Devil’s Food Cake
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Homemade Devil’s Food Cake Recipe: Tons better than anything you could buy! Moist & deeply chocolate-y, with a fluffy marshmallow frosting.
I’m really excited to share this devil’s food cake recipe with you today! I made a YouTube video and everything!
In case you’re not a social media expert, I’ll tell you that YouTube likes videos that are a little bit longer. They are so fun to make but so TIME-CONSUMING! Plus I have to change out of my jammies, whomp whomp.
But AI! Did you know that AI bots are stealing from hardworking single mamas like me?? With decades of personal and professional experience, not to mention actual tastebuds?
Do you think a shot of real-ness and personality and a human face can combat this? Let’s hope!!
Please know that those recipes are untested and extremely unreliable. Steer clear, people! #keepitreal <– for reals!
And for more great cake recipes that are actually achievable and have been tested, tasted, and perfected, check out my cream cheese pound cake, old-fashioned gingerbread, and Key lime cake.
Table of Contents
- What is devil’s food cake?
- Why this is the best devil’s food cake recipe
- What does devil’s food chocolate cake taste like?
- Ingredients
- Special equipment
- How to make devil’s food cake
- How to serve this devil’s food cake recipe
- Expert tips
- Frequently asked questions
- A few more of my best cake recipes
What is devil’s food cake?
Devil’s food is just another name for chocolate cake, but in my mind it’s perhaps darker and deeply chocolate-y.
And when I think of devil’s food cake I think of that square cake you could buy in a blue and white box on the end cap of the grocery store shelf. It had a fluffy vanilla frosting and it was covered with chocolate cake crumbs. Do you know what I mean?
This is a lot like that but waaay better. It’s not loaded with preservatives you can’t pronounce. Everything that goes into this cake recipe is there to make it taste good. Nothing more, nothing less!
Plus it’s really nice and moist.
Why this is the best devil’s food cake recipe
- Tastes amazing: Deeply, darkly chocolate-y, in contrast with the sweet, airy vanilla icing.
- Few ingredients: You can make this with pantry staples you probably already have on hand.
- Easy to make: Comes together quickly in just one bowl. So key!
- Versatile: I make it in a square pan but you can also make it as a loaf, a layer cake, or as cupcakes (see the FAQ’s below!)
What does devil’s food chocolate cake taste like?
The contrast of deep, dark chocolate against airy, marshmallow-y vanilla frosting is so on point!
Ingredients
Sugar: Granulated white sugar sweetens the cake and the frosting, and also keeps the cake moist. You can substitute another type of sweetener if you like. As long as it swaps 1:1 it should work.
Flour: A combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour results in a cake that’s sturdy soft and downy. If you’re not familiar, check out this post–> What is Cake Flour?
Cocoa: I like a combination of mostly dark (Dutch-processed) cocoa and natural cocoa powder. This gives that midnight dark color while still tasting very much like chocolate!
Leavening: A combination of baking powder and baking soda means you can use whichever kind of cocoa you like best, without tasting soapy or turning the cake’s color in a weird way. These ingredients work together with the natural acids and help the cake rise nice and fluffy.
Salt: Enhances and intensifies all the flavors. I prefer kosher salt because it’s cheap, easy to get, and doesn’t contain any additives like iodine, which can result in an oddly bitter taste.
Butter: I love a butter-based cake. So rich and satisfying! Use unsalted butter (different brands could be saltier or less salty) and make sure it’s at room temperature. How to Soften Butter Quickly.
Eggs: Lend structure and richness to the cake. Egg whites are also the basis of the marshmallow frosting. Use large chicken eggs or a 1:1 plant-based substitute. It’s best if they’re at room temperature.
Sour cream: Results in a really moist cake and also ups the acidity just enough to activate the leavening. If you don’t have sour cream you can also use unsweetened plain yogurt or buttermilk. How to Make Homemade Buttermilk.
Vanilla: Vanilla extract balances the chocolate flavor and really makes the frosting taste like marshmallow.
Special equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons: Follow my guide on how to measure ingredients.
- Bowl: You’ll need a large mixing bowl in which to make the batter and the frosting.
- Mixer: Either a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer.
- Silicone spatula: For scraping the bowl.
- Non-stick spray: To grease the pan.
- Parchment: Makes it easy to lift the cake out onto a cutting board.
- Pan: This cake gets baked in an 8×8-inch metal pan. If you use glass or stoneware you may have to adjust the bake time slightly.
- Thermometer: The frosting gets cooked to a specific temperature that allows it to set up to the proper consistency.
How to make devil’s food cake
This easy recipe comes together in 5 simple steps.
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients
Sugar, flours, cocoas, leavening, and salt all go into the bowl. Give them a quick stir just to get them combined.
Step 2: Work in the butter
Next, add the butter, stirring it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles damp sand.
Step 3: Liquid ingredients
Add in the eggs, one at a time, allowing each one to fully incorporate before adding the next.
Then scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and paddle and stir in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
Step 4: Bake
Transfer all but a few tablespoons of this batter to a greased, parchment-lined pan.
Those few tablespoons can go into a ramekin or small, oven-safe bowl. This will be for the cake-crumb-garnish!
Bake until the cake is puffy and springy all the way to the center. A toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Step 5: Marshmallow frosting
While the cake bakes and cools you can get going on the frosting.
Whip the whites together with cream of tartar and salt. If you don’t have cream of tartar you can sub in a few drops of lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. You just want to lower the pH slightly so the whites whip up better.
Once they’re looking foamy, start adding the sugar. Just a little bit at a time! Go slow so that the sugar has time to dissolve and doesn’t weigh everything down.
Add the vanilla and keep the mixer going on low speed while you heat the syrup.
Heat the remaining sugar in a small pot with water, until it boils and reaches 235 degrees F. This is important so the frosting sets up properly as it cools!
Once you hit that magic number, start drizzling it into the meringue with the mixer on low. Once it’s all in, turn the mixer up to high and whip it until it can hold stiff peaks.
How to serve this devil’s food cake recipe
Dollop the frosting over the cooled cake and swirl it into a pretty pattern. Then crumble your cake crumbs all over the top. Gorgeous!
I love this cake as an afternoon snack or dessert.
It’s best at room temp but you can also chill it if you like!
Expert tips
Room temp ingredients: To avoid a lumpy batter, it’s best to use room temperature ingredients.
Gluten-free devil’s food cake: Swap in a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend if you or your loved one has a sensitivity.
Don’t pierce the yolks: When separating the eggs, be really careful not to break the yolks. If you do, your marshmallow frosting may not whip up properly. Same goes for if your bowl or whip has any residual grease on it.
Frequently asked questions
Yes!
This recipe can also be baked in a standard-sized loaf pan, or you can double it to make a 9×13-inch sheet cake, a triple-decker 6-inch diameter layer cake, or a double-decker 8- or 9-inch diameter layer cake.
You can also double it and bake it as 24 standard-sized cupcakes.
Definitely a good idea to do that! You want to allow this cake plenty of time to cool.
I’ll often make it a day or so before I plan to serve it, then cover it with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge. This makes it much easier to frost!
It’s fine to leave this out at room temperature for a couple of hours, but any longer than that and it should probably go into the fridge.
Cover it lightly and it should keep there for 5 to 7 days.
Or you can freeze it. The unfrosted cake should last in the freezer for a month or two.
Cut this cake into 9 equal squares and each square counts as 1 serving.
The nutritional info below is for 1/9th of the whole cake and it includes the frosting.
A few more of my best cake recipes
- Angel Food Cake
- Pumpkin Cake
- Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Carrot Cake
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Devil’s Food Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Devil's Food Cake
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (31.25 g) cake flour
- 1/3 cup (28.67 g) dark cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons (15 g) natural cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 (88 g) eggs, large
- 1/2 cup (115 g) sour cream*
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
For the Marshmallow Frosting
- 3 (90 g) egg whites, large
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.75 g) cream of tartar**
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.75 g) kosher salt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (78.86 g) water
Instructions
To Make the Devil's Food Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Lightly mist a small oven-safe ramekin and an 8×8-inch metal pan with non-stick spray and line it with parchment.
- Place the sugar, flour, cake flour, dark cocoa, natural cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Mix in the butter on low speed, until the mixture resembles damp sand (about 2 minutes).
- Stir in the eggs,one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure all the ingredients are well combined.
- Beat on medium speed for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, to aerate the batter and build the cake’s structure.
- Place about 3 tablespoons of batter in the prepared ramekin, and transfer the rest to the prepared square cake pan.
- Bake until set and springy in the center (approx. 30 minutes). A toothpick inserted in the thickest part should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely then top with marshmallow frosting and cake crumbs.
To Make the Marshmallow Frosting
- Place the egg whites, vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whip on medium speed until foamy.
- While continuing to whip, add 1/2 cup of the sugar in a very slow and steady stream (about 1 teaspoon at a time).
- Once the entire 1/2 cup of sugar has been added, continue to whip until the meringue can hold stiff peaks.
- Whip in the vanilla extract, and continue to stir the meringue on low speed while you prepare the hot sugar syrup.
- Place the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a small pot, along with the water.
- Place the pot over medium heat and cook until the syrup boils and reaches 235 degrees F.
- In a very slow and steady stream, add the hot sugar syrup to the meringue, while continuing to whip on low speed.
- When all the syrup has been added, turn the mixer up to high speed and whip until very stiff and glossy.
Hello! In your video I didn’t see you add the hot sugar syrup. This sounds daunting. Is it needed? Thanks
Hey there! You can see the sugar syrup drizzled in at the 01:37 mark on the video that’s in the notes section of the recipe card. Without the syrup the frosting won’t really be very sweet and the egg whites would be raw. Hope this helps!
Hi, this looks delicious. Just to clarify, the ramekin gets baked alongside the cake? The same amount of time or less? And that is what you use for the crumbs? Thanks so much! Cyndi B
Hey Cyndi! Yep you got that right! You can do it less if you like since it’s smaller but I honestly don’t think it makes much difference. Good luck hope you love it!