Devil's Food Cake
- 15 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 cup nonalkalized cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/4 cup milk
- To make the frosting: Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl.
- In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate, move the bowl gently to let the cream settle.
- Set the mixture aside until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Cover the surface of the frosting with plastic wrap.
- Set aside and let set up at room temperature, about 2 hours.
- To make the cake: Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with a circle of parchment or wax paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Set aside.
- In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the sugar.
- Continue beating until light and smooth, about 4 minutes.
- Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and beat at medium speed for 1 minute more.
- (Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl again, if needed.)
- With the mixer running at medium-low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Combine the water and milk in a saucepan and bring just to a boil.
- Remove from the heat.
- With the mixer at low speed, add the flour mixture, about a 1/4 cup at a time.
- Carefully pour the hot liquid into the batter.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a large rubber spatula, finish combining the batter until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
- Lightly drop each pan onto the counter to settle the batter.
- Set the pans on the middle rack in the oven.
- Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans and the center springs back when touched lightly, about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Cool the cakes, in the pans, on a rack for 10 minutes.
- Turn the cake layers out of the pans and cool on the rack.
- (If not assembling the cake right away, wrap the layers in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 day, or freeze for up to 2 months.)
- Assemble the Devil's Food Cake.
- Place 1 cake layer upside-down on a cake stand or flat plate.
- Scoop about 1/3 of the icing onto the center of the layer.
- Using a large, offset spatula, spread the icing evenly over the layer to the edges.
- Place the other cake layer, rounded-side up, on top.
- Evenly spread half of the remaining icing over the top, spreading any excess icing down the sides.
- Spread the remaining icing around the sides of the cake.
- Use the tip of the offset spatula to make a swirling pattern in the icing.
- Serve.
- Store under a cake dome or loosely wrapped with plastic, at room temperature, for up to 2 days.
semisweet chocolate, heavy cream, allpurpose unbleached flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, eggs, water, milk
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/devils-food-cake-recipe.html (may not work)