How to make Zoë François' Chocolate Devil's Food Cake
Deliciousness from the author of "Zoë Bakes Cakes"
Hello! Hello!
It didn’t seem fair to tell you about all the books I’ve been reading and cooking and baking from over the past year or so without giving you a taste of at least one of them. So today, here’s one of my favorite recipes from ZOE BAKES CAKES, by Zoë François: Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake. I know, just stringing those four words together is enough to make us chocolate-lovers sigh.
When I asked Zoë if I could share this recipe, she agreed immediately, saying: This is my most requested recipe – it’s what my family always asks for.
I’m not surprised. It’s got the classic devil’s food color – so dark it’s almost black. The cake is made with unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa, which delivers a deep, pure, chocolate flavor. (I made it with Valrhona cocoa.) Zoë calls for strong hot coffee and a few tablespoons of rum in the recipe and says that their flavors aren’t pronounced – and she’s right. While you’d think that more than a cup of coffee in a cake would make itself known with a bam, it doesn’t. Zoë explains that the coffee is not there so much for flavor as it is to “balance out the sweetness of the high ratio of sugar.” She also says, “It’s the BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever made, and I’ve tried them all. Well, pretty close to all.”
It’s also the cake that my long-time recipe tester, Mary Dodd, told me she makes often. And so, she made it again for us.
The loaf pan version, fresh out of the oven (photo by Mary Dodd)
As with so many of Zoë’s recipes, this one comes with options. It can be made as a loaf, an 8-inch round double layer cake or two dozen cupcakes. And while Zoë shows the cake with her chocolate frosting, she also recommends cream cheese frosting, which is Mary’s favorite.
Mine never got frosted – I gave some of it away and then we ate the rest topped with ice cream, never a bad thing. In fact, it was just one of many things that would have been good with it. The cake has the classic crumb that you get when you make a cake with oil – tight, sturdy and delightfully springy – and so, it’s the kind of cake that’s meant for frosting or whipped cream or ice cream or curd or jam. For layering. For slicing thinnish. Or thickish.
Cake, frosting and Mary's baker's nibbles in the background
A few words on making the cake: You make this cake by hand – another reason to love it – with two bowls, a whisk and a spoon or flexible spatula. Zoë recommends a 9-inch pullman loaf pan without the top, but since I didn’t have one, I used a 9-x-5-inch loaf pan and so did Mary. The cake crowns in the oven and flattens when it cools. If you’d like, you can trim the top to even it before frosting … or not. I suggest trimming because then you can nibble the cut-away bits. As for the frosting – if you’re making a loaf cake, as we did, then you’ll need just half the recipe for either frosting.
I’ll be sending you another look back at cookbooks on Tuesday. Until then, bake away and have a sweet weekend.
p.s. As part of the launch of my new book, BAKING WITH DORIE, Zoë and I will be in conversation at The Smithsonian, in a virtual event in collaboration with Politics & Prose Bookstore. It’s October 20 at 6:45pm ET – here’s the link for tickets (and a discount if you buy either of our books through Politics & Prose)
Chocolate Devil's Food Cake frosted with chocolate (left) & cream cheese (right). Photos from Zoë Bakes Cakes
CHOCOLATE DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE
Adapted from Zoë Bakes Cakes, by Zoë François (Ten Speed Press)
Makes one 9-inch loaf (see above), one 8-inch double-layer cake, or 24 cupcakes
2 1/3 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (50 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder (sifted if lumpy)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) hot strong coffee
2 tablespoons rum or brandy
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
1/2 cup (120 ml) mild-flavored oil (such as vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
NOTE: If you aren’t a fan of coffee and rum, substitute with a flat cola or stout.
NOTE: To make 24 cupcakes, fill the well of a cupcake pan two-thirds full of batter and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 by 4-inch Pullman pan - or a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan; see above (or two 8-inch round cake pans) – then line with greased parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. In a small bowl, stir together the coffee and rum.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Add the egg mixture and half the coffee-rum to the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon until smooth. Slowly add the remaining coffee-rum and whisk until totally blended and smooth. The batter will be quite thin.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter several times to release excess air bubbles.
Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes (30 minutes for 8-inch rounds). Let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan and inverting onto a serving plate. (If you want to trim the top of the cake – which will be the base – do it now; see above.)
Using a metal decorating spatula, cover the cake with an even layer of the frosting (see below for recipes). Top with chocolate shavings, if you’d like. Serve at room temperature.
CHOCOLATE FROSTING
Adapted from Zoë Bakes Cakes, by Zoë François (Ten Speed Press)
Makes enough to cover one 8-inch triple-layer cake or two 9 by 13-inch sheet cakes (you’ll need only about half of this recipe for a loaf cake; see above)
Zoë says: This fudgy covering will set with a sugar crust, so spread it just after mixing.
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream, plus more as needed
1 cup (220 grams) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 pinch kosher salt
16 ounces (450 grams) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 cups (300 grams) confectioners’ sugar (sifted if lumpy)
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the cream, butter, espresso powder, and salt and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often until the butter is melted. Add the chocolate and swirl the pan until the chocolate is submerged in the hot cream. Let the mixture sit for about 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Let the mixture cool to room temperature; it will become quite thick as the butter and chocolate set.
Turn the mixer speed to low, add the confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, and beat until smooth and spreadable. If the frosting is at all grainy, add additional cream, 1 Tbsp at a time, until it’s smooth. The frosting will be quite soft but firm enough to cling to the cake and spread evenly.
Use immediately.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Adapted from Zoë Bakes Cakes, by Zoë François (Ten Speed Press)
Makes enough to cover one 8-inch triple-layer cake or two 9 by 13-inch sheet cakes (you’ll need only about half of this recipe for a loaf cake; see above)
Baker’s note from Zoë: Golden syrup is like a light caramel but not as overpowering in flavor; it just adds a nuance that is exquisite. Golden syrup is a staple in most British kitchens, but if you happen to find it in your grocery in the United States, give it a try.
1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (330 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract (optional)
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 cups (600 grams) confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons Lyle’s Golden Syrup (see Baker’s Note, above; optional)
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on low speed until it’s smooth and there are no lumps. Scrape down the bowl and paddle often.
Add the butter to the cream cheese and continue mixing until smooth, scraping often. You want to make sure none of the cream cheese or butter is sticking to the paddle, or it may end up creating lumps. Mix in the vanilla, lemon extract (if using), and lemon juice.
Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and then the golden syrup (if using) and continue mixing until smooth.
If the frosting is thin and soft, you may want to chill it to give it more body and allow you to fill and decorate with more ease. Just cover the bowl and refrigerate until the frosting is firm, up to 24 hours, then return to the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until smooth.
Use immediately.
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