Episode 6-2 – Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake

June 22, 2010
Episode 6-2
Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake

This is one of my favorite cake recipes – and can you believe that it came from a super old Better Homes and Gardens “The New Cookbook” (I think, it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen that book since it belongs to my mother and she may not even have it anymore!)   I did change it slightly so it’s a little easier to work with but other than that this cake is just about fool-proof.  I’ve never burned this cake or had it sink on me or anything crazy like that.  If there is ever a chocolate cake recipe in your life, use this one!

Now with that aside, I did have trouble with converting the recipe up in order to make more batter for the tiered cake/wedding cake.  I’m not the best at conversions, especially with a lot of missing variables, but me and Sallee (over at Fran’s Cake and Candy) tried our best!

Now normally bakers will use weights to help them figure out how to convert their recipes (it also helps with cost control) but I, the silly baker I am, forgot to weigh the batter I poured before I baked it.  I could weigh the cake layers, but typically some liquid evaporates reducing the total weight.  So I thought, well since I fill it based on volume/sight why don’t I just play with water!  I took the standard recipe (the one that makes two 9″ cake layers) and filled two 9″ cake pans with water and then poured the water into the 10″ cake pans – wasn’t enough – so I poured a third cake pan which was almost enough.  Conversely, when I poured three 9″ cake pans of water into the two 6″ square cake pans and the one 4″x3″ round cake pan and it was just a little too much.  When I poured the left over water from the smaller pans into the 10″ cake pans it was the right amount.  Long, and confusing, story short six 9″ cake pans makes the right amount!  Using this knowledge, I converted the recipe into three 9″ cake layers which means you’ll have to make the recipe twice.  Fill the small pans first, then when you make the second batch, fold the left over batter into the batter you just made at it’ll fill the 10″ cake pans perfectly.  Sorry, I know I babbled on quite a bit here but I also wrote it on the recipe.  Of course, I’ve also included the standard two 9″ cake layers for the everyday cake.

This batter rises quite a bit in the oven so make sure you only fill it about 75% of the way up the pan otherwise it will spill over.  For recipes like this where spillage is possible place a sheet pan on a rack below the pans to catch any spillage.  For example, when I baked the cake I put the cakes on the rack on the 2nd rack in the oven (there are five total positions in my oven) so I put a sheet pan on the 4th rack.  By doing this not only can I prevent spills but I also even out the heat in the oven helping prevent hot spots and burns.

Okay!  Well enough words – you came for the video and recipe right?  So here’s the recipe for the Devil’s Food Chocolate cake and here are the videos!