Can I Make German Chocolate Cake Without Coconut?

Faith Durand
Faith DurandSenior Vice President of Content at AT Media
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning, The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
updated May 13, 2022
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Q: I love German chocolate cake, but I know people who are allergic to coconut.

Can I recreate the caramel and evaporated milk frosting without coconut? Will the layered cake still hold up?

Sent by Lauren

Editor: Lauren, the filling would still be delicious without coconut, but we would recommend making a little more of it (perhaps 50% more) to bulk up the filling between the layers. You could also substitute finely chopped nuts for the coconut.

Anyone ever made German chocolate cake without the coconut? Any good substitutes?

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