Devil’s Food Cake is an indulgent, deeply flavored dessert with layers of moist cake, covered with rich and velvety frosting.
If you’re a big chocolate cake fan, you have to try this classic Cake Recipe. It’s everything you love about a traditional Chocolate Cake Recipe but with even more intense chocolate flavor.
Sabrina’s Devil’s Food Cake Recipe
This Devil’s Food Cake recipe is one of my favorite desserts ever. It’s perfect for a birthday, holiday, or any special occasion. If you’re craving chocolate, then this is the one for you. Even though it looks fancy, it’s surprisingly easy to make. If you’re a beginner baker and want a recipe that’s going to wow your guests, then try this one out. Decorating the layered cake may seem like a lot of work, but with some patience, and my tips below, you can make it look clean and beautiful without much effort.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup hot brewed coffee
- 6 ounces dark chocolate chopped finely
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Dark Chocolate Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
- 1 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2/3 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and dust with cocoa powder three 9" cake pans.
- In a stand mixer on low speed mix together the butter and sugar on medium speed until combined.
- Raise to high speed and beat for 3 minutes.
- Lower speed to the lowest speed setting.
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add to the stand mixer in ½ cup increments until just combined.
- Add the coffee and dark chocolate shavings to a bowl.
- Let sit for 3 minutes, then whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Add to the stand mixer on the lowest speed setting.
- In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla then add it to the stand mixer on low then medium speed until just combined.
- Pour one-third of the batter into each of the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes then remove, let cool completely and frost with the chocolate frosting.
Dark Chocolate Frosting:
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan and whisk in the cocoa powder then remove from the heat and let cool.
- Add the cooled chocolate mix to your stand mixer and whip on medium speed adding the powdered sugar and milk, alternating them ⅓ at a time and finally add the vanilla in last.
- If the frosting is too thick, add a bit more milk.
To Finish:
- To your cake stand add a spoonful of frosting.
- Level the cakes with a large serrated knife and discard the cake pieces.
- Brush off excess crumbs.
- Add the first layer of the cake to the cake stand.
- Top with 1 cup of frosting, spread evenly.
- Top with second layer of cake.
- Top with 1 cup of frosting, spread evenly.
- Add 1 cup of frosting, coating the outside of the cake.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow to harden.
- Frost the cake with half the remaining frosting.
- Pipe swirly mounds onto the top of the cake.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
My number one tip to making a layer cake look like it came from a bakery, is to allow it to cool before frosting. It takes patience, but if you don’t want your frosting to melt off the cake, you must allow it to cool completely.
How to Store
- Serve: Let the frosting set for a few minutes before slicing and serving. You don’t want to leave uncovered at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: To keep fresh, cover it in a cake dome or plastic wrap. It can keep well at room temperature for up to 2 days this way.
- Freeze: If you want to store leftover slices for a few months, carefully wrap them or seal them in an airtight container. As long as it’s sealed well, you can keep frozen for up to 6 months.
FAQs
There are a few key differences between Devil’s Food Cake and a traditional chocolate cake. This cake has a richer, dark chocolate flavor and a fluffier texture. The deep chocolate flavor is accomplished by using dark chocolate cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate for an added layer of deep chocolate taste. It also has a more tender texture than most cake recipes. That airy texture is thanks to the addition of extra baking soda along with the baking powder. The leavening agents work together to make the fluffiest chocolate cake ever.
Using unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder gives this cake its deep, dark chocolate flavor. However, you can also use dutch processed cocoa powder for a similar result.
This cake recipe first started appearing in cookbooks in the early 20th century. It got its name due to the chocolate flavor being so rich it seemed “sinful.”
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