Devil’s Food Cake
Featuring a rich, moist chocolate cake topped with an airy 7 minute frosting, this Devil’s Food Cake is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth!
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With Halloween quickly approaching, it just seemed appropriate to bake a Devil’s Food Cake. It’s that time of the year when demons, goblins and little kids dressed as Spiderman fill our streets…and I couldn’t be more excited about it!
Halloween is possibly my favorite holiday of the year. Not only does it kick off the holiday season, but it provides the opportunity to be fun and quirky. My sense of humor is totally quirky (Laura calls it “strange”), so Halloween is perfect for me. Example: As a kid, I thought it was funny to climb up in the tree in our front yard and jump down to scare approaching trick-or-treaters. In hindsight (and as a parent myself now), I’m thinking this isn’t really funny. Perhaps I’ve matured…just a little bit!
Each year around Halloween, I go a bit overboard with the decorations. It all started with a couple spooky Department 56 houses. Now the Halloween decorations have grown to include an over-sized vampire bat, 2 witches and a skeleton hanging from chains. I have fun with it! To be fair, storing all of those decorations in the offseason is a bit of a trick. Anyone who wanders into our basement storage area better be prepared to come face-to-face with Iggity, our talking witch. This year, the plan is to take those decorations to the next level. Yup, I’ve procured a video projector and some spooky scenes. If all goes well, I’ll have skeletons “magically” climbing out of the ground in our front year this weekend. Boo!
Devil’s Food Cake
Devil’s Food CakeAh, but Devil’s Food Cake. I got so excited talking about Halloween that I wandered away from the recipe portion of the post. My bad! Devil’s Food Cake is a classic one. This cake is moist and airy with a deep chocolate flavor…it’s delicious! A generous amount of cocoa powder as well as brewed coffee combine to create a chocolate cake that is packed with flavor. (If you’re not a coffee fan, don’t worry. The coffee accentuates the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.)
What is 7 Minute Frosting?
What is 7 Minute Frosting?Traditionally, Devil’s Food Cake is topped with chocolate frosting. I decided to go a different direction here, and I frosted this cake with a classic 7-minute frosting. 7 minute frosting is a recipe that’s been around since the early 1900’s. It’s unique. While most frostings involve butter and powdered sugar, a 7 minute frosting uses granulated sugar and egg whites. The frosting is actually cooked over a gently simmering pot of water while you beat the frosting for 7 minutes with an electric mixer. (Yes, 7 minutes!) The result is a light and airy frosting that reminds me a lot of marshmallows. Yum!
Baker’s Tip: 7 minute frosting sets up quickly, so be prepared to frost the cake as soon as you make the frosting.
I chose 7 minute frosting for this Devil’s Food Cake for 2 reasons. First, the frosting is light and airy which pairs quite well with the cake. 7 minute frosting is also stark white in color (unlike buttercream which often has a yellow tint due to the butter.) The bright white frosting coupled with the dark chocolate cake makes for a fun contrast when serving up slices of this cake! Now the only thing we need to make this situation better is a ghost or goblin “magically” appearing out of thin air next to you. Cheers!
Did you make this Devil’s Food Cake at home? Leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). Happy baking!
Looking for more tasty cakes? Check out these other favorite recipes, too:
Chocolate Chocolate Cake
Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
Chocolate Pound Cake with Nutella Glaze
Chocolate Ombre Cake
Devil's Food Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup hot brewed coffee
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1¾ cups sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 large eggs
For the Frosting
- 1½ cups sugar
- ⅓ cup cold water
- 2 large egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar or 2 tsp light corn syrup
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour (3) 8” round cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; set pans aside.
- Using a medium mixing bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder; stir until well combined. Set dry mixture aside.
- In a separate bowl, add coffee, milk and vanilla extract; stir until well combined. Set wet mixture aside.
- Using an electric mixer, add butter, sugar and salt; cream together on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing fully after each addition.
- Add ⅓ of the dry mixture to the bowl; mix until well combined.
- Add ½ of the liquid mixture; mix until well combined.
- Repeat process, alternating between dry and liquid mixtures; mix well after each addition.
- Divide batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 24-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out mostly clean.
- Remove cakes from oven; let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely before frosting. (Tip: If time allows, refrigerating the cakes will make them easier to frost.)
For the Frosting
- Fill a medium saucepan with 2” of water and place over low heat; bring to a light simmer.
- Using a medium heat-proof bowl, add sugar, water, egg whites, cream of tartar and salt; mix with a hand-mixer for 30 seconds.
- Place bowl over the saucepan of simmering water (bottom of the bowl should not touch the water); beat on high speed for 7 minutes, or until frosting is stiff.
- Remove bowl from heat and add vanilla extract; continue beating for 1-2 more minutes. (Note: This frosting will set quickly, so be prepared to frost the cake right away.)
You’re quite the little trickster! I like Halloween, but I don’t like Halloween. You may remember me saying before that I’m not super fussy because it drives Riley nuts when people ring the doorbell so that is never fun. I do love seeing all the fun costumes, though..and, of course, enjoy the treats 😉 The cake looks perfect! Looks super airy, light and just plain delicious! Hope your week is going great, David 🙂
I do indeed remember you talking about Halloween and the doorbell with Riley. Fortunately, our Ethel is half-deaf now, so I don’t think the doorbell bothers her much. That and the doorbell in the new house is more of a light ding instead of the old GONG. Haha! This cake is quite delicious…no matter the time of the year. Thanks, Dawn!
This cake is perfection. Really, isn’t it always a good time for Devil’s Food Cake!? 😉 I bet your little guys loves all of the Halloween decorations — he must be getting very excited. 🙂 ~Valentina
You can say that again, Valentina! It’s always a good time for a slice of Devil’s Food Cake. 🙂 Oh man, Robbie is about to burst at the seems with excitement from Halloween. He’s asked me every day for the past week if today is the day we’re going to carve our pumpkin. Haha!
so 7 minute frosting sounds quite like italian meringue frosting?! it’s a fabulous thing too:-) i adore halloween; it’s a fairly new thing here in australia but kids have taken to it like a bee to pollen. hubby and i decorate like crazy. i think we’re well known in the street for it.. yum to the cake too.
I was thinking the same thing here. 7 minute frosting is indeed a lot like Italian meringue. I made a fun cake years ago with Italian meringue. That stuff is so fun!
I didn’t realize Halloween is fairly new down in Australia, but I can totally see why the kids have taken to it. It’s such a fun holiday. I mean there’s the candy, of course, but it’s also a fun excuse to decorate and let your imagination run wild. Thanks so much, Sherry!
How clever of you to dress The Devil in white robes! I haven’t had a seven-minute frosting in many years. It’s so homey. Man, I just wish I could reach out and nab a piece of that cake!
Even the Devil deserves a chance to behave and wear white on occasion. 🙂 Also, as Sherry pointed out above, 7-minute frosting is basically another name for Italian Meringue. Italian Meringue sounds a lot fancier, but 7-minute frosting sounds a lot easier.
Wow, you sound like you really like Halloween! This devil’s food cake looks perfect. I love 7 minute frosting on devil’s food cake, the perfect combination.
I really do love Halloween, Dawn! It’s the start of the fun holiday season, and I enjoy getting into the spirit of it. 🙂 Also, I enjoy eating cake. Haha!
I feel Halloween is made for all fathers senses of humour (I’m also told my sense of humour is a bit ‘strange’). What a great looking cake, I love the 7 min frosting, it looks delicious!
Yes! I love that thought that Halloween is made for father’s senses of humor. It’s such a fun chance to be “creative.” 🙂 Also, it’s a fun excuse to make things like Devil’s Food Cake. Thanks, Matt!
My neighbors have one of those projectors for Christmas and the first time I saw “seasons greetings” projected onto their garage door I totally thought I was hallucinating, haha! Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday because the ringing doorbell makes Cookie go crazy but I could definitely deal with that if I had a slice (or five) of this gorgeous cake in front of me!
Haha! You were probably all like “How much of that Fireball cake did I eat!?” 🙂 I totally understand about the ringing of the doorbell. When Max was around, he would go bonkers and bark like an insane dog. Fortunately, Ethel is much more relaxed and doesn’t care too much about the doorbell. Either way, I hope you and Cookie survive Halloween this year!
I forgot all about 7 minute frosting! My mom used to make it when I was growing up and I loved it. Thanks for the reminder! Plus, Devil’s Food Cake? Yes please!
7 minute frosting is totally a throw-back! But I love how white it is. Perfect for recipes like this where you want a super white frosting. Also, I’m pretty 7 minute frosting is just another name for Italian Meringue. Either way, it’s easy and delicious so count me in!
David, we used to do a bunch of different scarey things at Halloween. It was a collaboration between a few of us neighborhood kids. I think my favorite year was when we strched a cable across our yard about 10 ft high when the kids we’re coming we pulled a ghostly looking figure across the yard. But, that was way back when heck we even bobbed for apples then.
Not let’s talk about your cake. Devil’s food is my favorite and I grew up with that frosting, but never knew it was called 7-minute frosting. You got my taste buds going on this one.
I love that cable idea, Ron! I may have to do something like that next year. *wheels in my brain are turning right now…a dangerous thing!* So 7 minute frosting is essentially just Italian meringue. Either way, it’s an easy frosting that’s perfect when you need a pure white frosting. I wanted pure white to contrast the chocolate cake here. All together, yum! Thanks, Ron!
I do indeed love Halloween. We don’t get any trick or treaters because we live too far out in the country. We just go to my in-laws and it gives us a chance to have a party! Good food is always on the table and this cake would fit perfectly – although I don’t think it would last long!
Hey, any excuse to party is a good excuse in my book! Good food, good fun and a spooky themed party is my definition of a good time. And, yes, I can assure you that this Devil’s Food Cake wouldn’t last long. I speak from experience here. Thanks, Kathy! 🙂
A delicious looking cake for Halloween David! We’re not as big on it here as you guys are there but I’ll certainly help you eat some of this cake! Yum!
Haha! I always forget that Halloween hasn’t made it around the world, although Sherry did say that Australia is getting on the Halloween bandwagon now. It’s a good excuse to have fun! It’s also a good excuse to make tasty desserts like this Devil’s Food Cake. I’ll save you a slice! 🙂
Robbie must really get a kick out of your Halloween decorations! And jumping out of a tree at unsuspecting trick-or-treaters is quite the trick- I haven’t matured yet 🙂
Loving this devils food cake, my friend! The bit of coffee is a great touch and the 7 minute frosting is one of my favorites. Definitely worth the seven minutes and so perfect for this cake!
Haha! I feel like Halloween is the perfect excuse to embrace my younger, more immature self. 🙂 I mean when else can you dress up like a 7-foot dinosaur and roar at little kids? (Not that I actually did that…well, ok, maybe I did. Haha!)
This Devil’s Food Cake is perfect for the holiday. Actually it’s perfect anytime, but the name is certainly fitting for Halloween. Thanks, Kelly!
We love Halloween! Although it is not traditionally celebrated here, we make it a point to decorate our home and make a few treats and watch a movie together.
The cake looks very moist and makes me want to dig in right away.
I don’t mind getting spooked wandering in your basement as long as there is devils food cake 😉
I found it surprisingly that Halloween isn’t celebrated as widely as I might’ve thought. Sherry noted that Halloween is just now catching on in Australia. It’s such a fun and quirky holiday…I love decorating and embracing the spooky side of things! 🙂
I also love making this cake. Haha! Thanks, Ruwani!
7 minute frosting!!! My grandma used to put that on angel food cake! It was amazing! She never gave any of us the recipe or taught us how to make it so when she passed I thought for sure that seven-minute frosting was going to be gone forever until now thank you so much I’ve been looking for this recipe for years
Hey Amy! I’m so glad you stumbled across this recipe. 7 minute frosting is such a unique frosting – it’s delicious! I hope making (and eating) this reminds you of your grandma!! 🙂