How to Make Devil's Food Cake
Martha Stewart shares her sinfully delicious recipe for devil's food cake just in time for Halloween.
Devil's Food Cake
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How to Make Devil's Food Cake
Martha Stewart shares her sinfully delicious recipe for devil's food cake just...
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The Martha Stewart Show, October Fall 2007
- Yield Serves 10 to 12
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Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cups hot water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
FOR THE FROSTING
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons hot water
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- Generous pinch of coarse salt
- 1 pound semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Directions
- Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter paper. Whisk together cocoa powder and hot water until smooth.
- Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside. Melt butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove from heat, and transfer to a mixer. Beat on medium-low speed until cooled, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla and cocoa-powder mixture. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour. Beat until just combined.
- Divide batter between pans, and bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack, peel off parchment, and let cool completely.
- Make the frosting: Whisk together cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. Beat butter, sugar, and salt in a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce to medium-low speed; slowly add melted chocolate and cocoa-powder mixture, and beat until combined. If frosting is not set, let stand, stirring occasionally until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cake layers to make level. Transfer one cake layer to a cake stand, and spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer, and coat top and sides with remaining frosting, spreading it in a swirling motion.
I made this for my husband's birthday. Yes, it was a fair amount of work but it is YUMMY! I used my regular chocolate buttercream recipe for the icing. Will definitely make again!
I made this cake for my grandfather, who loves chocolate, and he really enjoyed the cake.
Awesome delicious cake, definitely a repeat.
Won't be making this again, a lot of work and was disappointed .
With the frosting after letting it sit for 20 min. was very hard to spread.
My husband who loves chocolate and sweet said it was way too rich.
Friends said the same
The cake turned out nice. It doesn't taste better or worse than cake from a box. It was time consuming to make because you have to melt the chocolater, butter, sugar. I used the 8inch pans and had plenty of batter but not enough for 3 pans like the other lady. Yes, Jandan the powdered sugar for the frosting is 1/2cup. I sifted it. The frosting was tasty and better than store bought. I will put this one in the recipe book. MARTHA FOR PRESIDENT!!
The cake turned out nice. It doesn't taste better or worse than cake from a box. It was time consuming to make because you have to melt the chocolater, butter, sugar. I used the 8inch pans and had plenty of batter but not enough for 3 pans like the other lady. Yes, Jandan the powdered sugar for the frosting is 1/2cup. I sifted it. The frosting was tasty and better than store bought. I will put this one in the recipe book. MARTHA FOR PRESIDENT!!
The cake turned out nice. It doesn't taste better or worse than cake from a box. It was time consuming to make because you have to melt the chocolater, butter, sugar. I used the 8inch pans and had plenty of batter but not enough for 3 pans like the other lady. Yes, Jandan the powdered sugar for the frosting is 1/2cup. I sifted it. The frosting was tasty and better than store bought. I will put this one in the recipe book. MARTHA FOR PRESIDENT!!
The cake turned out nice. It doesn't taste better or worse than cake from a box. It was time consuming to make because you have to melt the chocolater, butter, sugar. I used the 8inch pans and had plenty of batter but not enough for 3 pans like the other lady. Yes, Jandan the powdered sugar for the frosting is 1/2cup. I sifted it. The frosting was tasty and better than store bought. I will put this one in the recipe book. MARTHA FOR PRESIDENT!!
The cake turned out nice. It doesn't taste better or worse than cake from a box. It was time consuming to make because you have to melt the chocolater, butter, sugar. I used the 8inch pans and had plenty of batter but not enough for 3 pans like the other lady. Yes, Jandan the powdered sugar for the frosting is 1/2cup. I sifted it. The frosting was tasty and better than store bought. I will put this one in the recipe book. MARTHA FOR PRESIDENT!!
def going to make this!!!
Does this frosting only call for 1/2 cup confectioners sugar?
sher27,
One stick equals 4 ounces or 113 grams.
Could some one tell me how much grams in 1 stick?
Thanks
Sara
Hi, can anybody tell me is this recipe worth a try?
Thank you
Can this frosting be made in advance? If so how long?
500 character max may be problem. Why limit? "Coarse salt" only thing don't remember from show. Frosting is what caught attention. Looks awesome, specially with only 1/2 cup confect. sugar! Least I've seen
Why, when click on "see more comments" get no additional/earlier info? Would like to know if don't know how to go thru site.
Aunty Dee
Lost much of last post. "Both cake and frosting" was part. Check date on Baking Powder. Learned hard way it expires. Is way to "proof" if good to use. May be on container, not sure. Try again. Good Luck
Aunty Dee
New to me was mixing cocoa powder with water before blending with batter, both cake
Don't know if previous msg was posted. Had to register. Don't see it now but think Pearlie may have responded to my msg. Could be wrong. To Kay E: test your baking powder - does expire. Learned the hard way. Did u see show? I did
I read the comment below mine and i think this recipe may differ from the one Martha actually made on the Halloween 2007 show. I would watch the video and compare the ingredients!! ;-)
Had problems with this cake. Made too much batter -enough for 3 8" pans. The cake was dense and somewhat dry. Frosting was hard not nice and soft. Was there a typo in the receipe?