Devils Food Cake With Chocolate Spiderweb Recipes

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE-SOUR CREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. Bring 1 1/4 cups water and the milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add the cocoa and vanilla, and beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for 1 minute between each addition. Reduce the mixer to low and beat in the flour in four additions. Carefully pour the hot milk mixture into the batter. Use a rubber spatula to stir until smooth. Evenly divide batter between the prepared pans and lightly tap the pans on the counter.
• Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from sides of the pan and the centers spring back to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto the rack and cool completely.
• For the frosting: Bring about 1-inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Put the milk and semisweet chocolates in a heatproof bowl that sits comfortably in the saucepan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate completely melts and is smooth. Let cool slightly and then stir in the sour cream, coffee and vanilla until smooth. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the frosting is silky and fluffy. (Use the frosting right away as it will become firm as it sits.)
• Put one cake layer on a serving plate or platter spread about one-third of the frosting all the way to the edge of the cake. Put the second cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE SPIDERWEB

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Butter cake pans, then line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
• Whisk together boiling-hot water and cocoa in another bowl until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.
• Beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.
• Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops. Bake, switching position of pans halfway through, until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
• Make decorations while cake layers cool:
• Trace a 9-inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper, then draw a spiderweb inside circle. Next to web, draw a 2-to 3-inch spider. Turn drawings over onto a baking sheet.
• Melt chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring. Cool slightly, then transfer to pastry bag. Pipe chocolate onto web, beginning with spokes, and onto spider on parchment, then freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
• Make frosting:
• Put frosting ingredients in a heatproof large bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Beat with handheld mixer at low speed until mixture is warm and sugar has dissolved. Continue to beat at high speed until thick and fluffy, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and beat frosting until cooled slightly, 5 to 10 minutes more.
• Assemble cake:
• Place a cake layer on a serving plate. Spread top with some of frosting. Top with another cake layer and spread with some of frosting, then top with final cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.
• Cut off portion of parchment with spider and reserve. Invert web on parchment onto cake and carefully peel off paper. Peel off parchment from spider and put spider on web. Let cake stand at room temperature until chocolate decorations have softened.

THE ULTIMATE DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment rounds; butter parchment. Stir together boiling water, cocoa, and chocolate in a bowl. Let cool 10 minutes. Whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, and salt in another bowl.
• In a mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar on medium-high until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in vanilla, then chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture in two additions, alternating with sour cream, until just combined.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake until a tester inserted in centers comes out with moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack, top-sides up; let cool completely. With a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so they're level.
• Line the edges of a cake stand or plate with strips of parchment. Place one cake layer on stand, trimmed-side up, and spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream evenly over top. Top with remaining cake layer, trimmed-side down.
• Spread a thin layer of buttercream over top and sides. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes (this ensures a crumb-free finish). Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides. Cake can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before serving.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour one 9x13 inch pan or two 9 inch round pans.
• In a small pan melt the butter or margarine with the unsweetened chocolate. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Cream together the sugar and the eggs until light in color. Add the chocolate mixture to the eggs and temper mixture by beating well (so you don't end up with scrambled eggs!) Add 1 cup boiled water (still warm) and blend well. Mixture will be very liquid.
• Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this mixture to the chocolate mixture and blend well.
• Mix together the vinegar and the milk and stir into the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan(s).
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cake divides well for filling with mousse, or ganache, or black forest fillings. The best clue to this cake being nearly done is that you will start to smell the aroma of chocolate filling your house!

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE SPIDER'S WEB

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans and line each bottom with a round of wax paper. Grease paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess flour.
• In a bowl whisk boiling water into cocoa until smooth and whisk in milk and vanilla.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy and beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Into another bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and add to egg mixture in batches alternately with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating well after each addition.
• Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops, and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, 20 to 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean and layers begin to pull away from sides of pans.
• Cool layers in pans on racks 10 minutes and turn out onto racks to cool completely. Cake layers may be made ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room teperature 2 days or frozen 1 week.
• Make chocolate web and spider:
• On a sheet of parchment paper draw an 11-inch circle with a pen or pencil and draw a spider web on it, extending some of ends beyond circle (see drawing). Tear off a large corner of the paper and on it draw a spider (see drawing). Turn drawings over onto a large baking sheet.
• In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water melt chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Transfer chocolate to a pastry bag fitted with a #3 plain tip (slightly smaller than 3/4 inch). (Alternatively, form a makeshift pastry bag: Transfer chocolate to a small sealable plastic bag and seal bag, pressing out excess air. Squeeze chocolate to one corner of bag and snip off about 1/8 inch from corner, making a small hole.)
• Pipe chocolate on web, beginning with spokes, and on spider. Freeze web and spider on baking sheet until very firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Make coffee meringue frosting:
• In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water beat frosting ingredients with a hand-held electric mixer on low speed until mixture is warm and sugar is dissolved. Beat frosting on high speed 7 minutes, or until thick and fluffy. Remove bowl from heat and beat frosting until slightly cooled.
• Assemble cake:
• Put a cake layer on a serving plate and spread top with some frosting. Top with another cake layer and spread top with more frosting. Top with remaining cake layer and frost cake with remaining frosting.
• Working quickly, invert paper with frozen web onto another sheet of parchment or wax paper and peel off paper quickly but carefully. invert spider web carefully onto cake and let soften at room temperature until overhanging edges begin to droop. press overhang gently against side of cake. Cake may be assembled and decorated 4 hours ahead and kept in a cake keeper, chilled. Let cake stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
• Just before serving, peel chocolate spider from paper and put on cake.

SPICED DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. , Sift together all dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. , Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before removing from pans., In a small bowl, combine all icing ingredients except nuts. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. If desired, top with almonds.

ABSOLUTELY DIVINE DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Cake:.
• Preheat oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease bottom and sides of 2 (9 x 1 1/2" or 9 x 2") round layer-cake pans. Dust with flour and shake out excess. Melt chocolate in double boiler over simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly. Drain beet juice into a small bowl. Place beets on a cutting board and chop into very small pieces. Add to beet juice and set aside.
• Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until very fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping sides occasionally. Reduce speed to low and beat in melted chocolate.
• Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium-size bowl. With mixer on low speed, alternately beat flour in fourths and buttermilk in thirds into chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add beets and juice and mix on medium speed until blended, about 1 minute. The batter will be thin and you will see pieces of beets.
• Divide the batter equally between the 2 prepared pans. Bake in the 350 degrees oven for 30 - 35 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean and top of cake springs back when lightly pressed with fingertips. DO NOT over bake or cake will be dry. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes and then invert onto racks.
• NOTE: If desired, cake layers may be wrapped in foil and kept at room temperature overnight, or they may be frozen. Defrost wrapped cake at room temperature before frosting.
• Frosting:.
• Heat cream in a medium-size saucepan just until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate and vanilla, stirring until mixture is smooth and chocolate is melted. Transfer mixture into a plastic or glass bowl (metal causes the sides to get too cold and set up too quickly.) Refrigerate, stirring every 10 minutes until mixture is as thick as pudding, about 50 - 60 minutes. At this point the frosting will begin to set up very quickly. Leave in refrigerator and stir every 5 minutes until frosting is a thick as fudge, about 15 more minutes. Alternatively, the frosting may be placed over ice water and stirred constantly until spreading consistency. If it begins to get too thick, immediately remove it from the water.
• To assemble the cake, (make sure cake has cooled and has reached room temperature) place one cake layer top-side down on serving platter. Spread with a third of the frosting and top with second layer, bottom-side up. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Let stand at room temperature for frosting to set.
• NOTE: The frosted cake may be held at room temperature, uncovered, overnight or refrigerated up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Cake:.
• In a large bowl, combine the cocoa powder, espresso powder, and chocolate.
• Pour in the boiling water and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Stir in the vanilla and let cool; then stir in the buttermilk.
• In another bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat the butter and oil together until light and fluffy.
• Add the sugars and beat until creamy.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper.
• Add one-third of the flour mixture and beat at low just until combined.
• Beat in half of the chocolate-buttermilk mixture just until combined.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Beat in another one-third of the remaining flour mixture for no more than a few seconds, just until combined.
• Add the remaining chocolate-buttermilk mixture, beating just a few seconds.
• Finally, fold in the remaining one-third of the flour mixture by hand, using a large rubber spatula, just until no streaks of flour remain.
• Divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans that have been greased and lined with parchment.
• Bake at 350°F 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Transfer to wire racks and let cool 5-10 minutes.
• Invert the cakes onto the racks and peel the parchment paper from the layers.
• Let cool completely before frosting.
• Halve each cake layer horizontally using a long serrated knife (plain dental floss works for me) for a total of four thin cake layers.
• Place one layer cut-side up on a serving plate and top with 1 cup of the mousse buttercream, spreading it evenly.
• Continue stacking the cake, spreading 1 cup of the buttercream in between each layer and placing the layer cut-side down.
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream.
• Chocolate Mousse Buttercream:.
• Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and cocoa powder in the metal bowl of a stand mixer.
• Fill a large saute pan or skillet with water and bring to a simmer over mediium-high heat.
• Place the mixing bowl in the simmering water and whisk the egg mixture constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is thick, fluffy, and very hot, 3-4 minutes.
• Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the mixture -- it should be anywhere between 120-140°F.
• Remove the bowl from the simmering water and, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium-high speed until they are tripled in volume and form soft peaks and the bottom of the bowl is completely cool to the touch, about 10 minutes (it took 45 minutes with a hand mixer -- don't try it!).
• Beat in the vanilla and salt.
• While the eggs are mixing, unwrap the individual sticks of butter and rewrap them loosely in plastic wrap.
• Pound the butter 5-6 times with a rolling pin, until it is soft and malleable but still cool.
• With the mixer speed still on med-high, add the butter 2 T at a time, to the egg mixture, beating in each addition until it is incorporated.
• Don't panic if it seems liquidy or looks curdled; it will magically emulsify.
• When the buttercream is smooth and glossy with a subtle brown tint from the cocoa powder, turn off the mixer and carefully fold in the melted chocolate.