If you love chocolate cake but want something fudgier, moister, and richer, then you need to make this devil’s food cake. It is so soft and each bite will melt in your mouth. The cake is dense but still tender, making it absolutely irresistible.
It’s a classic cake recipe that everyone will love. Whenever I bring it out for a party or celebration, there’s rarely a slice left. All you need are some simple ingredients, and you’ll have this delightful chocolatey treat in no time. If you are a chocolate-lover and want another tasty chocolate dessert recipe, then try my chocolate bundt cake recipe, chocolate soufflé recipe, or chocolate mousse recipe next!
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Butter — make sure you bring the butter to room temperature for easier creaming. The butter should be soft enough, so your finger leaves a dent when you press into it. Make sure not to leave the butter out for too long if you’re in a warm environment, as it can become greasy or oily. Also, make sure to buy unsalted butter as different brands of salted butter have varying amounts of salt.
Leavening agents — make sure the baking soda and baking powder are fresh. Expired leavening agents will leave you disappointed.
Cocoa powder — Dutch-process cocoa powder is processed with alkali, so the result is less acidic, giving the cake its signature deep color and decadent chocolate flavor.
Oil — using both butter and oil makes the cake so incredibly moist.
Brown sugar — the addition of brown sugar increases both the flavor and moisture level of the cake.
Coffee — not to worry, the addition of coffee will not make the cake taste like coffee! Instead, the hot coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor of the cake.
Sour cream — always use full-fat sour cream. The sour cream adds moisture to the cake, giving you a moist, tender crumb without thinning the batter. The sour cream will also help activate the baking soda.
Frosting — you can use store-bought frosting or make my chocolate buttercream frosting recipe. It’s easy to make ahead of time!
How to Make Devil’s Food Cake
1 In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
2. Whisk together the cocoa powder and oil in a medium bowl.
3. Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the cocoa powder mixture to the butter, along with the sugars. Beat on medium speed until very light and fluffy.
4. With the mixer running, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed throughout mixing. Beat in vanilla.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk and half of the sour cream. Continue alternating between the flour, milk, and sour cream until combined. Scrape down the bowl.
6. Add the hot coffee and carefully whisk together until well combined.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cakes start to pull away from the sides of the pans and the center springs back when gently pressed.
8. Once completely cooled, cut each cake layer in half horizontally, creating 4 thin rounds, if desired. Place a cake layer on a cake stand, spread about ¾ cup of frosting over the top, and repeat with the remaining cake layers. Spread the remaining frosting all over the outside of the devil’s food cake.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- If the tops of your cakes are domed, use a sharp serrated knife to cut off the domes so you can stack them. Alternatively, you can use cake strips to help your layers come out evenly. Cake strips work by keeping the outside edge of the pan cooler to ensure that the entire cake rises at the same rate, preventing a dome from forming in the middle. If you don’t want to buy cake strips, I have a post on how to DIY cake strips.
- Avoid over-mixing as you risk over-developing the gluten in the batter leading to a tough, dry, and dense devil’s food cake.
- I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour as it’s the most accurate method. However, if you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup.
- Bring the eggs to room temperature, so they mix into the batter more effortlessly. The egg yolk breaks much easier when not cold. If you forgot to bring out your eggs, you could quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with warm tap water for 5 minutes.
- Don’t skip sifting the cocoa powder. Sifting helps prevent lumps in the mixture when combined with the oil.
- Be careful not to overbake the cake layers. You can use a toothpick and poke it into the middle of the cake to test for doneness. There should be a few crumbs clinging to your toothpick. If your toothpick is clean, then you’ve overbaked the cakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a difference between chocolate cake and this cake?
While the two are chocolate flavored, this cake is more decadent, darker, and fluffier than a standard chocolate cake recipe. The extra amount of baking soda in this recipe raises the pH levels of the cake, giving it its deep dark color and making it just a little bit fluffier.
What’s the difference between devil’s food and red velvet?
Devil’s food cake typically uses Dutch-process cocoa for a richer, deeper chocolate flavor, whereas red velvet cake usually uses natural cocoa to enhance its color. Devil’s cake also uses coffee and sour cream to amplify the chocolate flavor, but red velvet uses buttermilk and vinegar to give it its iconic tangy flavor.
Why is this cake called Devil’s food?
This cake got its name in the late 1900s for being sinfully delicious as it’s dark, rich, and chocolatey! It is also completely opposite of the popular angel food cake, so it’s considered the chocolate counterpart and thus, took on the devil moniker.
How do I store this?
The assembled cake can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also keep the cake in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before serving.
Can I freeze this?
If you want to freeze this cake, you can freeze the cake layers without frosting. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and transfer it to a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw the frozen cakes at room temperature for a few hours before frosting. If you want to freeze leftover sliced cake, I recommend flash freezing the slices before wrapping them up, so the frosting doesn’t stick to the plastic wrap.
Can I use another cocoa powder?
The Dutch-processed cocoa powder is what gives this cake its iconic deep, chocolaty flavor. You can certainly use regular or non-alkalized cocoa powder in its place and it will still be a very delicious chocolate cake. The cake may rise a touch more, so just keep an eye on your cake pans in the oven.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Devil’s Food Cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Devil’s Food Cake
Equipment
- Electric or stand mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- 9-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (113g)
- 1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted (100g)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (120ml)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar (110g)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature (120g)
- 1 cup milk room temperature (120ml)
- 1 cup hot coffee (240ml)
- chocolate buttercream frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, or lightly spray with baking spray, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter. Beat on medium speed until creamy. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and oil. Add to the butter along with the sugars. Beat on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl a few times during mixing.
- With the mixer running, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed throughout mixing. Beat in vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture followed by half of the milk and half of the sour cream. Continue alternating between the flour, milk, and sour cream until combined. Scrape down the bowl. Add the hot coffee and carefully whisk together until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cakes are starting to pull away from the sides of the pans and the center springs back when gently pressed. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans. Carefully invert the cakes and remove the parchment paper. (The cakes are very tender and delicate so be gentle.)
For the Assembly:
- If desired, cut each cake layer in half horizontally, creating 4 thin rounds. Place a cake layer on a cake stand, spread about 3/4 cup of frosting over the top. Repeat with the remaining cake layers. Spread the remaining frosting all over the outside of the cake. The assembled cake can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
- If the tops of your cakes are domed, use a sharp serrated knife to cut off the domes so you can stack them. Alternatively, you can use cake strips to help your layers come out evenly. Cake strips work by keeping the outside edge of the pan cooler to ensure that the entire cake rises at the same rate, preventing a dome from forming in the middle. If you don’t want to buy cake strips, I have a post on how to DIY cake strips.
- Avoid over-mixing as you risk over-developing the gluten in the batter leading to a tough, dry, and dense cake.
- I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour as it’s the most accurate method. However, if you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup.
- Bring the eggs to room temperature, so they mix into the batter more effortlessly. The egg yolk breaks much easier when not cold. If you forgot to bring out your eggs, you could quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with warm tap water for 5 minutes.
- Don't skip sifting the cocoa powder. Sifting helps prevent lumps in the mixture when combined with the oil.
- Be careful not to overbake the cake layers. You can use a toothpick and poke it into the middle of the cake to test for doneness. There should be a few crumbs clinging to your toothpick. If your toothpick is clean, you’ve overbaked the cakes.
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