Samuel German was a German-born American pastry chef and inventor, best known for creating the famous German chocolate cake in the 19th century. He developed a dark-baking chocolate that was named after him, which became a key ingredient in the cake recipe. In 1852, German moved to the United States, where he worked for a chocolate company in Texas. His chocolate was later used in a recipe published in a Dallas newspaper in 1957, which popularized the cake and led to its widespread recognition. Today, German chocolate cake remains a beloved dessert around the world.