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German Chocolate Dump Cake

4.5 from 250 votes
A quick, easy version of German chocolate cake, complete with a layer of coconut and chopped pecans.
photo of Danelle, author of Let's Dish
Published on , Updated February 7, 2025
4.5 from 250 votes

A quick, easy version of German chocolate cake, complete with a layer of coconut and chopped pecans.

German Chocolate Dump Cake

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

When you’re craving dessert, but you don’t have a lot of time to spare, nothing beats a dump cake. And this German Chocolate Dump Cake may just be my favorite dump cake ever!

If you’re a fan of traditional German chocolate cake, think of this as a quicker, easier version of the classic. But just because it’s quick and easy, doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious!

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My husband cooked this cake in a Dutch oven over briquettes. He was looking for a recipe that he could make for our Idaho RV group. This recipe won hands down! I’m sure he will make it every time he gets to bake for a crowd. It was delicious and I didn’t have to do anything…..not even clean-up.

Jane

5-star rating

This cake, filled with coconut, cream cheese and chopped pecans, is as decadent as any German chocolate cake I’ve ever had. And like most dump cakes, it’s so simple, my kids can make it.

You start with a devil’s food cake mix, add a few special ingredients, and about 40 minutes later, you’ve got a rich chocolate cake ready to serve!

It’s worth keeping the ingredients on hand, just so you can whip this dessert up for last minute guests, or in case an unexpected chocolate craving strikes!

German Chocolate Dump Cake

You may be wondering about the cream cheese–not a traditional ingredient in German chocolate cake. But trust me, it works!

Somehow during the baking process, the cream cheese combines with the coconut, pecans and powdered sugar to replicate the gooey coconut frosting you’d find on a classic German chocolate cake. I don’t know how it happens, but it does!

We like to serve this cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. But it’s equally wonderful sliced and served at room temperature.

In fact, I may have been caught eating it straight from the pan, not even bothering with a plate or proper utensils.

Be sure to save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.

German Chocolate Dump Cake

Ingredients

  • Coconut
  • Pecans
  • Devil’s food cake mix plus ingredients for making cake
  • Cream cheese
  • Butter 
  • Vanilla
  • Salt
  • Powdered sugar
  • Chocolate chips
German Chocolate Dump Cake

German Chocolate Dump Cake

A quick, easy version of German chocolate cake, complete with a layer of coconut and chopped pecans.
4.49 from 250 votes
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Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 553kcal
Author: Danelle

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans divided
  • 1 box devils food cake mix plus ingredients for making cake
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
  • Sprinkle coconut and 1 cup of chopped pecans into the prepared pan.
  • Prepare cake mix according to package direction. Pour over coconut and pecans.
  • In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, but the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar. Stir in the chocolate chips and the remaining pecans.
  • Using a spoon, dollop the cream cheese mixture over the cake batter. Gently swirl the cream cheese mixture into the batter with a knife.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 553kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 519mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 47g
Keep scrolling for tips, ingredient substitutions, answers to frequently asked questions and more!

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17 comments

  • Carla Ison

    Yum! I used to make a similar cake several years ago and lost the recipie so I’m happy to have seen this one!

  • Yvonne Patton

    can you freeze this cake?

  • Delicious and moist . I used a German Chocolate cake mix with pudding instead of Devil’s food cake mix. I will definitely make this again. I made German chocolate icing to spoon on the top for my husband bc he loves sweets.

4.49 from 250 votes (250 ratings without comment)

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photo of Danelle, author of Let's Dish

Hello! I’m Danelle. Thanks for visiting.

At Let's Dish, I'm bringing a taste of uptown foodie to real-life, everyday meals! Here, I share simple, reliable recipes that make mealtime easy.
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