Description

This slightly enhanced vintage Devil’s Food Cake recipe is a keeper! It’s rich, super chocolatey, and is hands down the most tender (and moist) Devil’s Food Cake I’ve ever eaten. This recipe comes from a vintage cookbook in my 98-year-old Granny’s collection. Plus, it’s just as easy to make without a mixer as it is with a handheld or stand mixer. This is my go-to chocolate cake.

Ingredients

Scale

5 1/2 tablespoons butter, room temperature (75g)
5 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil (grapeseed, canola, or vegetable) (75g)
2 cups sugar (400g)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (20g)
2 large eggs, room temperature (100g)
1/2 cup boiling water (118g)
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (250g) **(sub faux-buttermilk, see recipe notes)
2 cups all-purpose or 00 flour (240g)
1/2 cup cocoa powder (50g)
1 teaspoon baking powder (4g)
1 teaspoon baking soda (4g)
1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder (4g)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (6g)

*I use 00 flour when I’m in Italy, and the weight of different flours varies based on the humidity content and absorption potential of the flour you’re working with. Just be sure to use the ‘scoop and level’ method to measure your flour into measuring cups and spoons and the recipe works perfectly every time.

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark even when your hands have flour all over them

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C and prep the cake pans. Heat the oven and butter or spray two 8-inch aluminum cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly flour the pans making sure to cover the inside well. Tap out any remaining flour. Line the bottoms of the cake pans with parchment paper and set aside until ready to fill.
Prepare the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso, baking powder, and salt and whisk well to combine and set aside.
Prepare the baking soda-water solution. Boil the water (or microwave it until very hot), add the baking soda, and stir until dissolved, set aside.
Prepare the wet ingredients. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a large mixing bowl using a whisk), beat the butter, oil, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy approximately 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice while mixing to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated. Add the eggs and whisk just until incorporated. Add the buttermilk and baking soda-water mixture and mix just until combined.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a rubber spatula or whisk to gently combine everything until no flour streaks remain. *After combining everything you should still have some visible lumps and that’s exactly what you want.
Portion and bake the cakes. Split the cake batter evenly between two 8-inch cake pans. Tap the filled cake pans on the counter a couple of times to remove any air bubbles. Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted into the middle comes out clean and the tops are just set and slightly springy when touched.
Cool the cakes. Remove the cakes from the oven and place them onto a cooling rack for 15 to 20 minutes to slightly cool and then gently remove the cakes from the pans to finish cooling directly on the wire rack. When cakes are completely cooled, they may be frosted. Enjoy!

Notes

If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own by simply squeezing 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice (or white vinegar) into a liquid measuring cup then add the milk until you reach one total cup of liquid. Stir the mixture and set aside for 10-15 minutes at room temperature. The mixture will thicken and might even curdle a bit and that’s normal.
If you don’t have espresso, substitute instant coffee or omit it altogether, or use hot coffee to replace the hot water that gets mixed with the baking soda.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Cakes + Tortes
Method: Oven Bake
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice