My Devil’s Food Cake recipe is rich, fudgy, and dangerously chocolatey! It’s also simple to make and essentially foolproof! Today I’m walking you through all the steps, be sure to check out the how-to video in the recipe card!
What is the Difference Between Chocolate Cake and Devil’s Food Cake?
Leading with this question because it’s one I had myself. What’s the point of adding another chocolate cake to the blog, anyway, when I already have an incredible, 5-star chocolate cake recipe?
After a bit of digging I learned that devil’s food cake is in a class of its own. While it’s known for being fudgier, moister, and richer than classic chocolate cake, people seem to widely disagree on what ingredients are critical to makes it so. Some recipes call strictly for melted chocolate, others for natural cocoa, and still others for Dutch-process. So which is right!?
After far too many hours of devil’s food cake research, I came to the following conclusions:
- It should be plush, velvety, and more fudgy and moist than a classic chocolate cake. Soft and melt-in-your-mouth, yes, but not quite so fluffy as many other cakes.
- The chocolate flavor should be more intense than a classic chocolate cake. While any frosting will work on this cake, a thick and fudgy chocolate one is preferred (coming soon!).
- Sour cream played an important role in many early recipes and I felt it belonged here as well, as did Dutch-process cocoa.
- While baking powder may make an appearance, baking soda should be the primary leavener.
- It is not the same as red velvet cake. I was shocked to find at least one source claiming that it was and felt strongly that I should set the record straight here. Nope!
With these parameters in mind, I set about developing the best devil’s food cake recipe. It took weeks to get things just right, but I’m so excited to share this one with you today. Let’s get to it!
Ingredients
Many of today’s ingredients are basic pantry staples, but let’s talk about a few of them, including what role they play in the chemistry of making the perfect cake:
- Flour. I specifically developed my recipe to be made with all-purpose flour. I have not tried it with cake flour but think it could work if substituted properly. I do not recommend any other kind of flour, such as self-rising flour.
- Sugar. A blend of granulated sugar and brown sugar give this cake the best flavor.
- Butter. Most of my cake recipes use a blend of oil and butter to maximize both flavor and moisture. However, for this fudgy recipe we have plenty of moisture added elsewhere, so we’re going for all flavor with all butter.
- Cocoa powder. While many recipe developers disagree on the best chocolate to use when making devil’s food cake, I found that this recipe works best with Dutch-process cocoa powder to attain its signature deep, rich chocolate flavor. While “natural” cocoa powder is highly acidic, Dutch-process has been treated and neutralized. It also yields a darker color for the cake. We’ll “bloom” the cocoa powder in our milk & water on the stovetop for ultimate chocolate intensity in this cake.
- Milk & Water. For the perfect texture, a blend of whole milk and water works best. This is the liquid we’ll heat to bloom our cocoa powder.
- Coffee. Coffee doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee, but it does enhance the rich chocolate flavor. You have several options here. 1) Omit the water above and use your favorite coffee instead. 2) Use water and a teaspoon of instant coffee. 3) If you have neither coffee nor instant coffee you can just use water. Even without the enhancement of coffee flavor the cake will still taste good.
- Sour cream. Sour cream plays an important role in this cake. It adds moisture (thanks to its fat content) and the acidity helps to activate the baking soda.
This is just an overview of some of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Devil’s Food Cake
- Combine the butter, milk, water, cocoa powder and instant coffee in a saucepan. Cook until the butter is melted then bring the mixture to a boil. This not only “blooms” our cocoa (releasing its full, intense chocolate flavor) but it also melts our butter, which also helps the cake’s flavor.
- Remove your chocolate mixture from the stove and let it cool. Meanwhile, whisk sugars and dry ingredients together in a large heatproof bowl.
- Add the chocolate mixture to your dry ingredients and stir until smooth and combined.
- Stir in the sour cream, then add the eggs and vanilla and stir until smooth.
Baking The Devil’s Food Cake
- Evenly pour the finished batter into two round baking pans (I use 8″ but include notes in the recipe for different sized pans and even for cupcakes!) and bake.
- Check that the cake is done by inserting a toothpick into the center of each cake. The toothpick should have some fudgy crumbs (but no wet batter!). A toothpick with no crumbs may indicate that the cake is overcooked, which could mean a dense/dry cake.
- When the cake is finished baking allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes then run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it.
- Carefully invert the cakes onto a cooling rack to finish cooling (careful, the pans are still hot!). Let the cakes cool completely before covering with frosting.
Frosting
I used a chocolate fudge frosting that I’ll be sharing later this week, but here are a few other options that are great with this cake:
- Chocolate Frosting
- Chocolate Buttercream
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Brown Butter Frosting (I iced this cake with brown butter frosting for Zach’s birthday at his request, the combination was incredible!).
Frequently Asked Questions
This cake allegedly originated in the 1900s, and while there are a number of different reasons cited for the reason behind the name, nobody seems to know for sure. My best guess after scouring the internet? With its sinfully dark color, rich, decadent taste and plush, fudgy crumb, it most starkly stood out as the antithesis to the light, fluffy and airy angel food cake that predates it.
This recipe is specifically designed to be rich, fudgy and moist. However, a few wrong turns can leave you with a cake that is dense or dry.
The most likely culprit is accidentally over-baking your cake. This is especially easy to do if your oven is running hotter than it says (which many ovens do!). Because of this I highly recommend keeping an oven thermometer (this is the one I use) in your oven at all times.
However, accidentally over-measuring your flour can also yield a dense or dry cake. If you haven’t already, please see my guide on how to measure flour.
Yes! This recipe will make approximately 24 cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners ⅔-3/4 of the way full and then bake for 17-18 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs).
More Recipes For Chocolate Lovers
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Devil’s Food Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (118 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (236 ml) water
- ¾ cup (75 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee optional, see note
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (190 g) sour cream
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 batch chocolate frosting or your favorite frosting
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line the bottom of two 8” baking pans (see note for different size pans) with cut-out parchment paper lines and spray the sides with baking spray (or you may thoroughly grease and flour the pans). Set aside.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine butter, milk, water, cocoa powder, and instant coffee.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (118 ml) whole milk, 1 cup (236 ml) water, ¾ cup (75 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- Place on stovetop over medium-low heat and stir frequently until butter is melted. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes while you prepare the dry ingredients.
- In a separate large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Whisk the chocolate mixture briefly once more to combine then Pour into flour mixture. Stir until smooth.
- Add sour cream and stir until combined.¾ cup (190 g) sour cream
- Add eggs and vanilla and stir well until batter is smooth.2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Evenly divide batter into prepared baking pans and bake on 350F (175C) for 30-35 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with fudgy crumbs (preferred, as sometimes a clean toothpick can indicate the cake is overdone).
- Allow to cool in the baking pans for 15 minutes then run a knife along the edge to loosen it from the pan and carefully invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely (be careful, the pans will still be hot).
- Cool completely before frosting.1 batch chocolate frosting
Notes
Coffee
Instead of using water and instant coffee you can instead just use 1 cup of your favorite coffee. The coffee enriches the chocolate flavor of the cake and I recommend it, but if you have neither coffee nor instant coffee the recipe can be made with just water (it’ll still be good!).Baking Pans/Making as Cupcakes
This recipe may be baked in two 9” pans (bake for 28-30 minutes) or it will make 24 cupcakes (bake for 17-18 minutes). This recipe will also work in a 9×13″ pan baked for approximately 30 minutes. Always use the toothpick test to check for doneness: a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with moist, fudgy crumbs (preferable). A bundt pan will also work though I have not tried this recipe in a bundt pan myself so cannot comment on the bake time.Making In Advance
You may make the cake up to two days in advance of frosting and serving. Simply bake and cool then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. I store at room temperature. This cake may be prepared, cooled, and frozen for up to a month before thawing and frosting. After frosting, the cake may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 48 hours or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Sue
Great devil’s food cake! Very dark and delicious, made exactly as written. For my grandchild who has an egg allergy, I’ve used egg replacer (Bob’s Red Mill) with no issues.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sue! Thank you for the feedback! 🙂
RedBlueSpice
I make a cake from a Devil’s food cake mix that adds 4 eggs, oil, sour cream, choc pudding mix, and choc chips. Over the decades, my family insists on this being their birthday cake. I really don’t want to use a box mix, so I went on a hunt on your blog, because you make THE BEST CAKE RECIPES. After seeing this recipe, it looks like all I would probably add are the chocolate chips. It has the sour cream, doesn’t seem to need pudding and quite likely would ruin your cake, and you test your recipes so well, I would hate to add 2 more eggs. I suspect the recipe I found many years ago probably added all of those extra ingredients to try to make a box cake mix taste like a from scratch cake, like the one here you have developed. Do I have this correct?
Sam
Thank you so much for trusting my recipes so much! I’m so glad they’ve all been such a hit! You definitely don’t want to add and extra eggs or pudding mix here, or oil, or sour cream. You would be fine to stir some chocolate chips into the batter. You are correct in saying that someone was just trying to doctor the flavor of a box mix in that other recipe. I hope you love this one! 🙂
RedBlueSpice
Sweet! I can’t wait to make this cake! Every single cake I make of yours is phenomenal!
Lori Adkins
EXCELLENT exact directions! Turned out beautifully for my husband’s birthday cake!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! Thanks for using our recipe, Lori 🥰
Julia
Do you think I could substitute mayonnaise for the sour cream?
Sam
Hi Julia! I would try a plain full fat greek yogurt, but I’m not sure mayonnaise would work quite the same. 🙁
Mona
This is the first time I have every made a cake from scratch, and I must stay I’m proud of myself, but even prouder of the recipe loll! Great job!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it turned out nicely for you, Mona! Thanks for trying our recipe 🥰
Romaine
I really wanted to comment on how I loved the way the recipe was laid out- posting the ingredients again at each step, saving scrolling up and down (and potentially missing an ingredient or adding at the wrong time). Super helpful! Cake was delicious and I highly recommend using the frosting recipe linked. Fudgier (sp) than buttercream. I used unsweetened chocolate (it’s what I had) and it had the beautiful texture of buttercream, but less sweet. So delicious!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it was helpful, Romaine! Thanks for the review 🩷
Sara
This was absolutely the best cake recipe I have ever used. The cake was unbelievable moist and the perfect amount of sweetness. I used a shot of espresso instead of instant coffee. I also added fresh strawberry in-between the cake layers and used her recipe for chocolate buttercream frosting.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That sounds divine, Sara! We’re so happy you enjoyed it so much 🥰
A
Just checking, is it really 400g sugar in the cake alone? That seems a lot but I’ll give it a try!
Sam
It is, enjoy! 🙂
A
I should never have doubted. Fantastic results, delicious cake! I don’t actually make chocolatey bakes that often but this one I’ll be coming back to.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it was a hit for you! 😊
Lisa OConnor
Hi Sam, my daughter wants this cake for her 18th birthday party on Saturday. It will be a 10 inch heart shape. Will this mixture be OK in that size tin? and will it do 2 layers or 1? Thanks in advance ☺️
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Lisa! You will be able to fill your pan for one layer, but you will have excess batter. You can either discard it or use it for cupcakes. We hope your daughter loves her cake! 🥳
Megan Mollett
I love this recipe! I’ve used it many times! Always turns out perfect. Could I add chopped Oreos to the batter to make a chocolate Oreo cake?
Sam
Hi Megan! My only concern here is that the oreos could potentially sink to the bottom of the cake, but I haven’t tried it to say for sure how it would work. Let me know if you do. 🙂
Abigail Mann
My family LOVES this chocolate cake recipe and it is a HIGHLY requested favorite in our household!!! So delicious and so dense and fudgey!!! We love it!
Michelle Smith
This was a delicious cake!!
Melissa A.
This is the absolute BEST chocolate cake recipe I have ever baked and tasted! The recipe is easy to prepare and the ingredient measurements are simple to increase or decrease for desired cake size. Sam, your devils food cake recipe has ruined me from baking any other chocolate cake recipe! Thank you so much for sharing your gift of cooking.:)
Tom E.
Another winner Sam. Ditto for the fudge frosting.
Jerry
WOW WOW WOW, I love this cake more than the coca cola and chocolate cake. Everyone loved it. I used a hot cup of instant coffee, baked in a 13 x 9. Even on day 3 it was still fresh and fudge. Never used Dutch process before glad I did. Thank you so much for putting in all the work so we dont have to. You always look great and never seem to gain an ounce, please tell us your secret. Thanks again.
Michelle Lowe
The BEST!