If you love chocolate cake, this Devil’s Food cake is the one that delivers. Deep, dark, and intensely chocolatey, it’s made with Dutch cocoa and real chocolate bloomed with hot water for maximum flavor. Finished with a smooth chocolate ganache frosting, this cake is rich without being overly sweet — the kind of cake that feels elegant but still completely indulgent.
When I was running my cake business, I learned that not all chocolate cakes are equal. Some are light and fluffy. Some are dense and fudgy. But when someone wanted something dramatic — something that tasted like proper chocolate — Devil’s Food was the answer.
And instead of piling on buttercream, I often chose ganache. It sealed the cake beautifully, gave it that glossy finish, and made every slice look like it came from a bakery window.
Why is this the best recipe?
- It delivers real chocolate depth, thanks to Dutch cocoa and melted dark chocolate bloomed with hot water for a bold, intense flavor in every bite.
- The crumb is moist yet perfectly structured, soft enough to feel indulgent but sturdy enough to slice cleanly and hold its shape.
- The chocolate ganache balances the richness beautifully, creating a smooth, elegant finish that isn’t overly sweet.
- It feels special without being complicated, using simple techniques and pantry ingredients to create a bakery-quality layer cake at home.
Ingredients You Will Need for This Devil’s Food Cake
- All-Purpose Flour – Provides structure and stability to the cake. You can substitute with cake flour for a slightly softer, lighter crumb, but avoid self-rising flour unless you adjust the leavening.
- Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder – Gives the cake its deep, dark color and rich chocolate flavor. Natural cocoa powder can be used in a pinch, but the flavor will be lighter and slightly more acidic.
- Dark Chocolate – Adds depth and body to the chocolate flavor. Use good-quality dark chocolate (60–72%). Semi-sweet chocolate works if that’s what you have, but avoid milk chocolate as it’s too sweet and low in cocoa.
- Leavening – Baking soda helps the cake rise and deepens the color when combined with acidic ingredients like buttermilk and brown sugar. Baking powder provides additional lift and ensures the cake rises evenly. Do not substitute unless you fully understand leavening adjustments.
- Unsalted Butter – Adds richness and flavor. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt slightly.
- Sugar – While white sugar provides sweetness and structure, brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle molasses depth. Light or dark brown sugar both work; dark brown will give a slightly richer flavor.
- Eggs – Provide structure and richness. Room-temperature eggs incorporate more smoothly.
- Buttermilk – Adds tenderness and activates the baking soda. If you don’t have buttermilk, mix regular milk with a little lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 5–10 minutes.
- Hot Water (or Hot Coffee) – Blooms the cocoa and melted chocolate for deeper flavor. Hot coffee is an excellent substitute and enhances the chocolate without tasting like coffee.
- Vanilla Extract – Rounds out and enhances the chocolate flavor. Pure vanilla extract is best.
Step-by-step: Devil’s food cake with Chocolate Ganache
Cake Batter
- Prepare the pans – Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Grease and line three 7-inch round cake pans or two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and sugars – In a large bowl, beat the butter with the white and brown sugar until lighter in color and slightly fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add dry ingredients and buttermilk – Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla.
- Bloom the chocolate – In a heatproof bowl, combine the chopped dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and coffee. Pour the hot water over the mixture and whisk until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool to room temperature. The mixture will look thin at first — that’s normal.
- Mix just until combined — do not overmix. Add the chocolate mixture. Pour in the cooled cocoa mixture and mix until fully incorporated. The batter will be slightly thin and glossy — this is exactly what you want.
- Bake – Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until the centers spring back lightly when pressed and a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool – Let cool in the pans briefly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Ganache Frosting
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate, heavy cream, butter, and light corn syrup until completely dissolved and smooth.
- Let the ganache cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. It will thicken as it cools.
- Chill until the ganache is about the consistency of peanut butter.
Assembly
- Level cakes if needed. Brush with simple syrup is optional.
- Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand and spread a thick layer of ganache on top. Place the next layer on top with more frosting.
- Coat the entire cake evenly with additional frosting, then decorate as desired.
- Chill 20–30 minutes to set.
- Optional: Pour slightly warmer ganache over the top for a smooth finish or drip.
- Pipe any additional frosting on the cake as well as around the bottom edge.
Tips for Success
- Bloom the chocolate properly – Whisk the hot water, cocoa, chocolate, and coffee until completely smooth and glossy. This step deepens the chocolate flavor and ensures there are no dry cocoa lumps in the batter.
- Cool the cocoa mixture before adding – If it’s too warm when added to the batter, it can melt the butter and thin the structure. Room temperature is ideal.
- Do not overmix after adding flour – Once the dry ingredients go in, mix only until combined. Overmixing develops gluten and can make the cake dense instead of tender.
- Bake just until done – Devil’s Food cake should be moist. Pull it from the oven when a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs — not when it’s completely dry.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely Cause | How to Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cake sinks in the center | Underbaked or oven opened too early | Bake until the center springs back lightly; avoid opening the oven in the first 20 minutes |
| Cake is dry | Overbaked or too much flour | Weigh flour if possible and remove cake when crumbs still cling to the toothpick |
| Cake is dense or tight | Overmixed after adding flour | Mix just until combined once dry ingredients are added |
| Batter looks too thin | Normal for this recipe | The hot liquid creates a looser batter — this results in a moist cake |
| Ganache is too runny | Too warm | Let it cool longer before frosting |
| Ganache is too thick | Too cool | Warm gently in short intervals and stir until spreadable |
Frequently asked questions
Devil’s Food Cake can be stored at room temperature for a day or two if frosted. If you need to store it longer, refrigerate it in an airtight container. Bring it to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.
Devil’s Food cake is typically darker, richer, and more intensely chocolatey than a standard chocolate cake. It often uses more cocoa, hot liquid to bloom the chocolate, and baking soda with acidic ingredients like buttermilk or brown sugar to create a softer, deeper-colored crumb. Check out my classic chocolate cake, one-bowl chocolate cake, simple moist chocolate cake.
Yes, but the cake will be lighter in color and slightly more acidic in flavor. Dutch-process cocoa gives that signature deep, dark look and smoother chocolate taste. If using natural cocoa, the cake may rise slightly more due to the extra acidity.
No. The hot coffee enhances and intensifies the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee. If preferred, you can substitute hot water.
Always wrap cakes well, especially after cutting them, to prevent them from getting dry.
When keeping it in the refrigerator, place it in sealed silicon or ziplock bag or wrap it in plastic wrap.
If storing in the freezer – first wrap in parchment paper, then place in a freezer-safe bag. Lastly, wrap it in foil to prevent it from catching any freezer smells from other food. Always, thaw in the fridge overnight. The parchment paper keeps the condensation on the paper, not the cake.
Yes. The cake layers can be baked a day in advance, wrapped well, and stored at room temperature. You can also frost the cake and refrigerate it — just bring it back to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
The name dates back to the early 1900s when dramatic dessert names were popular. It was considered the rich, dark counterpart to light and airy angel food cake — hence the “devil” nickname.
If you do not want to bake this as a layer cake, use this batter to make a chocolate bundt cake using a 12-cup small bundt pan. You can bake a Devils’s sheet cake using a 9 x 13 sheet pan. This batter would also make 18 cupcakes, as I have done here – Devil’s food chocolate cupcakes
Devils Food Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Experience the deep and velvety flavor of Devil's Food Cake with the perfect balance of cocoa and sweetness. Known for its dark, moist crumb and intense chocolate flavor, this cake is a chocolate lover's dream.
Ingredients
- 250 grams (2 cups) All-Purpose flour
- 1½ tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 240 ml (1 cup) Boiling water or brewed coffee
- 80 grams (1 cup) Cocoa powder unsweetened Dutch processed
- 86 grams (3 oz) Dark Chocolate
- 1 tbsp Instant coffee optional
- 170 grams (120 ml) Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 200 grams (2 cups) Granulated sugar white or brown
- 220 grams Light brown sugar
- 3 large Eggs
- 240 ml (1 cup) Buttermilk
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 600 grams (21 oz) Chocolate dark, semi-sweet, bittersweet
- 500 grams (2 cups) Heavy cream
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 tbsp Light corn syrup
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Method
- Prepare the pans – Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Grease and line 3 x 7-inch round cake pans or 2 x 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Bloom the chocolate – In a heatproof bowl, combine the chopped dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and coffee. Pour the hot water over the mixture and whisk until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool to room temperature. The mixture will look thin at first — that’s normal..240 ml Boiling water , 80 grams Cocoa powder, 86 grams Dark Chocolate , 1 tbsp Instant coffee
- Cream the butter and sugars – In a large bowl, beat the butter with the white and brown sugar until lighter in color and slightly fluffy.170 grams Unsalted Butter, 200 grams Granulated sugar, 220 grams Light brown sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.3 large Eggs
- Add dry ingredients and buttermilk – Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla.250 grams All-Purpose flour, 1½ tsp Baking soda, 1 tsp Baking powder, 1 tsp Kosher salt, 240 ml Buttermilk , 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- Mix just until combined — do not overmix. Add the chocolate mixture. Pour in the cooled cocoa mixture and mix until fully incorporated. The batter will be slightly thin and glossy — this is exactly what you want.
- Bake – Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until the centers spring back lightly when pressed and a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool – Let cool in the pans briefly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Heat the heavy cream over medium heat in a medium saucepan until it just begins to simmer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for a minute to soften.600 grams Chocolate , 500 grams Heavy cream, 2 tbsp Light corn syrup , 1 tsp Vanilla extract, 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- Let the ganache cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. It will thicken as it cools. Whip the ganache for 30 seconds (no more) to lighten it up.
- Level – Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand and level the top if necessary. You can moisten the cake layers with sugar syrup or coffee.
- Frost – Spread a layer of ganache over the top. Place the next cake layer on top, then add more frosting. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining ganache. Pipe or decorate the cake as desired
- Set – Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes to set the ganache before serving.
- Pipe any additional frosting on the cake as well as around the bottom edge.
Notes
- The batter will be slightly thin after adding the hot cocoa mixture — this is normal and helps create a moist cake.
- Make sure the chocolate mixture is cooled to room temperature before adding it to the batter to prevent melting the butter.
- Do not overmix once the flour is added. Mix just until combined to keep the crumb tender.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Overbaking will dry the cake.
- Let the ganache cool until thick and spreadable before frosting. If too thin, allow it to sit longer; if too thick, warm gently and stir.
- Cake layers can be made one day ahead. Wrap well and store at room temperature before frosting.
- For best texture and flavor, bring the finished cake to room temperature before serving.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Veena
I’m the recipe developer, baker, and food photographer behind Veena Azmanov Kitchen.
I’ve spent years developing and testing recipes, from everyday meals and homemade breads to cakes and desserts.
I share the practical tips and little details I’ve learned along the way so you can get great results in your own kitchen.
This recipe is incomplete! The instructions call for adding coffee, but coffee is not listed in the ingredient list. So, how much coffee is in the recipe? I simply can’t find it anywhere in the recipe other than saying to add it to the wet ingredients.
You can use hot water or hot coffee in the recipe. I have used hot water with 2 tsp of instant coffee.
Thank you so much. Look forward to making this.