1942 Devils Food Cake Recipes

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!

Steps:

• To make the frosting: Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate, move the bowl gently to let the cream settle. Set the mixture aside until softened, about 4 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Cover the surface of the frosting with plastic wrap. Set aside and let set up at room temperature, about 2 hours.
• To make the cake: Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with a circle of parchment or wax paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the sugar. Continue beating until light and smooth, about 4 minutes. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and beat at medium speed for 1 minute more. (Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl again, if needed.) With the mixer running at medium-low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Combine the water and milk in a saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat.
• With the mixer at low speed, add the flour mixture, about a 1/4 cup at a time. Carefully pour the hot liquid into the batter. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a large rubber spatula, finish combining the batter until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Lightly drop each pan onto the counter to settle the batter.
• Set the pans on the middle rack in the oven. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans and the center springs back when touched lightly, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool the cakes, in the pans, on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake layers out of the pans and cool on the rack. (If not assembling the cake right away, wrap the layers in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 day, or freeze for up to 2 months.)
• Assemble the Devil's Food Cake. Place 1 cake layer upside-down on a cake stand or flat plate. Scoop about 1/3 of the icing onto the center of the layer. Using a large, offset spatula, spread the icing evenly over the layer to the edges. Place the other cake layer, rounded-side up, on top. Evenly spread half of the remaining icing over the top, spreading any excess icing down the sides. Spread the remaining icing around the sides of the cake. Use the tip of the offset spatula to make a swirling pattern in the icing. Serve. Store under a cake dome or loosely wrapped with plastic, at room temperature, for up to 2 days.
• Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, GP. All rights reserved

Steps:

• Butter two 9-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper or waxed paper.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 350°.
• Melt chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over hot, but not simmering water; let cool.
• In a bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together; mix well.
• Add the butter to the chocolate, then pour in the boiling water; stir well to mix.
• Whisk in the sugar and sour cream.
• Stir in the flour mixture; whisk in the eggs.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans; smooth the tops.
• Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until test done-toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool in pans on racks for 5 minutes; then unmold onto racks to finish cooling.
• **Recommend to frost with fluffy white frosting or whipped ganache.

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the sugar. Beat until light and smooth, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the whole eggs and yolk 1 at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Bring water just to a boil in a small saucepan and remove from the heat. With the mixer at low speed, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 4 additions. Drizzle in the hot water, about 2 tablespoons at a time, and mix briefly to make a smooth batter. Divide the batter among the muffin cups filling them 2/3 full. Bake until the centers of the cupcakes spring back when pressed gently, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and cool completely before frosting.
• For the frosting: Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour cream over chocolate and shake the bowl gently so cream settles around the chocolate. Set mixture aside until the chocolate is soft, about 5 minutes. Whisk gently until smooth, taking care not to incorporate too many air bubbles. Stir in 1 of the flavorings, if desired. Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the frosting. (Frosting can also be chilled and whipped, then piped or spread onto the cupcakes.) Set them upright and let stand 1 or 2 minutes, until frosting is slightly set, then decorate with fresh berries, candies, or chopped pistachios, if desired. Let cakes stand on rack until frosting is completely set.

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar and cocoa with whisk until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, oil and milk; stir with whisk until smooth.
• Pour batter evenly into 2 (1-cup) microwavable coffee cups. Microwave on High about 3 minutes or until outsides edges are firm and centers are almost set. Watch to make sure the batter doesn't overflow (if it looks like it's about to overflow, stop the microwave until the batter settles back down, then continue to heat).
• Immediately sprinkle cupcakes with powdered sugar. Serve warm.