Spiced Devils Food 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!

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

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.

SPICED DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. , Sift together all dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. , Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before removing from pans., In a small bowl, combine all icing ingredients except nuts. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. If desired, top with almonds.

SPICED DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Sift flour, spices, baking soda and salt together 3 times.
• Cream shortening with sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add beaten eggs and chocolate and beat thoroughly.
• Add sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately in small amounts, beating well after each addition.
• Add boiling water and blend. Pour into greased pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

OLD-FASHIONED DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• Sift flour, baking soda and salt, once then set aside. With an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat butter until soft and light. Add sugar and continue beating until very light, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate, then eggs, 1 at a time. Continue beating until light and smooth.
• Beat in half the sour cream, then half the flour mixture, scraping bowl and beater(s). Repeat with remaining sour cream and flour mixture, scraping again. Combine vanilla and boiling water and gently beat into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until firm and well risen. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool on a rack. For the frosting, combine all ingredients in bowl of mixer. Whisk to combine then place over a pan of simmering water, gently whisking until mixture is hot and sugar is dissolved. Use electric mixer on medium speed to beat until cooled, but not dry. To finish, cover top and side of cake with frosting, swirling it from the center outward.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and lightly flour two 9x1 1/2 inch round baking pans or grease one 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set pan (s) aside.
• Stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aide.
• In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
• Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined.
• Add eggs, 1 at a timebeating well after each.
• Add flour mixture and water alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan (s) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool layer cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.
• Remove from pans.
• Cool thoroughly on wire racks.
• Or, place 13x9-inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly.
• Frost with desired frosting.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, shortening and eggs. Add vanilla; beat well. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt. Add alternately with buttermilk to the egg mixture. Pour batter into two greased 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, combine first four ingredients in the top of a double boiler; beat with an electric mixer until thoroughly mixed. Place over rapidly boiling water and continue to beat for 7 minutes or until frosting will hold stiff peaks. Remove from boiling water and add vanilla. Continue to beat frosting until thick enough to spread. Frost cake when completely cooled.

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.)