CHOCOLATE DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE
Adapted from Zoë Bakes Cakes, by Zoë François (Ten Speed Press) by Dorie Greenspan, my baking muse.
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.
Notes
Can be made in 2 8-inch round pans
To make 24 cupcakes, fill the well of a cupcake pan two-thirds full of batter and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.