1 Video | Photo: Devil's Food Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- Nonstick spray
- 1 cup boiling water
- 4 ounces Dutch-process cocoa
- 10 1/2 ounces dark brown sugar
- 5 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
- 4 ounces cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 1/2 ounces sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 large whole eggs, at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
Directions
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9-inch metal pan with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper so it hangs over the sides of the pan and spray the parchment with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Whisk the boiling water and cocoa powder together in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine the sugar, flours, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whisk the oil, sour cream, eggs and egg yolks in a large pourable vessel. Add the oil mixture to the cocoa and water mixture and slowly whisk to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture over 30 seconds. Continue to beat on low speed for another 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat on low speed until the batter is smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake springs back when pressed and reaches an internal temperature of 205 degrees F, 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes, and then remove cake from the pan and cool completely before frosting, about 1 hour.
Chocolate Frosting:
- 5 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ounce mayonnaise
- 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
- 8 ounces powdered sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
Beat the butter and mayonnaise in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on high, until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add the melted chocolate. Continue mixing on low speed until all of the chocolate is incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Turn off the mixer and add one-third of the sugar. Mix on low to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat until all of the sugar has been incorporated. Add the salt and continue to beat until the frosting is smooth and lightens slightly in color, 2 to 3 minutes.
Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 hours or refrigerate for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before using chilled frosting.
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By SconiMommy
on February 22, 2013
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I first made this cake a few months ago when I was pregnant and had a craving. I had to go with all AP flour and didn't have Dutch process cocoa (and, being pregnant and hankering for sweets, I was doing this all at around midnight so a quick trip to the store was out. It still turned out amazing. The family loved it and despite my best efforts, I was unable to keep some in the freezer for after the baby was born. It was moist and super chocolaty. I didn't have an issue with it being crumbly. I imagine if someone did, they did something wrong.
The frosting was just a tad too sweet for me, but on the cake it was perfect (and was especially good when it was semi-frozen ;.
I'm gearing up to make this again for my son's 3rd birthday and have all the appropriate ingredients on hand. I can't wait to try it again!
AB, you never steer me wrong. :D
By Rosk
on February 15, 2013
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We produced one of the most moist and best-tasting chocolate cakes by following Alton's recipe. The only deviations from the recipe were: 1> using regular cocoa because we could not find dutch- processed cocoa and 2> baking the cake in two 9-inch circular pans.
NOTE: Like many of Alton's baking recipes, when he specifies ounces the recipe is calling for measurement by weight, not volume. You can either weigh these sorts of ingredients on a kitchen scale or convert them from weight to volume and then measure by volume. Stick with what the recipe specifies and measure by weight and you will get a great cake.
We frosted the outside of the cake and its layers with a vanilla-hazelnut mousse. The cake was well-received at a recent birthday party and some other guests wanted to use this recipe as a "go-to" for their cakes in the future.
By jalo.carney
on January 22, 2013
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I own my own bakery and this is, by far, the best Devil's Food cake I've ever tasted! I pair it with my homemade coconut buttercream frosting for my hubby's birthday every year. It's like a moist, cakey Mounds candy bar on a plate. :
Well done, Alton!!
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