German chocolate cake

Despite its name, the cake did not come from Germany. It is named after an American baker named Samuel German, who developed a sweet baking chocolate in the 1850s. A recipe using that chocolate appeared in a Dallas newspaper in 1957 and quickly spread across the United States.

The layers are light and tender, with a gentle chocolate flavor. The frosting is cooked on the stovetop from evaporated milk, egg yolks, sugar and butter until thick, then mixed with shredded coconut and chopped pecans. The sides are often left bare or covered with chocolate frosting.