Devil’s Food Cake: The Original American Recipe

When it comes to irresistible, indulgent desserts, Italian tradition never disappoints—think of the elegant Savoia Cake. But across the ocean, the kitchen holds its own too: enter the all-American Devil’s Food Cake, a soft, moist, multi-layered chocolate cake enriched with a luscious chocolate ganache.

The Origins of Devil’s Food Cake

The original recipe for Devil’s Food Cake—literally “the devil’s cake”—is thought to date back to the early 1900s. At the time, the batter included food colouring for a striking, vivid red hue similar to that of Red Velvet Cake. Eventually, the darker, more “sinful” version of this three-layer chocolate cake prevailed, making it one of America’s most iconic desserts—rivalled only by its angelic counterpart, Angel Food Cake, a white, airy cake made with whipped egg whites.

The Devil’s Food Cake recipe is relatively intricate, but with care—and above all, respecting the cooling times for the sponge and ganache—you can achieve a flawless result and make the assembly of the layers much easier.

Devil’s Food Cake: Step-by-Step Recipe

Difficulty: High
Preparation time: 2 hours (90 minutes prep + 30 minutes baking)

Ingredients for 12 servings

For the sponge:

• 400 g plain flour
• 50 g Venchi bitter cocoa
• 400 g sugar
• 325 g softened butter
• 4 eggs
• 160 ml hot water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Pinch of salt

For the ganache:

• 750 ml fresh cream
• 750 g Venchi dark chocolate

Tip: For a chef’s touch, temper the chocolate in a bain-marie or by tabling for perfect gloss and texture.

How to Make the Devil’s Cake

• Start by creaming the softened butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each in thoroughly before adding the next. If using a hand mixer, ensure each ingredient is well combined before moving on.
• Pour in the hot water, mixing continuously, then add the vanilla extract.
  In a separate bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, salt, bicarbonate), mix well, and add to the batter.
• Divide the mixture into three 20 cm tins lined with baking paper and bake in a static oven at 180°C for about 30 minutes. Test with a skewer; if still underdone, cover with foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
• Once baked, remove the chocolate layers from their tins and cool on a wire rack completely before assembling.

How to Prepare the Chocolate Ganache

• Warm the cream gently in a small saucepan without boiling it. Add the roughly chopped Venchi dark chocolate, remove from heat, and stir with a spatula until the mixture is perfectly smooth.
• Once cooled, refrigerate to firm up, stirring occasionally: this step is key to achieving a rich, creamy, spreadable consistency.

Assembling the Devil’s Food Cake

• Place the first sponge layer on a serving plate and spread generously with ganache. Repeat with the second and third layers.
• Cover the entire cake with the remaining ganache using a spatula—don’t worry about a flawless finish; the Devil’s Food Cake is known for its characteristic ripples!

To maintain the perfect ganache texture, store the cake in the fridge for up to three or four days, taking it out a few minutes before serving.
For an indulgent touch (as if it needed more!), serve with fresh whipped cream rosettes and chocolate curls.