Devil's Food Cake

Now that Passover is over I can post a leavened dessert. I've been to three Seders this past week and now it is time to eat cake! Cake cake cake cake cake!

Devil's Food Cake is a thing of beauty. It's moist, light, chocolaty, straightforward, dark and tastes better with time. I have used it as a component for a number of plated desserts. It stands up to mousse, ganache, sabayon, pot de creme and ice creams but as well it can be dusted simply with confectioner's sugar and eaten the day it's made as tea cake. I've baked it in sheet pans, ring molds, ramekins and cake pans.

You don't even need a Kitchen-Aid!

Just a few bowls, a whisk and a sifter...

Get a recipe and the 411 on the science of this miraculous cake over at KQED's Bay Area Bites ~

Comments

[Tai - Tai]

Hi Shuna,
I want to know can I substitute sour milk or plain yogurt for the buttermilk in the Devil's Food Cake?
I live in China and we don't have buttermilk, I usually sub milk that I have soured with lemon juice or vinegar or I use plain yogurt.
I also cannot get cake flour but my cakes come out well with the flour I do buy here.
I cannot wait to try the Devils Food recipe! Thanks!

[M]

YUMMO! Thank you so much.

[Alto2]

Small point of information: Reform Jews will break Passover on Monday evening April 9, 2007. Israeli, Conservative, and Orthodox Jews will break Passover on Tuesday evening, April 10, 2007.

In any case, that Devil's Food Cake would be a great way to return to the land of leavening.

[MEJ]

This is EXACTLY what I need to make today!! Thanks so much. It sounds great...and I am even allergic to chocolate (but life is just too short).

[Melissa]

Perfect timing! Laszlo's second birthday is right around the corner (4/19). He is becoming quite the little devil. I only wish you could come to his (wheels themed) party.
Love,
Melissa

[shuna fish lydon]

Tai-Tai,

Yes, soured milk should be just fine. I once made the cake with sourcream/creme fraiche and the cake came out much richer, but more tender. (meaning that it could hardly make it out of the pan it was so relaxed.)

Alto2,

Thank you so much for the clarification! I put the information on the KQED site as well. I grew up barely religious so I'm glad to have more information now.

MEJ,

what part of chocolate are you allergic to? cocoa is missing all the solids and fat...

Melissa,

If I could get on a plane tomorrow to see Lazlo in all his glory I would. But I think I'll see y'all in June... :}

[robert]

damn. i was itching to bake after church yesterday, so i made a batch of peanut butter cookies (from my joy of cooking). if i'd known this was out there, though, it would've been in my kitchen already. just teaches me to check here first next time.

[Joanna]

Wow, ask and you shall receive!

Thank you so much, Shuna. I'll let you know how it turns out. And you are correct - it was your yellow cake recipe which made me know that you'd be the perfect one to ask for its chocolate companion. Thanks again.

[Garrett]

I used what I learned from your egg whites class in a flourless chocolate cake today! They came out perfect! Thanks Shuna!
http://vanillagarlic.blogspot.com/2007/04/fojos-
flourless-chocolate-cupcakes-with.html

[Stephanie]

Brilliant inspiration ... thank you ... but please Shuna, I'm so far away and can't come to your classes and have just had a terrible cake catastrophe... please give me some tips to make Genoise... I'm telling myself I will get back on the horse but I'm scared!

[shuna fish lydon]

Stephanie,

Genoise IS hard to make. I know it's a cake that those outside America are expected to be able to make, but to make it well is a challenge.

1. all ingredients must absolutley be room temperature.

2. you may even warm the eggs slightly in a bowl over a water bath to get them beyond cold.

3. Triple sift the flour and any other dry ingredients.

4. start beating the eggs slow on an electric mixer and increase speed slowly-- do not start them on high. you will get better volume if you start eggs slow.

5. fold triple sifted dries into eggs in the largest, widest bowl that's in your kitchen! FOLD WITH INTENTION. meaning-- do not just fold and fold and think about something else. each fold should be directed at keeping the air structure in place and incorporating the flour in well but carefully. fold butter in this way too.

6. when spreading batter into prepared pan, touch it as little as possible. the more you spread it out, the more air you lose.

7. set very small timers so that you can turn the pan and take it out JUST as it is baked.

this should help. let me know if it does, please.

[Jill]

Ahhh, the cocoa! This explains why, when I made Devil's Food cake with 7-minute icing (similar to but not identical to a Swiss meringue, I discovered), it did not turn out at all as I expected. It was not light and fluffy, but dense and rich--very good, but in an entirely different way. I had chalked it up to the humidity, but now I stand older, wiser, thanks to you (-: well, at least the wiser part :-)

[Yoshino]

Hello Shuna,
I made your Devil's Food Cake. There are so many recipes about DFC, I love yours in that pont you use hot coffee. I'm a coffeeholic, I made a little more coffee for cake and myself. Baking cakes with some coffee makes me so relax.
My DFC was done well. It was moist, rich and so yummy! I put the photo on my Japanese blog. Maybe you can see it except Japanese words. Thanks, Shuna!

[shuna fish lydon]

Jill,

I am SO very glad to teach someone about the cocoa difference. This comment made my day.

Yoshino,

You have such a lovely blog! Thanks for the great photographs too. I know that the flour and other ingredients are very different in japan so it excites me to know that you were able to achieve such a wonderful cake there too.

[amy]

whats the differnec between devil's food cake and swiss chocolate cake?

[shuna fish lydon]

Amy,

If you can tell me a bit about Swiss chocolate cake, or send me a link, I can answer this question.