Deadly Coconut Pecan Frosting

By
Carroll Pellegrinelli
Carroll Pellegrinelli
Expert baker and published author, Carroll Pellegrinelli shares her knowledge of bread baking and desserts.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/8/21
German Chocolate Cake

The Spruce Carroll Pellegrinelli
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
400 Calories
30g Fat
31g Carbs
6g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 400
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 38%
Saturated Fat 16g 78%
Cholesterol 87mg 29%
Sodium 96mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 143mg 11%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 253mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A German Chocolate Cake is a lightly flavored chocolate cake. It needs a powerful icing to make it something special. That’s what this recipe is all about. This Coconut Pecan Frosting is great to use on a German Chocolate Cake. There's just something special about all of the butter mixed with coconut and pecans. Yummy!

The recipe makes enough frosting for a two-layer cake.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter

  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, lightly toasted

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter.

  3. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk and the egg yolk.

  4. While constantly stirring, bring the mixture to a boil.

  5. Once it boils, remove from the pan from the heat.

  6. Stir in the coconut and the pecans.

  7. Cool the frosting to room temperature, Once cool spread it on German Chocolate Cake or some other cake of your desire.

Notes in the Margin:

Unlike other versions of this recipe, this recipe runs down the side of the cake. If you want to "tighten-up" this icing, add more coconut and pecans, about 1/2 of a cup of each should do it. Also, make sure it's completely cool.

This frosting is made for the freezer. Just be sure to put it either in an air-free, sealed bag or plastic container. Before using it, defrost it in the refrigerator. You could also heat it a bit before frosting the cake, especially if you want it to drip down the sides of the cake.