksgiving… How our Thanksgiving works is that we pretty much eat for the entire party, not just when we sit down for dinner!
Anyway, I edited the post to avoid confusion.
gayle says
28th November 2012 at 4:10 pmI see we can now Pin it…but when will we be able to print recipes with a click? It is such a pain to cut and paste from a website (though I love your recipes).
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
28th November 2012 at 4:51 pmI’m working with a web designer, and when the newly-designed site launches, there will be a print button :).
Lauren says
20th March 2013 at 7:04 pmGayle, Have you ever tried evernote? It’s a great way to keep track of all of your recipes….online. No wasted paper, and it clips them for you so you can just print them.
Tanya @ Playful and hungry says
28th November 2012 at 4:13 pmI’d love to try the pecan frosting! Pecans are my favorite nuts ever! They are just so hart to get in Germany… =(
Cory says
12th June 2013 at 4:07 pmUrgh…I know 🙁 Probier Mal deinen Aldi, manchmal auch bei Lidl. Und dann viele kaufen & einfrieren.
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat says
28th November 2012 at 4:14 pmLooks delicious and super fancy!
Erica { EricaDHouse.com } says
28th November 2012 at 4:18 pmI think I love you.
Colleen says
28th November 2012 at 4:27 pmBRILLIANT! I can’t wait to make this, German chocolate cake is my husband’s FAVORITE. I wish there was a way to fast soak the dates and nuts so I could make it tonight!!
Jasmin says
10th March 2013 at 11:18 pmThis reply is too late to help you out but maybe it will help someone else.. I think this might work (I have tried it on cashews anyway so it might work on pecans and maybe even on the dates): pour boiling water over the nuts and let it sit for 45 min.
Christopher Columbus says
26th February 2015 at 2:04 amThanks, it helped me at least 🙂
Kat says
28th November 2012 at 4:32 pmI´ve always loved your one minute chocolate cake… and with this frosting… mmmmmmmmm 🙂
kimthevegan says
28th November 2012 at 4:33 pmI like to argue/debate as well. But not when chocolate is involved. I will not argue with you about eating the whole thing by yourself =)
That looks utterly divine…
katy sparrow says
28th November 2012 at 4:48 pmYUM. This is my dad’s favorite cake, so my grandma would always make it for his birthday. I look fwd to making my own gorgeous vegan version! I’m really no good at debating, but when I do, I find it very useful to point out commonalities of both sides early on.
Olivia @ OmNom Love says
28th November 2012 at 5:00 pmOh, yum! I haven’t tried your one minute chocolate cake yet, but I might have to after seeing this post. I’ll have to go to the store sometime this week to buy more dates. Adding that to the shopping list right now………
I love to debate. Especially with my dad. He’s a very good partner, because we both never give up and just end up compromising. Or Mom has to step in and stop us. 😉
Angela Guptill says
28th November 2012 at 5:07 pmHi Katie: Just checked the calorie count on the one cup of pecans and it’s 753. Your total calorie count for the finished cake is much lower than that. Did I miss something here? Thanks much and LOVE your recipes and love sharing them 🙂
Lena says
28th November 2012 at 5:10 pmYou don’t use the entire 1 1/4C of frosting that the recipe yields for one mini-cake 🙂 Only part of it…
Amelie says
28th November 2012 at 8:09 pmHow much frosting is used fort the nutrition facts? Thank Katie, your recipes are always so good, I just want to make sure.
Amanda says
28th November 2012 at 8:44 pmThe nutrition facts link says it’s one heaping TBSP for the recipe. You’d be using a tinytiny portion of the whole frosting recipe, but all of the cake portion of the recipe. I’m fairly certain she gave the entire frosting recipe for blending purposes, since I hear it’s nearly impossible to blend small quantities of nuts and still yield a smooth result.
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says
28th November 2012 at 5:20 pmI sent this link to my mom – german chocolate cake is her absolute favorite!
Kayla says
28th November 2012 at 5:22 pmHi Katie!
O my gosh this looks sooooo good!!! I can not wait to try it. Although, I am in college, in a dorm, so baking is not really possible… But christmas break is coming soon so I know what I will be doing! On quick question, do you think you could post the nutrition info for just the frosting? I looks so good, I kind of just want to eat it plain! 🙂
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
29th November 2012 at 12:40 amIt’s around 45c per tbsp.
Kayla says
1st December 2012 at 9:42 pmThank you! So excited to make this you have no idea! 🙂
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure and Health says
28th November 2012 at 5:36 pmI have been thinking about making this single serve cake for so long and this frosting is tempting me even more.
Eating 4 Balance says
28th November 2012 at 5:42 pm*Sigh* I hate that you have to change your posts so much just to appease people.
This mini cake sounds perfect though. I personally don’t like german chocolate cake, but I know tons who do and I will have to try this recipe out on them!
Oh, and I LOVE to argue. My parents always said that I should be a lawyer with all of the questions I ask. Haha. Good to know though that I’m not the only one who likes to talk! 🙂
Michal M says
28th November 2012 at 8:30 pmOh. My. Gosh. That looks AMAZING, and just in time for exam week 😉
Erin says
28th November 2012 at 9:26 pmKatie,
Girl, you never disappoint. I have like 20 food blogs in my favorites list and I check most of them at least once a week. You are the one that posts the most frequently and the most yumm-ily. I used to dream about pizza and enchiladas and now I dream about 1 Minute Cakes, Vegan Frosting and whatever else you will come up with next. Thank you for everything you do.
Natasha says
28th November 2012 at 4:34 pmThis looks like a great icing recipe. I don’t like arguing or debating, I get too upset. And I usually start crying.
Ali @ WHOLEistically Fit says
28th November 2012 at 4:57 pmThis looks incredible! My friend who loves German Chocolate is going to flip out with excitement when I send her this link. 😀
Alexandra says
28th November 2012 at 10:07 pmI love arguing, and it’s inevitable since my family is usually on the opposite of me on issues. It definitely makes holidays interesting 🙂
And I can’t wait to try the recipe. My dorm room’s rickety oven is intimidating, but a personal cake for the season is worth it!
Lia says
28th November 2012 at 10:15 pmThis is perfect. Amazing. I love German chocolate cake, and having a recipe for one serving, is just, you’re just wonderful!
Bianca-Vegan Crunk says
28th November 2012 at 5:50 pmYum!! I would that whole cake, no prob.
kaity @ kaityscooking says
28th November 2012 at 11:34 pmi loveee german chocolate cake! this is amazing. i dont really like to argue but like you ill fight over a debate sorta thing any day..
Dayna says
28th November 2012 at 11:55 pmHoly cow, that looks scrumptious! I might have to whip one up later!
As for arguing, I can’t stand it… But I do love a nice, civil debate.
Chantelle @ A Tale of Two Pretties says
29th November 2012 at 12:16 amOMG. This looks incredible. and so easy. I seriously have so many of your recipes bookmarked–can you please just always make two of everything and send the second batch my way?? 😉
Vyvacious says
29th November 2012 at 12:36 amI actually used to love debating because I enjoy fun, light-hearted banter. However, my last ex ruined that for me because he took it WAAAY too far to the point where we got into a fight about who was better, Batman or Spiderman, because he was determined to make it personal and basically tell me I was a piece of shit for liking Batman. What a wonderful person. Of course, we all know that Batman is way better 😛
My blog is still slowly budding but it must be extremely frustrating to always have to be changing your posts because people get upset about little things. Not agreeing with either party just making a comment that it seems a bit annoying.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
29th November 2012 at 12:42 amBatman is obviously better! Unless he chews my shoes… oh wait, that is just MY Batman ;).
Alyx says
29th November 2012 at 12:55 amI love debating about politics best! My mom is a lawyer and loves to argue so I know I got it from her… So excited to try this recipe! Will a Magic Bullet work as a blender? Thank you! 🙂
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
29th November 2012 at 12:56 amYes, actually! I’d halve the recipe… and maybe use Sunmaid dates or another softer type of dates. I’ve made similar recipes in the bullet and they work, so this one ought to work as well.
Karen A says
28th November 2012 at 7:56 pmSo yummy!
Quinn says
29th November 2012 at 1:11 amLooks delish Katie! 🙂 Will the new mac & cheese recipe be up before X-mas?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
30th November 2012 at 12:29 amI think so!
Amber with Slim Pickin's Kitchen says
30th November 2012 at 3:30 amYaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! This non-vegan southern gal is dying for that recipe! It looks so frickin’ creamy and delicious!
Ed says
28th November 2012 at 8:30 pmDamn that looks dangerous! And tasty!
Erin | The Law Student's Wife says
29th November 2012 at 2:00 amOK, so I know this is for one…but would it be wrong for me to bake two and eat them BOTH?? I adore German chocolate cake because of the FROSTING. You are right–totally the best part.
Catherine says
29th November 2012 at 3:59 amChocolate cake–in a serving for one (aka, ME)? Sounds yummy.
That stinks about having to change your post. I’m fairly new to food blogging, and I sometimes feel paranoid about what I post–like I obviously don’t always fill my plate the way I did on Thanksgiving. Or sometimes I worry it looks I like I didn’t eat enough. The blog doesn’t have to be an exact representation of a meal or a day of eats–it’s often just part of it.
Also, to answer your question: I’m not a big arguer in person, but I was a philosophy and English major, so I know how to argue in writing. 🙂
Sara says
29th November 2012 at 5:52 amHee I dont have a microwave but could I make this recipe too in a normal oven? How long does it have to be in the oven then and at how many degrees? Out does I have to change the recipe a bit?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
30th November 2012 at 12:30 amIt’s in the recipe instructions ;).
Nicole says
29th November 2012 at 3:30 pmIs your picture 2 whole cakes stacked or 1 cake cut in half?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
30th November 2012 at 12:31 amJust the one recipe. I made the one recipe in two 1/2-cup ramekins.
TorontoRunner says
29th November 2012 at 10:31 amThat looks sooooooooo good!!
Olivia @ Liv Lives Life says
29th November 2012 at 3:33 pmWhoa, I’m so glad I stumbled across your blog! This recipe looks amazing; I love single-serve anything!
Barb says
29th November 2012 at 4:34 pmI am in love with your blog, Katie! As a fairly new vegan, I think your recipes are divine. And I LOVE your pics! Can’t wait for a print button AND a cookbook from you. AND I can’t wait to make this simple chocolate cake. So wonderful to have just a single serving size that one can make without feeling guilty or tempted by a whole cake sitting around for days and days. THANKS for all you do! Your blog is the highlight of my day!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
30th November 2012 at 1:03 amAw this made my day 🙂
Danica @ It's Progression says
29th November 2012 at 1:33 pmlooks amazing!!
NobleWorks Cards says
29th November 2012 at 6:54 pmKatie, we here at NobleWorks Cards love your chocolate blog. We wanted to partner with you and have you host a giveaway with our chocolate-themed cards for a few of your lucky readers. Please contact Tina at crin @ nobleworksinc . com for details.
Katie says
29th November 2012 at 8:43 pmIs there anyway possible to make a healthy / healthier version of this recipe!? It looks fantastic!
http://penniesonaplatter.com/2012/09/14/ooey-gooey-smores-dump-cake/
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
30th November 2012 at 1:03 amI can put it on my list of things to try!
Emily @ Emily Eats and Runs says
29th November 2012 at 3:52 pmOh my goodness! Thank you so much for this recipe! Coconut + chocolate is one of my all-time favorites!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
29th November 2012 at 8:54 pmLove this – especially the frosting!!
Cheryl says
29th November 2012 at 9:25 pmOh Katie! You just made my day! When I was a little girl, I went to my elementary school’s carnival. I used all of my tickets in the cake walk but couldn’t win a cake, so teary eyed and about to give up, my big brother David took over the music (starting and stopping the record player)…. THEN guess WHO won a GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE!!? My brother David is gone now and I’ve been missing him. Seeing your German Chocolate Cake recipe just warms my heart today. I can’t wait to make it. Thank you <3
Laura C says
30th November 2012 at 6:18 amCheryl, I know this comment wasn’t intended for me, but your story really warmed my heart. I have many siblings and it’s funny that the little things are the ones most remembered and treasured. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Sarah the official CCK drooler says
29th November 2012 at 10:21 pmHaha, funny you should say that. I am seriously considering law as a college major (or poli-sci).
People always tell me to be a lawyer- I’m pretty persuasive if I do say so myself. It feels good when you change a person’s mind about politics or whatever- love it when that happens!
trajayjay says
29th November 2012 at 11:59 pmLooks interesting to try.
I would love to make your frosting recipes and sugar free recipes, but it looks like most of them call for a high power blender or food processor. i have none and I am tres disappointed, but maybe I’ll get one around xmas. can’t wait. stay healthy
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
30th November 2012 at 1:04 amYou can use something as small as a Magic Bullet for this one :).
Bek @ Crave says
30th November 2012 at 1:39 amHaha I don’t think anyone would argue with that! I do like to argue- but more disagree and provoke ..just to be annoying ya know? Haha, my dad use to say I should be a lawyer because I’m so good at arguing 😉
Christine @ Cooking Crusade says
30th November 2012 at 2:46 amMmmm yum that frosting looks wonderful! I need to give blending dates and nuts a try.. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Emily @ www.main-eats.com says
29th November 2012 at 11:22 pmI could definitely eat that all! : )
Amber with Slim Pickin's Kitchen says
30th November 2012 at 3:37 amI’m not even kidding you I was totally thinking just today how awesome a German chocolate cake would be! Squeeee!!! So stoked! As for arguing, it depends on my mood. Sometimes I like it and sometimes I’ll give in so I can get a snuggle…that’s what marriage does to you 😉
Jacquie K. says
30th November 2012 at 4:04 pmThis cake looks wonderful! I can’t wait to try it.
As for arguing (debating), when I was a teen, my father said that I would argue with a nail in a fence post as to why it was there! I’ve mellowed out since then, thank God!
Kelly says
30th November 2012 at 4:46 pmMade these last night, and they were amazing! And they came together so quickly as well (though somehow my creations never look quite as pretty as yours!) If you chill the leftover icing in the fridge, it becomes the perfect German Chocolate Cake Dip for pretzels and all manner of cookies and fruit, by the way 🙂
Raquel says
30th November 2012 at 7:42 pmI posted the chocolate oatmeal cookies, because thar is what got me turned onto your site in September and helps me stay away from other desserts.
Debbe says
30th November 2012 at 9:53 pmOther people say I do. I see it as just defending my point of view, when others disagree with me, or continuing the conversation. 🙂 If they disagree, am I not supposed to continue the conversation? 🙂 So, I guess I do. I once thought about being a lawyer, as well, but I’m not into the whole public speaking thing!
Lauren @ Oatmeal after Spinning says
30th November 2012 at 9:57 pmOh, wow- the ooey, gooey frosting looks delicious! I never thought about the dates giving a caramel flavor, but I could see that (I don’t use dates NEARLY enough!)
Kristi Porter says
1st December 2012 at 3:48 amWould love to see you tackle a lighter version of Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars! Even a single serve version.
Sarah at bakeonthrough.com says
1st December 2012 at 11:42 amI have liked you on Facebook since forever!!
Sarah at bakeonthrough.com says
1st December 2012 at 11:43 amFollow you on Twitter too!
Walt says
1st December 2012 at 6:39 pmThis recipe looks great. My birthday is coming up, so I’m thinking this would be a wonderful gift to me fom me! (Unless I convince my wife to make it. I do need to get some dates first, though.)
As for arguing, I do like to argue, sometimes just for the sake of arguing, I’m told. I thought of becoming a lawyer in my younger life, but I was a bit too shy at the time, plus my grades weren’t quite good enough for law school. Now, I think I’m well past the age to start considering a new career such as this (56 on Wednesday, but a young 56 🙂 ).
Lauren @chocolatecoveredkatie says
1st December 2012 at 8:04 pmHello, I did not see the cholesterol content included in the nutrition info. Is there any way you could add it? Thanks in advance!
Caroline says
2nd December 2012 at 6:33 amAll Katie’s food is cholesterol free– it’s vegan, and cholesterol is only in animal products.
So unless you’re subbing in eggs or dairy products, there will be none. 🙂
Sherrie says
1st December 2012 at 11:05 pmKatie. You are awesome. Just made my own lil’ cake to help make me smile while my husband is watching another college football game. If he only knew I was cheering over your dessert, and not the plays. Thank you for making my weekends just that much better. Can’t wait for more. I am sure there are going to be more sports games!
Georgia says
4th December 2012 at 4:04 ammade this with orange juice instead of milk and it was really good! great for any dairy intolerant ones out there! 🙂