Devilishly Good Chocolate Cake
Always on the lookout for inspiration, I read Dorie Greenspan’s post on A Devils Food Cake by Zoe Francois of Zoe Bakes. My copy of Zoe Bakes Cakes has been languishing on my shelf for a little while, okay, a long while (I got it as soon as it hit the shelves). Leave it to Dorie to provide that nudge to finally bake from it.
Devilishly Delicious
My go-to recipe for chocolate cake comes from my tattered, well-worn copy of The Silver Palate. Their Decadent Chocolate Cake has been a stalwart in our house forever. But Dorie’s description and praise for this cake made it impossible for me to ignore. Glad I didn’t, it’s delicious. It’s chocolatey, moist, not too sweet, and it is pretty darn easy to make. You don’t even have to drag your mixer out, Drop Mixer moment, boom.
Buttermilk, eggs, oil, and coffee provide the liquid and fat in this recipe. I brewed up extra coffee in the morning knowing I would need some for this cake. The coffee cuts the sweetness and adds depth and nuance to the cake. You don’t taste coffee, it just provides its magic. Cocoa provides the chocolate mojo. You can use either natural or Dutch-processed according to Dorie. I played it safe by using King Arthur’s Triple Blend Cocoa, the best of both worlds. Use what you like.
Loafing Around
You can make this recipe in a round cake pan, as cupcakes, or in a loaf pan. I chose the loaf pan. The batter has a super thin consistency and is very pourable.
All you need is a couple of bowls, a whisk, and a rubber spatula.
The cake does develop cracks and crevices while baking. It also falls a little as it cools. I remedied the situation by trimming off the top and flipping the cake over. I opted to go with our tried and true Cream Cheese Frosting from our Carrot Cake Recipe. DOUBLE it. I barely had enough to cover the cake with a single recipe. You will thank me, lol. A Vanilla or Chocolate Frosting would work well also. You can find frosting options and Zoe’s Cream Cheese Frosting on Dorie’s site.
This is an absolutely luscious, beautiful cake as is the book and website for Zoe Bakes Cakes. Put this Devil’s Food Cake on your bucket list.
CHOCOLATE DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (50 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder (sifted if lumpy)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml)hot strong coffee
- 2 tablespoons rum or brandy
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) mild-flavored oil (such as vegetable oil)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan then line with greased parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. In a small bowl, stir together the coffee and rum.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Add the egg mixture and half the coffee rum to the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon until smooth. Slowly add the remaining coffee mixture and whisk until completely blended and smooth. The batter will be quite thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter several times to release excess air bubbles.
- Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes (30 minutes for 8-inch rounds). Let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan and inverting it onto a serving plate. (If you want to trim the top of the cake – which will be the base – do it now; see above.)
- Using a metal offset spatula, cover the cake with an even layer of frosting. Top with chocolate shavings, if you’d like. Serve at room temperature.