A method for the catalytic condensation and/or coupling of organic compounds containing at least one oxo and/or hydroxyl function with CH-acidic compounds for the production of higher alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, aromatic compounds and/or alkanes, as well as mixtures thereof, wherein the following mixture of educts is used: at least one organic compound containing at least one oxo and/or hydroxyl function which contains at least 3 carbon atoms and is selected from the group formed by primary and/or secondary alcohols, aldehydes and ketones, as well as mixtures thereof, with at least one CH-acidic compound which contains at least 3 carbon atoms, wherein the CH-acidic compound is selected from the group formed by primary and/or secondary alcohols, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid anhydrides, carboxylic acid esters, aldehydes, ketones, nitriles, nitro compounds, organic nitrates and mixtures thereof, wherein and may be identical, and is reacted in the presence of at least one catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises an activated carbon substrate which is provided with at least one metal, wherein a shaped activated carbon is used as the catalyst, which can be produced by means of a method for the production of shaped activated carbon from a carbon substrate, a binder and a catalytic component with general formula: m3 [AO n4] m4 wherein - M represents a cation and is selected from the group formed by alkali or alkaline earth metal cations; - m3 and m4 represent whole-number stoichiometric coefficients with m3 ≥ 1 and m4 ≥ 1; - [AO n4] represents an oxygen-containing anion with the whole-number stoichiometric coefficient n4 ≥ 1; - [AO n4] is preferably selected from the group formed by carbonates or hydroxides, wherein the binder is obtained by reacting a watersoluble carbohydrate-containing starting material with a glucose content of ≥ 50% by weight, wherein the carbohydrate substrate is initially mixed with the catalytic component, wherein subsequently, the mixture of the catalytic component and the carbohydrate substrate is mixed with the binder, wherein the mixture of the carbohydrate substrate, catalytic component and binder obtained in this manner is compacted into shaped bodies and wherein the shaped bodies are carbonized and activated, wherein the binder is obtained by reacting the carbohydrate-containing starting material with an additional material, wherein in order to obtain the binder, the additional material is added to the carbohydrate-containing starting material before mixing the binder with the mixture of the carbohydrate substrate and the catalytic component, wherein the additional material is selected from the group formed by phosphoric acids and/or salts thereof, sulphuric acids and/or salts thereof, and/or sulphuric acid derivatives and/or salts thereof. at least one organic compound containing at least one oxo and/or hydroxyl function which contains at least 3 carbon atoms and is selected from the group formed by primary and/or secondary alcohols, aldehydes and ketones, as well as mixtures thereof, with at least one CH-acidic compound which contains at least 3 carbon atoms, wherein the CH-acidic compound is selected from the group formed by primary and/or secondary alcohols, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid anhydrides, carboxylic acid esters, aldehydes, ketones, nitriles, nitro compounds, organic nitrates and mixtures thereof, - M represents a cation and is selected from the group formed by alkali or alkaline earth metal cations; - m3 and m4 represent whole-number stoichiometric coefficients with m3 ≥ 1 and m4 ≥ 1; - [AO n4] represents an oxygen-containing anion with the whole-number stoichiometric coefficient n4 ≥ 1; - [AO n4] is preferably selected from the group formed by carbonates or hydroxides,