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Nona’s Decadent Devil’s Food Layer Cake

Close-up of a rich, dark slice of Devil's food cake with thick chocolate frosting on a white plate.
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A scratch-made, moist chocolate cake recipe with a dense crumb, perfect for an Opera Aesthetic presentation centerpiece.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup hot water or hot brewed coffee
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (for frosting)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (for frosting)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (for frosting)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream (for frosting)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for two minutes.
  4. Carefully stir in the hot water or coffee until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
  6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Prepare the dark chocolate frosting: In a saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and butter over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  9. In a separate bowl, beat the powdered sugar and heavy cream into the cooled chocolate mixture until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Add more powdered sugar if needed for thickness.
  10. Once the cakes are completely cool, frost and stack them to create your classic layer cake.

Notes

  • Using hot coffee instead of hot water deepens the dark chocolate flavor in this moist chocolate cake.
  • For a true Opera Aesthetic, chill the frosted cake for 30 minutes before slicing for clean cuts.
  • This recipe creates a decadent chocolate dessert that tastes better the next day.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://onedishuniverse.com/devils-food-cake-recipe-moist-chocolate/