Why German Chocolate Cake Was My Moby Dick

Since I was a little boy, German Chocolate Cake has been one of my favorite desserts. So when I decided to open HILLBITES, I knew our mission of creating classic desserts and fare as well as unique takes on classic dishes would be my time to conquer my white whale...the very dessert I have loved since I was a little boy, but failed at making time and time again.

The balance in a German Chocolate Cake is not easy to achieve. If you don't know what you are doing, the chocolate buttercream can overpower the rest of the cake, as can the pecan and coconut frosting. Throughout my life, I would try and try and try again to make this incredible dessert to my satisfaction (as anyone who knows me will attest, this is not an easy thing to achieve). Each time I failed...or at the very least I did not succeed and learned something from each attempt. In other words, no matter how much I tried...no matter how much advice I had gotten from professional baker and chef friends, I just could not get it right. It literally became my Moby Dick.

Flash forward to about two weeks ago, after 18 different variations on a new recipe I created this year, I did it! I conquered my white whale! This incredibly rich and moist chocolate cake is perfectly balanced with the coconut and pecan frosting while the cocoa in the chocolate buttercream nicely compliments the overall experience.

I am still gobsmacked that I did it...after almost 30 years of trying to get it right. But, of course, I just couldn't stop there. I tried to think of how I can get my German Chocolate Cake out to more people. Our German Chocolate Cake is large and has two layers. So I decided to adapt the recipe to create a German Chocolate Loaf...this allows HILLBITES to sell the cake at a lower cost than its big brother.

Now came the big hurdle to get over...when I started HILLBITES, I put together a panel of 12 taste testers from all walks of life and tastes. I was worried that at least a few of them wouldn't like it. I could not have been more wrong. They all LOVED it. 

So if my only achievement this year is finally putting the nail in the coffin on this self-imposed challenge I have had since I was a kid, then I would still be a happy man. It's the little things in life, my friends!

If you want to experience German Chocolate Cake or German Chocolate Loaf, head to our online store or visit HILLBITES on Facebook or Instagram!