This rich, dark and delicious devils food chocolate cake is simple and easy to make, and also light and decadent. Filled with my five minutes vanilla buttercream and frosted with a chocolate ganache this is the ultimate chocolate cake for any chocolate lover. This simple recipe takes five minutes to mix and 40 minutes to bake.
This devil's food chocolate cake is one of my absolute favorite recipes. I just trust it so much and it has never failed me. And the best part, it is so versatile; I have made a quick evening dessert cake with ganache frosting, as well as frosted it with whipped cream for a lighter dessert. It has a very stable structure with a tender crumb, and so it's ideal for tiered or carved cakes.
Last summer I made an ice cream cake with this as the base. I cut each layer in two and used a cake ring to layer cake and ice cream. I used two layers of Cookies & Cream and two layers of Belgian chocolate ice creams. Once frozen, I frosted it with fresh cream and drizzled some melted chocolate. I think the kids were in chocolate heaven.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour - I use regular all-purpose flour, plain flour (maida), for most of my cakes. It is usually available and on hand in most households.
- Butter - I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the quantity of sugar in my recipe. And yet, if salted butter is all you gave go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in the recipe.
- Brown sugar - The molasses in the brown sugar contributes to the soft texture, as well as a rich flavor.
- Eggs - We have only two eggs in this recipe. So make it two good large eggs.
- Sour cream - This can be made at home if you can't find it near you. Here's how you make homemade sour cream. If you must, you can also use buttermilk, which again can be made at home in just five minutes. The sour cream contributes to that tender crumb you get in cakes, and of course, adds more richness.
- Hot water - This melts the cocoa powder and gives this cake that deep, almost black, color when baked. It also makes the cake structure lighter, which works perfectly for dessert-style cakes.
Step by step instructions (pin)
Prepare
- Preheat Oven to 170 C / 340 F.
- Grease and line 2x 6-inch round baking pans with parchment paper and cocoa powder.
- Add boiling water to the cocoa powder, stir to combine making sure there are no lumps - set aside to cool.
- Sift remaining dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt - and set aside.
Prepare batter
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (This will take a little longer than white sugar as brown sugar is more coarse).
- Add eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Once the eggs are well incorporated, add the cooled cocoa powder mixture.
- Next, add the flour mixture and the sour cream, alternating in three batches.
- Lastly, add vanilla extract.
- Give it one last mix making sure you have a nice smooth consistency and color.
Bake
- Divide batter equally into two baking pans.
- Bake in the center rack for about 30 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Once cooled remove from the pan and let cool completely before you decorate.
- Always decorate cakes when they are completely cold or the frosting will melt off.
Decorate
- Cut the domes off the cooled cake layers.
- Give each one a nice drizzle of simple syrup.
- Place one cake layer on a cake board or platter.
- Add a generous amount of vanilla buttercream frosting.
- Place the second layer on the first.
- Frost the outside with chocolate ganache.
- Use a cake decorating bench scraper or spatula to smooth the top and sides.
- Place any remaining ganache in a piping bag with a star tip nozzle.
- Pipe a border on the bottom and top or as desired.
- Enjoy!
Storage
- The cake will stay fresh for up to four days at cool room temperature, longer if kept in the fridge.
- It can be frozen for a month or more.
Frequently asked questions
A devil's food chocolate cake is much lighter, fluffier and deeper in color than classic chocolate cake. Most cakes use only cocoa powder mixed with hot water for that deep darker chocolate color such as in this as well as one-bowl chocolate cake or simple moist chocolate cake
If stored properly, this chocolate cake will last at room temperature for up to 4 days. If stored in the fridge it can last for up to one week. Alternatively, keep it in the freezer for up to a month.
Always wrap cakes well, especially after cutting them, to prevent them from getting dry.
When keeping in the refrigerator, place it in sealed silicon or ziplock bag or wrap in plastic wrap.
If storing in the freezer - first wrap in parchment paper, then place in a freezer-safe bag. Lastly, wrap 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, you can. Add up to 100 grams or 3 oz of melted cooled chocolate to the batter just before baking.
I would not recommend that. I do have a Devil's Food chocolate Bundt cake that uses oil instead of butter. Perhaps use that tried and tested recipe instead.
If you do not want to bake this as a layer cake, you can also use this batter to make a chocolate bundt cake using a 6 cup small bundt pan.
You can also double this batter to bake a chocolate sheet cake using a 9 x 13 sheet pan.
Make 1 x 8 inch round cakes or 2 x 7 inch round cakes.
This batter would also make 15 to 18 cupcakes as I have done here - Devil's food chocolate cupcakes
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Devils Food Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
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Ingredients
Makes 2 x 6 inch round or 1 x 8 inch round cake
For the cake
- 4 oz (113 g) Unsalted butter
- 1 cup (240 g) Dark brown sugar
- 2 Eggs large
- 1 ½ cup (190 g) All-Purpose flour
- ½ cup (45 g) Cocoa powder
- ½ cup (120 ml) Boiling water
- ¾ tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) Sour cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
For the filling and frosting
- 2 cups (500 g) Vanilla buttercream frosting
- 2 cups (500 g) Chocolate ganache frosting
- ½ cup (120 ml) Simple syrup
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat Oven to 170 C / 340 F.
- Grease and line two, 6-inch round baking pans with parchment paper and cocoa powder.
- Add boiling water to the cocoa powder, stir to combine making sure there are no lumps - set aside to cool.
- Sift remaining dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt - and set aside.
Prepare Batter
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (This will take a little longer than white sugar as brown sugar is more coarse).
- Add eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Once the eggs are well incorporated, add the cooled cocoa powder mixture.
- Next, add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternating in three batches.
- Lastly, add vanilla extract.
- Give it one last mix making sure you have a nice smooth consistency and color.
Bake
- Divide batter equally into two baking pans.
- Bake in the center rack for about 30 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Once cooled, remove from the pan and let cool completely before you decorate.
- Always decorate cakes when completely cold or the frosting will melt off.
Decorate
- Cut the domes off the cooled cake layers.
- Give each one a nice drizzle of simple syrup.
- Place on cake layer on a cake board or platter.
- Add a generous amount of vanilla buttercream frosting.
- Place the second layer on the first.
- Frost the outside with chocolate ganache.
- Use a cake decorating bench scraper or spatula to smooth the top and sides.
- Place any remaining ganache in a piping bag with a star tip nozzle.
- Pipe a border on the bottom and top or as desired.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- The cake will stay fresh for up to four days at cool room temperature, longer if kept in the fridge.
- It can be frozen for a month or more.
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Hafsa
Veena mam.. How many lbs will this recipe of 8 servings will yield? I wan to know how many servings shall I write to get 2 pounds cake of this recipe?
Veena Azmanov
Hafsa, a standard 8 inch makes about 1 to 1.2 kgs approximately - I do not weigh my cakes so can't give you an exact measurement. I hope this helps.
Hafsa
Here in my country cakes r bought using lbs weight sizes.. like 2 pounds or 3 pounds.. I want to try your recipe but how am i goinh to know how much batter will make 1 pound?
Veena Azmanov
Yes, I know Hafas, but I don't weight my cakes because we don't buy or sell by weight here. I have given you an approximate weight and that is the best I can do for now. There are many Indian ladies who use my cakes successfully for their baking projects. This is a popular post with them cake serving charts
Sonal
I'm so waiting to try out this recipe. Please let me know of I can substitute the sour cream with yogurt or buttermilk. It's difficult to find sour cream where I stay, in India.
Veena Azmanov
Hey Sonal. Yes, yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream. Enjoy!
Kouser
Can I replace brown sugar with white sugar?
Veena Azmanov
Yes, you can Kouser. It will add a more crispy top to the cake. The texture inside will be less fudgy but still delicious.
Katie
This recipe is so indulgent and tasty! I love ganache and combining it with cake is a delicious idea!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Katie.
Krissy Allori
This is the best devils food cake recipe that I have found!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Krissy. So happy to hear that.
Mike Hultquist
Make this for a special occasion and everyone asked for the recipe. Yep, it was a hit! Super chocolaty. Love it.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Mike. So happy to hear that you and your guest enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for the feedback.
Sabrina
This cake is a chocolate lover's dream! So much yumminess in every bite!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Sabrina. So glad you enjoyed it.
Vicky
I have a daughter with a birthday coming up, and she would absolutely adore this cake. I was going to go with a store bought cake but when something looks this good I think I just might have to try it.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Vicky. I think she will love this cake. It's so easy.
Jill
I appreciate the process shots and detailed descriptions since I'm not a confident baker. This is a fabulous looking cake!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Jill. Happy you found my progress pictures useful.