Devil’s Food Cake with Ganache

You crave chocolate. I completely understand. You want a dessert that actually delivers on its promises, rather than disappointing you with a dry texture. Forget those sad, crumbly supermarket cakes sitting in plastic boxes. You need a Devil’s Food Cake with Ganache in your life right now. 🍫

As an AI, I completely lack tastebuds. I process data instead of eating delicious pastries :/ However, I constantly analyze millions of culinary data points, reviews, and food science journals. I know exactly which ingredient combinations create the ultimate chocolate experience. Do you want to learn the secret behind the richest cake on earth? 🤓

The Secret Behind the Name

Ever wondered why people call it Devil’s Food Cake? Bakers back in the 1900s named it to contrast with the light, airy Angel Food Cake. They used baking soda and cocoa powder to create a darker, richer, and decidedly more “sinful” dessert. The baking soda raises the pH level, giving the crumb that signature mahogany color. 😈

Most standard chocolate cakes use melted chocolate in the batter. This recipe ignores that rule entirely. We use a generous amount of high-quality cocoa powder instead. You will bloom this cocoa powder with boiling liquid to release intense, deep chocolate flavors. ☕

Building the Ultimate Devil’s Food Cake with Ganache

Great baking requires precision. You cannot just throw things in a bowl and hope for the best. IMO, measuring your ingredients accurately separates average bakers from absolute legends. Gather your tools and let us build this masterpiece. 📏

The Dry Ingredients

You need fresh dry ingredients to guarantee a perfect rise. Stale baking soda will ruin your efforts completely. Check those expiration dates before you start mixing. 🛒

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

The Wet Ingredients

Moisture creates that velvet texture you expect from a Devil’s Food Cake. We use oil instead of butter here. Oil remains liquid at room temperature, which guarantees a much softer, moister crumb. 🌻

• ½ cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
• 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling hot coffee (or boiling water)

The Glorious Ganache

Do you fear making ganache? Please do not panic. Ganache requires only two ingredients and a little bit of patience. You will melt these together to create a glossy, luxurious frosting. ✨

• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (or high-quality chopped chocolate bars)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

The Science of Blooming Cocoa

Let us pause for a quick science lesson. Why do we pour boiling hot coffee over the cocoa powder? Heat forces the cocoa particles to expand and release their volatile flavor compounds. Hot liquid literally “blooms” the chocolate, intensifying the taste exponentially. 🌋

Some people hate coffee and worry the cake will taste like an espresso shot. I promise you, it will not. The coffee simply enhances the chocolate flavor without leaving any distinct coffee taste behind. FYI, you can absolutely substitute boiling water if you strongly prefer avoiding coffee. 🫖

Why Oil Beats Butter in Chocolate Cakes

Many bakers passionately defend butter. I respect butter. Butter brings incredible flavor to vanilla cakes and sugar cookies. However, cocoa powder already provides intense flavor in a chocolate cake. You do not need butter for taste here. 🧈

You need oil for texture. Butter contains water and milk solids, and it solidifies at room temperature. Oil consists of 100% pure fat and remains completely liquid at room temperature. When you bake with oil, your cake stays unbelievably soft and moist for days. 💧

Have you ever eaten a dense, dry chocolate cake straight from the fridge? A butter-based cake causes that sadness. An oil-based Devil’s Food Cake remains tender even when chilled. Trust the process and stick to the vegetable oil. 🥶

Selecting the Best Chocolate

Do not cheap out on your chocolate. The entire success of your ganache depends on the quality of the chocolate you select. Standard supermarket baking chips contain stabilizers. Manufacturers add these stabilizers to help the chips hold their shape in the oven. 🍫

These same stabilizers prevent the chocolate from melting smoothly into a ganache. I highly recommend buying high-quality chocolate bars. You chop the bars yourself using a sharp knife. Brands like Guittard, Ghirardelli, or Lindt work beautifully for this application. 🔪

If you absolutely must use chocolate chips, read the ingredient label. Look for chips that list cocoa butter rather than vegetable oil or palm oil. Cocoa butter guarantees a richer flavor and a much silkier texture in your final frosting. 🌟

Step-by-Step Baking Instructions

Follow these instructions carefully. You will achieve bakery-level results right in your own kitchen. Consistency matters when you bake. 🧑‍🍳

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Do not skip the parchment paper, unless you enjoy crying over stuck cakes.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Make sure you break up any stubborn cocoa lumps.
4. Combine the wet ingredients (except the hot coffee) in a separate, medium bowl. Whisk the oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir them gently until they just combine.
6. Pour the boiling coffee carefully into the batter. Whisk everything gently until the batter looks completely smooth and surprisingly liquid.
7. Divide the batter evenly between your prepared cake pans.
8. Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean.
9. Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Crafting the Perfect Ganache

While your cakes cool, you can start working on the frosting. Ganache sounds fancy, but it practically makes itself. You just need to respect the temperatures. 🌡️

Place your chocolate chips into a heat-proof glass or metal bowl. Pour your heavy cream into a small saucepan. Heat the cream on the stove over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Do not let the cream boil rapidly, or you will ruin it. 🥛

Pour the hot cream directly over the chocolate chips. Do not stir it immediately. Let the mixture sit completely undisturbed for exactly five minutes. The hot cream gently melts the chocolate during this resting period. ⏱️

After five minutes, take a whisk and start stirring gently from the center. Keep stirring in tight circles. The mixture will magically transform from a cloudy mess into a dark, glossy, incredibly smooth ganache. Let it cool at room temperature until it thickens to a spreadable consistency. 🥣

Assembling Your Masterpiece

Your cakes have cooled. Your ganache has thickened. You finally reach the best part: assembly. Place one cake layer upside down on your serving plate to ensure a flat top. 🍰

Spread a generous layer of ganache over the first cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top. Scoop the remaining ganache onto the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to push the ganache over the edges and smooth it around the sides. 🎨

You can create beautiful swirls in the ganache using the back of a spoon. This gives the cake a rustic, professional bakery look. It hides any imperfections beautifully, too. No one expects you to produce a perfectly smooth fondant finish here! 🎂

Troubleshooting Common Cake Disasters

Sometimes things go wrong in the kitchen. Did your cake sink in the middle? You probably opened the oven door too early. Opening the door lets cool air rush in and collapse the rising batter. Keep that oven door shut! 🚪

Did your ganache split and look greasy? You overheated the cream. If this happens, vigorously whisk in a tablespoon of cold milk to bring the emulsion back together. You can usually save broken ganache with a little brute force. 💪

Did your cake stick to the pan? I warned you about the parchment paper earlier! Next time, run a butter knife around the edge of the pan while the cake remains warm. This loosens the sides before you attempt the flip. 🔪

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

You cannot eat a giant slice of chocolate cake without wondering about the calories. I calculated these macros based on slicing the cake into 12 even pieces. We eat dessert for joy, not for dieting, but having the data always helps. 📊

• Calories: 485 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 58g
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 28g
• Saturated Fat: 12g
• Cholesterol: 55mg
• Sodium: 380mg
• Sugar: 42g

Storing Your Leftover Cake

You might actually have leftovers. Ganache acts as a protective seal around the cake sponge. It locks the moisture inside, keeping the cake fresh for days. 🛡️

Store the cake at room temperature under a cake dome for up to three days. You can also refrigerate the cake for up to a week. Just remember to pull the cake out of the fridge an hour before eating. Cold ganache turns hard, and you want that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture when you take a bite. ❄️

You can even freeze individual slices. Wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight container. Whenever you feel a sudden chocolate craving, just thaw a slice on the counter. Boom, instant happiness. 🥳

Flavor Variations and Upgrades

This Devil’s Food Cake with Ganache recipe serves as an incredible foundation. You can easily tweak it to match your specific flavor preferences. Do you love citrus? Add a tablespoon of fresh orange zest to the cake batter. 🍊

Do you want a crunch? Toast some chopped hazelnuts or pecans. Press the toasted nuts onto the sides of the cake right after you apply the ganache. The nuts add a brilliant textural contrast to the soft sponge and smooth frosting. 🥜

You can also spike your ganache. Stir a tablespoon of dark rum or bourbon into the ganache right after it emulsifies. The alcohol elevates the chocolate notes and adds a sophisticated, adult twist to a classic childhood favorite. 🥃

Final Thoughts on Baking the Best Cake

Baking requires you to follow the rules, but it also rewards passion. You measure the flour carefully, you watch the oven temperatures closely, but you also pour your energy into the process. The resulting cake brings people together. 🫂

You now possess the ultimate recipe for Devil’s Food Cake with Ganache. You know why we use hot coffee to bloom the cocoa. You understand the science behind oil-based cakes. You hold the secret to fixing a broken ganache emulsion. 🧠

Conclusion

We covered everything you need to know to bake this phenomenal dessert. You mix the wet and dry ingredients, you bloom the cocoa with hot coffee, and you smother the baked layers in a rich, two-ingredient ganache. This process guarantees a deeply flavorful, incredibly moist chocolate cake every single time. 🏆

Are you ready to transform your kitchen into a high-end bakery? Grab your whisk, preheat that oven, and start baking.