German chocolate cake is Texan and not German

It may surprise you to learn that German chocolate cake is not actually German. (But don’t worry, it’s still very much chocolate and still very much cake.) And it’s also very Texan.

Pecans aren’t historically found in the German diet, but Texans sure love them. Buttermilk — which is mixed with chocolate in the cake — is also a Southern staple. As it turns out, the cake is an American creation, not brought to us from German immigrants as many have thought.

After researching the origins of the cake, every bite and nibble took us back to a recipe that ran in The Dallas Morning News in June 1957 called German Sweet Chocolate Cake.

Mrs. George Clay of Southeast Dallas submitted her recipe for the Julie Benell’s Recipe of the Day column using Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate. It was called “German’s” chocolate after Samuel German, who invented the sweetened chocolate while working for Baker’s Chocolate, which was then owned by General Foods (now owned by Kraft). The

chocolate includes sugar, which provides a shortcut for bakers.

According to What’s Cooking America, the 1957 recipe was picked up by newspapers across the country, and sales of Baker’s chocolate soared along with the popularity of the cake.

Confusion about the origins of the cake have persisted. In 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson is reported to have served the cake at his Johnson City ranch for a luncheon with German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard. It is not known if Mr. Erhard liked the cake, or if he realized it was erroneously made in honor of his home country.

So, what is German Sweet Chocolate Cake? It’s usually three layers (sometimes two) of chocolate cake made with melted sweetened chocolate and buttermilk, and topped with a custard-y frosting of eggs and sugar mixed with coconut and pecans. The frosting also is sandwiched in between the layers.

The cake is not really that pretty, but hey, there was no Instagram back in the ‘50s and ‘60s.