Devils Food Cake Recipe

This devils food cake uses two 8 inch round cakes and is topped with a rich chocolate frosting and a hint of caramel in the center.

Ingredients

Cakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups boiling water
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting
2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
6-8 tablespoons milk
3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional: 1/2 cup caramel (homemade or a good quality store bought)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare your pans by greasing two 8-inch round cake pans with butter and line with parchment paper.

Use a large bowl to mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl whisk boiling water, chopped chocolate and cocoa bowl, mixing until smooth and incorporated.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer (or vigorously by hand) cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.

Beat in eggs one at a time, cracking them first into a small bowl before putting them into your batter. This is always a good practice in case you get a bad egg.

Beat in sour cream and vanilla.

On low speed mix in 1/3 of the flour mix and half of the chocolate mix.

Repeat (alternating flour and chocolate mixtures) until all ingredients are mixed in.

Divide the batter and pour into the prepared pans, smoothing the surface with a spatula.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Place the cakes (in the pans) on a wire rack to cool. Then invert the cakes onto a greased rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

This frosting will go around the outside of the cake plus will be used in a piping tool to decorate.

In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners sugar and cocoa, and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with evaporated milk. Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, adjust consistency with more milk or sugar. Put some of the frosting into a piping tool.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on your serving plate and spread with 1/3 of the chocolate frosting.

Optional: Drizzle frosting with caramel.

Place another cake layer on top, and gently press down a little bit.

Spread with remaining frosting nice and smooth, leaving 1/3 cup to put into a piping bag to pipe around the edges of the cake.

Cover and refrigerate the cake until serving time.