Devil's Food Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Name: Devils Food Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 4 oz Unsalted butter ((1 stick) ); 1 cup Dark brown sugar; 2 Eggs (large); 1 1/2 cup All-Purpose flour; 1/2 cup Cocoa powder; 1/2 cup Boiling water; 3/4 tsp Baking soda; 1/2 tsp Baking powder; 1/4 tsp Salt; 1/2 cup Sour cream; 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 2 cups Vanilla buttercream frosting; 2 cups Chocolate ganache frosting; 1/2 cup Simple syrup

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Ultimate Devil's Food Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

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.

A rich, moist and decadent Devils Food Chocolate Cake filled with Vanilla Buttercream and frosted with Chocolate Ganache — The Ultimate Chocolate Cake, Devil's Food Cake, Moist Chocolate Cake

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.

Useful Tips and Tools

If you bake often, it would be a good idea to invest in a cake mixer. Because, often, we try to mix by hand and then we are too tired to give it enough creaming or mixing. So, if you are making this cake go ahead and remove that K-Mix or Kitchen Aid from your kitchen cabinet. You don’t have to buy an expensive stand mixer, a simple hand mixer also works great.
I believe in measuring ingredients by weight, which makes my kitchen scale one of the most valuable items when baking.
And the same goes for my measuring cups and measuring spoons. It’s always a good idea to have these handy and use them when baking rather than trying to guess measurements.
Also, I think one set of baking pans is a must for anyone a home baker. I often use three 6-inch round cakes, which I often split into 4 layers for a tall display. Some times, I use three 8-inch round pans or three 7-inch cakes.
Once baked, always invert your cakes on a cooling rack. This enables air circulation and prevents the steam from pooling at the bottom of the pan.
Lastly, every oven works differently. So the baking times are just guidelines. In the case of cakes, a skewer inserted in the center is a great indication. If the cake bakes too fast or too slow compared to the time given, it might be a good idea to check if your oven needs calibration.
An oven thermometer is a great little gadget to help keep the oven temperature in check. All you need to do then is adjust the temperature accordingly.

Ingredients and Substitutes (Save/Pin)

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.

How to Make the Ultimate Devil's Food Chocolate Cake (Save/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

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.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between chocolate cake and Devil's Food chocolate cake?

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

How long will this Devil's Food Chocolate Cake last?

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.

How do I store the chocolate cake?

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.

Can I add melted chocolate to this devil's food chocolate cake?

Yes, you can. Add up to 100 grams or 3 oz of melted cooled chocolate to the batter just before baking.

Can I replace the butter with oil in this devil's food chocolate cake?

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.

What other pans can I use for this chocolate cake recipe?

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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