Devil's Food Cake

They say if you speak of the devil he shall rise, I certainly hope he brings along his famous chocolate cake! This is the cake dreamt by every chocoholic, it consists of a rich and deep chocolatey flavor. Combined with a luscious ganache it's the perfect treat to make any occasion feel special. I mean look at the picture below, I'm definitely tempted to lick the screen at this point (but I won't, it's very unsanitary to do so) Anyway, according to Baking Illustrated, the Devil's Food Cake was the result of a time when fancy names for cakes were the norm: the late 1900s. Allegedly, it was the only cake name to survive that era and make it to our modern times. I feel that the traditional things are rising up once more and it just keeps getting better! So let's get baking!!

Quick tutorial

Recipe card

Does it have to be dark chocolate for the ganache?

Personally, yes, using dark chocolate (70%) helps balance the sweetness of the cake. If not the filling will be overly sweet; very unappetizing. But! I'm not here to tell you how to eat your cake, so by all means get creative and make it your own.

Can we opt out the coffee?

You can. However, the coffee in this recipe is not used to make the cake taste like coffee. It simply enhances the chocolate flavor.

Is it possible to replace the ganache with another filling?

Absolutely, when it comes to filling the world is your oyster! You can use any type of filling with this cake base and adjust the final outcome to your personal preference. I.E use a swiss meringue buttercream or even chantilly cream, those would taste amazing!

Author: Uthpala Nayanahari