Devil’s Food Cookies

These deliriously dark and chocolatey devil's food cookies are inspired by the classic cake. They have a fudgy buttercream filling and ganache topping for the ultimate gourmet cookie experience!

Recipe includes a how-to video!

Course cookie, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 14

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 1 24

Servings cookies

Calories 522kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Equipment

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cooking oil avocado, canola, or vegetable oil
2 large eggs room temperature preferred
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 ½ cups (394 g) cake flour
⅔ cup (70 g) Dutch cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon table salt

Filling

6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter softened
1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
2 ½ Tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of table salt

Ganache

1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips or couverture chocolate
¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream

Instructions

Cookie Dough

In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), use an electric mixer to beat butter and sugar together until combined. Gradually increase mixer speed to high and beat until light and creamy (at least a minute or two!).
1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
Add oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and stir on low-speed until all ingredients are completely combined. Set aside.
2 Tablespoons cooking oil, 2 large eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3 ½ cups cake flour, ⅔ cup Dutch cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon table salt
Gradually add dry ingredients into wet, mixing until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. While dough is chilling, make your filling.

Filling

Place butter in a medium-sized bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until smooth and creamy.
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Gradually add powdered sugar (I do this in 3 or 4 parts), beating after each addition until smooth and combined.
1 cup powdered sugar
Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt and stir until smooth and completely combined.
2 ½ Tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch of table salt
Scoop frosting by 1 Tablespoon-sized scoop onto a wax paper lined baking sheet or plate, and place in the freezer while your dough finishes chilling (a minimum of 15 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Assembly

Once dough and filling have chilled and dough is no longer too sticky to easily manage, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Scoop into ¼ cup (75g)-sized balls. Roll the dough between your palms and make a deep indent to the center of the dough. Remove filling from the freezer and place one filling dollop into the indent. Roll the dough around the filling to center it and completely conceal it and roll to form a smooth ball. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 2” apart.
Transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) oven and bake for 12-14 minutes. Cookies may look slightly underdone on top but edges should be firm/set.
Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet (they are fragile when warm!) before topping with ganache.

Ganache

Once cookies have cooled, combine chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and continue microwaving in 15 second increments, stirring well in-between, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or couverture chocolate, ¼ cup heavy cream
Once cookies are completely cool, spread ganache evenly over tops of cookies, about 1 Tablespoon per cookie. Allow ganache to solidify before enjoying!

Video

Notes

All-purpose flour

Cake flour is really recommended for the best texture, but if you don’t have it you can substitute 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g) and 2 Tablespoons (16g) cornstarch for the cake flour.

Storing

These cookies may be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Due to the ganache, I recommend refrigerating (in an airtight container) if storing for longer than this (will keep for up to a week). These cookies are great warm, though, so set them out to come to room temperature before enjoying for best results!

Nutrition