German Chocolate Cake Balls

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 40

Chill Time (or overnight) 4

Course Dessert

Servings 36

2 bags Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers feel free to use whatever flavor you prefer
2 Tbsp (27g) vegetable oil
flaked coconut toasted
chopped pecans chips

First, over medium heat on the stove in a medium sized sauce pan, combine your butter, brown sugar, evaporated milk and egg yolks. Whisk until combined and let it come to a low boil. Once it begins boiling, stir constantly for about 4-6 minutes until it has thickened. Once thickened, remove from heat and add in your vanilla, then mix in coconut and chopped pecans until combined. Let mixture cool completely to room temperature. You can easily make ahead and store in the refrigerator until cake is cool and ready to combine.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 2 9-inch Round Cake Pans with Baker’s Joy or your preferred pan release. Set aside.
Place eggs in a separate bowl, and beat them lightly. Set aside.
Measure out 1 cup of your hot coffee and set aside (or, dissolve one instant coffee packet in 1 cup of hot boiling water, and set aside)
In a large bowl, add all your dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt) and thoroughly combine.
Next, stir in your wet ingredients one at a time in the following order (thoroughly combining after each addition)…vegetable oil, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and lastly, your hot coffee. Please be aware that the hot coffee will make your batter very thin. This is exactly how it should be, so don’t panic!
Fill your cake pans equally with your cake batter. Bake cakes for 30-35 minutes, using a toothpick to test if the batter is ready (if the toothpick comes out clean, they are done baking). Allow your cakes to completely cool (I placed mine in the fridge to speed up this process).

Break your cakes up into chunks and place them into a large bowl. Add in your cooled coconut pecan filling and stir until incorporated. I found it easier to simply use my hands for this and mix until combined but you can also use a hand mixer as well. Place your cake and filling mixture in the fridge for 30 -45 minutes (or you can leave it in the fridge overnight). This will help firm up your mixture in order to form the balls easier. Once firm, start forming 1 inch balls from your mixture and place each on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Return your cake balls to the fridge to firm up for another 30-45 minutes (or, again, you can leave them overnight to chill and firm up).

In a pan on a stove on medium heat, toast your coconut flakes until lightly brown. Remove from heat and mix in with your chopped pecans. This will be used to sprinkle on top of your cake balls once you dip them.

Melt your Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers according to the package. The only note I have on this step is to not overheat. You don’t want to overheat because it will make the chocolate too thin (or it will create a thickness that does not coat the cake balls with a smooth surface). Once melted, add in 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil per bag to help make the mixture smooth. Then you’re ready! Use a fork (or two) to begin dipping each chilled cake ball into the chocolate. Let remaining chocolate run off back into the bowl and simply place each ball on the parchment paper to harden. This will happen pretty fast so have your mixed toasted coconut/chopped pecan mixture ready and add it right after you place each cake ball onto the parchment before it hardens. Continue until all cake balls are coated with chocolate.