Devils Food Chocolate Cake (Printable)

Rich, moist chocolate layers with silky cocoa buttercream for a decadent dessert.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
03 - 2 cups granulated sugar
04 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
06 - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
09 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
10 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
11 - 1 cup boiling water

→ Chocolate Frosting

12 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
15 - 1/2 cup whole milk, plus more as needed
16 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
17 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
03 - Add eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed until just combined.
04 - Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add boiling water. Mix until the batter is smooth and thin.
05 - Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
06 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Beat softened butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and cocoa powder, beating until smooth.
09 - Add whole milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until fluffy and spreadable, adding additional milk if necessary.
10 - Place one cake layer on serving plate, spread with frosting. Top with second layer and frost top and sides evenly.
11 - Slice and serve at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's impossibly moist without being dense, with a crumb so tender it practically melts on your tongue.
  • The boiling water trick creates a silky texture that bakery cakes spend extra money trying to achieve.
  • Two layers of intense chocolate flavor with frosting so fluffy and rich you'll want to eat it straight from the bowl.
02 -
  • Don't skip the parchment paper—it prevents sticking and gives you level cake layers that stack beautifully.
  • If your frosting breaks or looks grainy, it's usually because your butter wasn't soft enough or you added cold milk; warm the bowl with hot water for 30 seconds and beat again.
  • The boiling water absolutely cannot be cold or lukewarm, or you'll lose the moisture advantage that makes this cake special.
03 -
  • If you don't have Dutch-processed cocoa, regular cocoa will work, but add a pinch of baking soda to neutralize the acidity and deepen the color.
  • A crumb coat—a thin, first layer of frosting that you chill for 15 minutes—makes the final frosting layer look professionally smooth and prevents crumbs from dragging into your frosting.
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