IF YOU are a fan of chocolates and cake, you would enjoy chocolate cakes of all varieties – moist chocolate cake, chocolate ganache cake, German chocolate cake, or even chocolate swiss rolls.
But have you ever wondered about the origin of the German chocolate cake? Is it true that this delicious dessert originates from Germany?
Verdict:
FALSE
Surprisingly, despite having the word German in its name, it does not come from Deutschland. Instead, it originated in Dallas, Texas in 1957.
But how did the term ‘German’ appear? It is said to be traced back to the 1850s, when a baker named Samuel German created a sweet baking chocolate.
German had developed a new chocolate with a higher sugar content for the Baker’s Chocolate company. The company would then name the creation “German’s Sweet Chocolate” after him.
Later in 1957, The Dallas Morning News published a recipe for “German’s Chocolate Cake”, which is credited to Dallas resident Mrs George Clay, who named the cake as such because it utilised German’s Sweet Chocolate.
The recipe became so popular that other publications started running it, which saw Baker’s Chocolate’s sales soaring. It is believed that through all the various publications of the original recipe, the apostrophe ‘s’ got lost along the way – and left Germany ‘taking credit’ for this American dessert.
So, what constitutes a German Chocolate Cake? It is a layered chocolate cake (usually with two to three layers) made with melted sweetened baking chocolate and buttermilk, topped with a custardy frosting of eggs and sugar mixed with coconut and pecans. The frosting is also sandwiched in between the layers.
Anyhow, if you are interested in baking a German chocolate cake, you can find the recipe here: https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/food/2018/05/25/german-cake-not-from-germany/
At the time of writing, Germany is still competing in the UEFA European Football Championship. The writer would like to cheer “Ole ole ole, Super Deutschland, ole!” as he indulges in a slice or two of a tasty German chocolate cake.
References:
1. https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-did-german-chocolate-cake-get-its-name/
2. https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/food/2018/05/25/german-cake-not-from-germany/
3. https://www.npr.org/2007/06/23/11331541/celebrating-not-so-german-chocolate-cake
