Nana Edies Devils Food Cake Recipe Epicuriouscom

EASY DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• For food cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Sift in flour, cocoa and baking soda. Stir to combine. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap cakes separately in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.)
• Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. (Can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.)
• For Frosting:
• Melt unsalted butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Whisk in cocoa powder and vanilla. Whisk in 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup sour cream. Whisk in remaining 1 cup sugar. Gradually whisk in enough of remaining sour cream to form spreadable frosting.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans with butter or nonstick cooking spray and set aside. (Alternatively, you can use two 9-inch round pans, or prepare cupcake pans or other cake pans as directed.)
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl and set aside.
• Whip the sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until all the ingredients have blended together, about 30 seconds. (If a standing mixer is not available, the batter can be whisked by hand in a large mixing bowl for about 1 minute.)
• Add approximately half the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure that the flour is fully incorporated.
• Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. The batter should come one-third or one-half the way up the sides of the pans.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through.
• When the centers of the cakes spring back to the touch, remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 to 10 minutes in their pans. (You can also test for doneness by inserting a toothpick or fork into the center of the cake and checking that it comes out clean.) Run an offset spatula or dull knife between the sides of the cakes and the pans and transfer the cakes right side up to a wire rack to bring them to room temperature.
• Once the cakes are at room temperature, ice as desired (see Icing a Cake, page 14). Uniced cakes can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days before icing and serving, or frozen for up to 2 weeks. (Trim the layers flat before freezing them. Once frozen, the layers need to sit at room temperature for only 15 minutes before you start icing them, but allow 2 hours at room temperature for the cake to thaw fully before serving it.)

"TOP TIER" DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH SOUR CREAM-FUDGE FROSTING

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter two 5-inch cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; butter parchment. Combine cocoa powder and milk chocolate in medium bowl. Pour 1/4 cup boiling water over; whisk until mixture is smooth. Whisk in buttermilk.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in another medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat both sugars, oil, egg, and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add flour and cocoa mixtures; beat until blended (batter will be thin). Divide batter between pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached, 28 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks; peel off parchment. Turn over; cool on racks.
• Place chocolate in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Add butter and stir until melted, then add sour cream and corn syrup and whisk until smooth. Let frosting stand at room temperature until thick enough to spread, about 20 minutes.
• Using serrated knife, trim top of cakes to make level. Cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on platter. Spread 1/4 cup frosting over, leaving 1/2-inch border. Top with second cake layer, cut side down. Spread 1/4 cup frosting over, leaving 1/2-inch border. Top with third cake layer, cut side up. Spread 1/4 cup frosting over, leaving 1/2-inch border. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread 1/3 cup frosting over top and sides. Chill until frosting is set, about 30 minutes. Keep remaining frosting at room temperature.
• Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.
• Arrange roses atop cake and serve.

TURN OF THE CENTURY MINTED DEVIL'S FOOD LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter two 9-inch square cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with waxed paper. Butter and flour waxed paper. Bring 3/4 cup water to simmer in saucepan. Place cocoa in small bowl. Gradually whisk in hot water. Whisk in buttermilk and extract. Mix flour and baking soda in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients alternately with cocoa-buttermilk mixture in 2 batches each, beating just until combined. Divide batter between prepared cake pans. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake until tester inserted into center of each cake comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 20 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn out cakes onto foil-lined racks. Carefully peel paper from cakes and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.)
• Bring whipping cream and corn syrup to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate; whisk until smooth and melted. Stir in peppermint extract. Refrigerate until mixture just thickens to spreading consistency, stirring frequently, about 2 hours. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 2 cups frosting over. Top with second cake layer. Using icing spatula, spread remaining frosting in thick decorative swirls over top and sides of cake. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead; cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.) Garnish cake with mint leaves.

NANA EDIE'S DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
• Stir together milk and vinegar and set aside to "sour" (mixture will curdle). Melt chocolate and butter with water in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking until smooth. Cool slightly. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat sugar into chocolate mixture with an electric mixer. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Add soured milk and beat on high speed 2 minutes.
• Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake in middle of oven until tops of layers spring back when touched lightly and edges have just started to pull away from sides of pans, about 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans on racks 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of pans, then invert layers onto racks to cool completely.
• Make frosting:
• Bring sugar and cream to a boil in a heavy saucepan, stirring constantly, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add chocolate, butter, and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Chill frosting, stirring frequently, until thickened and spreadable.
• Assemble cake:
• Brush any loose crumbs from layers and put 1 layer upside down on a serving plate. Spread with about 1 cup frosting. Place other layer on top, right side up. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.