Devils Food Crepe Cake

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour one 9x13 inch pan or two 9 inch round pans.
• In a small pan melt the butter or margarine with the unsweetened chocolate. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Cream together the sugar and the eggs until light in color. Add the chocolate mixture to the eggs and temper mixture by beating well (so you don't end up with scrambled eggs!) Add 1 cup boiled water (still warm) and blend well. Mixture will be very liquid.
• Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this mixture to the chocolate mixture and blend well.
• Mix together the vinegar and the milk and stir into the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan(s).
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cake divides well for filling with mousse, or ganache, or black forest fillings. The best clue to this cake being nearly done is that you will start to smell the aroma of chocolate filling your house!

THE ULTIMATE DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment rounds; butter parchment. Stir together boiling water, cocoa, and chocolate in a bowl. Let cool 10 minutes. Whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, and salt in another bowl.
• In a mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar on medium-high until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in vanilla, then chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture in two additions, alternating with sour cream, until just combined.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake until a tester inserted in centers comes out with moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack, top-sides up; let cool completely. With a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so they're level.
• Line the edges of a cake stand or plate with strips of parchment. Place one cake layer on stand, trimmed-side up, and spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream evenly over top. Top with remaining cake layer, trimmed-side down.
• Spread a thin layer of buttercream over top and sides. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes (this ensures a crumb-free finish). Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides. Cake can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before serving.

DEVIL'S FOOD SNACK CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place oats in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water; let stand for 10 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Combine flours, cocoa, coffee granules, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in the oat mixture, 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/3 cup pecans., Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining chips and pecans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before cutting.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• 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.
• Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, GP. All rights reserved

CRêPES CAKE

Steps:

• To make the crêpes: In a blender, combine the flour, milk, butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth. Add the eggs and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, about 1 minute. Transfer the batter to a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
• Heat an 8-inch crêpe pan or 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium high and spray with cooking spray. Gently stir the chilled crêpes batter. Add 1/4 cup of the batter and tilt the pan to make sure the mixture evenly and lightly coats the skillet. Cook for about 30 seconds, until the crêpe is lightly browned. Using a spatula, carefully flip the crêpe to cook the other side, about 30 seconds. Slide the crêpe onto a plate. Cool slightly, then transfer to a clean, dry surface. Arrange crêpes in a single layer to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter, buttering pan occasionally. If crêpes are browning too quickly, reduce heat to medium.
• To make the frosting: In a chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, 30 seconds. Switch to the whisk attachment and add the heavy cream, sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Whip on medium speed until almost stiff peaks form (tips almost stand straight).
• To make the cake: On a platter, place one crêpe and spread with a generous 1/4 cup of the frosting. Top with a crêpe, then evenly spread on a generous 1/4 cup of the chocolate-hazelnut spread. Top with sliced strawberries. Repeat with the remaining crêpes, frosting, chocolate-hazelnut spread, and sliced strawberries. Cover the cake and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• To serve, sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar. Top with whipped cream and the halved strawberries. Use a serrated knife to slice.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9-inch metal pan with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper so it hangs over the sides of the pan and spray the parchment with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• Whisk the boiling water and cocoa powder together in a small bowl and set aside.
• Combine the sugar, flours, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whisk the oil, sour cream, eggs and egg yolks in a large pourable vessel. Add the oil mixture to the cocoa and water mixture and slowly whisk to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture over 30 seconds. Continue to beat on low speed for another 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat on low speed until the batter is smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake springs back when pressed and reaches an internal temperature of 205 degrees F, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes, and then remove cake from the pan and cool completely before frosting, about 1 hour.
• Beat the butter and mayonnaise in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on high, until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add the melted chocolate. Continue mixing on low speed until all of the chocolate is incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Turn off the mixer and add one-third of the sugar. Mix on low to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat until all of the sugar has been incorporated. Add the salt and continue to beat until the frosting is smooth and lightens slightly in color, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 hours or refrigerate for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before using chilled frosting.

DEVILS FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder, soda, cocoa, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
• Stir in the sugar.
• Lightly beat the eggs, milk and vanilla.
• Add to the mixing bowl, then add the oil and coffee.
• Beat until a smooth batter is formed.
• Pour batter into a greased and lined 23cm square tin.
• The batter will be thin.
• Bake at 180°C degrees for about 1 hour or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.
• Leave in tin 5 minutes before turning on to a cooling rack.
• When cold dust with icing sugar or ice with your favourite frosting.

DEVIL'S FOOD CREPE CAKE

Steps:

• For the chocolate crepes: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and kosher salt and whisk to combine. In a blender, combine the milk, water, eggs and melted butter and blend until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and blend again, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until smooth.
• Spray a large nonstick saute pan with cooking spray and heat over medium. Pour enough batter into the pan to just fill the bottom, swirl to spread into an even layer.
• Cook until the bottom is golden brown, the edges are curling and the top is set, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully flip and cook the other side until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the crepe to a plate. Repeat until all the batter is used. You should have 18 to 20 crepes total.
• For the caramel: In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and whisk until the sugar is hydrated. Remove the whisk, tapping any sugar back into the pot, add in the butter and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted, the sugar is bubbling and it starts to turn a copper color, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream. Carefully whisk to combine, the mixture is hot.
• For the tangy chocolate whip: Over a double-boiler or in the microwave, melt the chocolate. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile, pour the heavy cream into a large mason jar and close the lid. Shake vigorously until it turns into whipped cream, about 5 to 6 minutes (alternatively, whip the cream in a large bowl with a whisk).
• In a medium bowl, combine the cooled chocolate with Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, powdered sugar and salt, and whisk vigorously to combine. Fold in the whipped cream, and set aside.
• On a cake stand or large plate, add a dollop of chocolate whip and place the first crepe down. The frosting will secure the crepe. Add 1/4 cup frosting and spread with an offset spatula to smooth and cover the entire surface area of the crepe. Repeat, alternating between crepes and frosting, until the cake is built. Once all the layers are complete, top the crepe cake with the caramel and delicately spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and cacao nibs, slice and enjoy!