Under A Spell Red Devil Cake Food

REAL RED DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Cream margarine and sugar till fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, mix cocoa, coffee, and food coloring till a smooth paste is formed. Blend into the creamed mixture. Mix flour, salt and soda, and add to mixture alternately with sour milk or buttermilk. Add vanilla. Pour into two greased and floured cake pans, and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or till tops spring back when lightly touched.
• Cool completely before frosting.
• Note: Take care which of your utensils you use to mix coloring mixture. Plastic or wood will pick up the red color and stain permanently. I always use metal and glass.

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

RED DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE AND RED DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Grease and flour a long Pyrex dish.
• Cream sugar and shortening until sugar is fluffy.
• Add well beaten egg.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda.
• Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sour milk.
• Add hot coffee and vanilla.
• Beat until well mixed.
• Pour into prepared pan. Bake until done but do not overcook.
• Icing: Mix sugar, salt, and cocoa together.
• Add shortening and milk.
• Bring to a swift boil.
• Cook for 1 minute, stirring well.
• Remove from heat.
• Beat with electric mixer until thick and smooth.
• If it begins to thicken too much, add a tablespoon of heavy cream.

UNDER-A-SPELL CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with shortening; line with cooking parchment paper.
• Make cake batter as directed on box. Divide batter evenly among 3 pans.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks; remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Place 1 cake layer on cardboard round. Frost top with 1/3 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer; frost top with 1/3 cup frosting. Top with third cake layer; frost top and side of cake with thin layer of frosting to form a crumb coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Place 1/3 cup frosting in 1-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag; set aside. Remove cake from refrigerator; frost top and side. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave candy melts uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted. Holding pretzel rod on one end, spread melted candy melts to cover three-fourths of the rod. Place rod on piece of cooking parchment or waxed paper; sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sprinkles to cover. Let stand about 15 minutes or until sprinkles are attached to rod.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and whipping cream uncovered on High 45 to 60 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes or until chocolate has cooled and mounds slightly when drizzled from spoon.
• Remove cake from refrigerator; place on cooling rack with cooking parchment or waxed paper under rack. Pour chocolate mixture on center of cake, spreading to edge of cake, allowing some to drip down sides.
• Place sprinkle-covered rod off center on top of cake; push into cake slightly so it is at an angle. Cut off one corner of bag with reserved frosting. Pipe frosting around rod, going upward to form large mound around base. Sprinkle top of cake with candy sprinkles.
• Press 2 candy-coated chocolate candies on side of cake. Use icing pen to make small circle in center of each chocolate candy to create an "eye." Place 6 slivered almonds around two eyes to look like claws. Repeat with remaining candies and almonds around side of cake. Refrigerate 30 minutes to harden.
• Transfer cake to serving plate when ready to serve. Decorate small brown bag as desired, and place on top of sprinkle-covered rod. Use piece of crumpled foil to fill inside of bag to maintain shape if needed. Store covered at room temperature; remove rod when covering cake for storage.

RED DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans, or 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.
• Bake rounds 30 to 35 minutes, rectangle 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and enough milk until smooth and spreadable. Fill and frost round layers or frost top of rectangle with frosting.

OLD FASHIONED "RED" DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Mix together, in large bowl, cake flour, sugar, soda, salt and cocoa.
• Add shortening, and 2/3 cup milk. Beat together for 2 minutes. Add 1/3 cup milk, eggs and vanilla. Beat 2 more minutes.
• Pour into prepared pan (s).
• Bake at 350F until done, about 35 minutes, depending on the size of the pan.