Devil’s Food Cake: the Easy Recipe to Have it Moist, Fluffy and Creamy!

The Devil's Food Cake is a sin of gluttony that will drive both adults and children crazy. It is a sumptuous American chocolate cake, filled and covered entirely with voluptuous dark ganache, ideal to bring to the table as a greeting dessert or a happy ending to a meal on the occasion of a special dinner with guests.

The one we're offering to you, today, is the most genuine version without colorants, which over time has become very popular throughout North America, prepared with a base similar to that of the mud cake: it is obtained by mixing the soft butter with the sugar with an electric whisk, semolina, eggs, cocoa, sifted flour, a pinch of bicarbonate and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

The homogeneous and lump-free mixture will then be distributed inside of an 8 inch diameter hinged mould, well buttered and sprinkled with cocoa, and then put in the oven for just over half an hour: you will thus obtain three soft and scented cakes, to be arranged one on top of the other on a cake stand, or a serving plate, and then interspersed with generous layers of ganache.

Devil's Food Cake Origins

Devil's Food Cake is a staple in American baking that has tantalized taste buds for generations. Tracing its origins back to the late 19th century, this delectable dessert was first mentioned in print in 1902, though its conception likely predates this reference. The name "Devil's Food" contrasts with the lighter "Angel Food Cake," suggesting a richer, more indulgent treat that could tempt anyone to a bit of culinary sin. Early recipes featured a distinctive use of baking chocolate, which was a relatively new ingredient at the time, offering a deeper, more intense chocolate flavor compared to other chocolate cakes of the period.

The evolution of Devil's Food Cake over the years reflects broader trends in American baking and dessert preferences. Initially, it was distinguished from other chocolate cakes by its reddish-brown color, achieved through a reaction between natural cocoa powder and baking soda. However, as baking practices and ingredients evolved, so too did the cake. Today, it often includes a variety of chocolate types and sometimes coffee, which enhances the chocolate flavor, making it a beloved classic in the chocolate cake family. Despite its potentially ominous name, Devil's Food Cake is a celebration of chocolate's dark, rich allure, making it a favorite for countless dessert lovers.

Tips and Advice

– For optimal results, we suggest making the cream with dark quality chocolate with at least 70% cocoa and letting the filling cool, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until it has reached the right density.

– If you like, you can try your hand at one of the many variations on the theme and use tufts of whipped cream and berries for the filling, then spatulating the ganache only on the surface, leaving the various cake levels visible.

– The eggs have to be at room temperature, before being mixed with the butter.

– Remember to sift all your powders.

– You can flavor everything with an orange syrup or an alcoholic rum drink, which will give even more depths of flavor to your cake.

– To speed up the process, you can also use three hinged molds with removable bottoms. If you don't have them at home, however, you can proceed as per our instructions by making one base at a time.

– If your cakes are domed, use a knife or a cake strip to cut off the domes and have perfectly lined cakes to stack one on top of the other.

– You can also make cupcakes, using this recipe, filling the cupcake lines with the cake mixture for 3/4 of the way and baking them for half the time of the full cakes (to check on their readiness, do a simple toothpick test).

– You can make the cake up to 2 days before frosting and serving. Remember to wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and keep them at room temperature.

How to Store Devil's Food Cake

The Devil's Food Cake can be kept in the fridge, in an airtight container, for a maximum of 3-4 days. You can also freeze the cake for up to a month before thawing it; once thawed the cake needs to be eaten in the following 48 hours.

Other Chocolate Cakes You Might Like

Moist Chocolate Cake

Blackout Chocolate Cake

Triple Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Mud Cake

How to Prepare Devil's Food Cake

Whip the soft butter with an electric whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy, then add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract and continue mixing.

Add the eggs, one by one.

Incorporate them with the electric whisk.

Mix the bitter cocoa powder with 180ml of boiling water in a small bowl: at the end you will have to obtain a smooth cream without lumps.

Once cold, pour the cocoa cream into the bowl with the eggs and butter mixture and blend again to combine.

Add the salt and finish with the sifted flour and bicarbonate.

Work the ingredients with the whisk at low speed.

Butter and sprinkle three 8 inches diameter springform pans with bitter cocoa; then distribute the prepared creamy mixture inside and level the surface with the back of a spoon. Place in a preheated oven at 356°F/180°C and cook for about 35 minutes.

Once finished, take the dessert bases out of the oven and leave to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes; then remove them from the mold and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

In the meantime, prepare the ganache: bring the cream almost to the boil in a saucepan with a thick bottom, then add the dark chocolate, chopped with a knife.

Mix well with a whisk until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture.

Remove the pan from the heat, pour everything into a bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring every 15 minutes. Once cold, let the mixture harden in the fridge for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally: at the end you will need to obtain a spreadable cream of the right density.

Place the base of the cake on a serving plate and fill it with the chocolate ganache.

Cover with a second disk of dough and spread it with more chocolate cream.

Place the remaining disc on top and spatulate the cake entirely with the remaining dark ganache.

Bring the devil's food cake to the table, cut it into slices and serve.