Devil’s Food Cake
GINA This is my absolute favorite cake. Tanya has been baking it for me since I was a little girl—which I was yesterday. . . . I can remember when my sister Kim made it for her boyfriend, Tony, who is now her husband. I watched her in that kitchen, baking with such love and care. I begged for a small piece and she said, “No, it’s Tony’s birthday.” So I sat on that stool and swung my feet and waited and waited. It got pretty dark, and Kim was no longer smiling—she’d gotten that evil look on her face that we all have had at one time or another. The wait went on, and then . . . ding-dong. He’d finally arrived, and Kim was all fired up to give him a piece of her mind for being so late. After some loud, angry whispering between Kim and Tony at the front door, Kim took my beautiful, coveted cake, went straight out the door, and threw it into the garbage can outside! I screamed and stood by that can in shock, but Tanya made me come in, and baked me another one just to shut me up. (Hence, you can see where my “spoiledness” comes from, and the reason Tanya knows it’s my favorite.) Now we all love this cake. I am a true chocolate lover, and adding more chocolate on top—really, what more can you say? But you know Pat—he likes to reach into the freezer and throw a big scoop of vanilla on top of his slice.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 10
Ingredients
CAKE
FROSTING
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2
Spray two 8-inch cake pans with 1 1/2-inch sides lightly with cooking spray. Arrange racks in the middle of the oven.
Step 3
Beat the eggs, butter, water, and cocoa powder together in a large bowl in a standing mixer until smooth. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a second bowl. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, and beat until evenly blended and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides with a spatula.
Step 4
Divide the batter between the two greased pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Step 5
Cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto wire cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Step 6
For the frosting: Heat the butter and chocolate in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over moderate heat. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth and melted. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and whisk in the cocoa powder and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and the cocoa is dissolved. Beat in confectioners’ sugar and sour cream with a hand mixer, beating until smooth and creamy.
Step 7
To assemble the cake: Place one layer, top side down, on a cake stand. Spread on it a thick layer of frosting with a spatula. Place the next layer of cake right side up on top of the frosting. Frost the top and sides of the cake by working from the center of the cake toward the edge, making sure to coat evenly.
