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Black Bottom Devil's Food Cake

Source of Recipe

From "Bon App�tit Desserts" by Barbara Fairchild


Recipe Introduction

"With its cheesecake topping, this deep, dark cake is a riff on black-bottom cupcakes�chocolate cupcakes with a cheesecake-style filling. The cake can be prepared a day ahead and chilled. It will taste best if it sits at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving."

List of Ingredients

Cake:
◦ 2 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
◦ 1 � cups unbleached all-purpose flour
◦ � cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
◦ 2 teaspoons baking soda
◦ 1 teaspoon baking powder
◦ � teaspoon ground cinnamon
◦ � teaspoon salt
◦ 1 cup buttermilk
◦ 1 cup strong coffee, room temperature
◦ � cup vegetable oil
◦ 2 large eggs

Cheesecake Topping:
◦ 4 ounces Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
◦ 2 tablespoons sugar
◦ 1 large egg
◦ 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
◦ � cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Icing:
◦ 1 � cups canned evaporated milk
◦ 2 12-ounce packages semisweet chocolate chips
◦ 10 ounces Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature


Recipe

Cake: Preheat oven to 350� F. Lightly butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 �-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add buttermilk, coffee, oil, and eggs and whisk until smooth. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Cheesecake topping: Beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Beat in egg, then flour. Spoon topping over batter in one pan (topping will not cover batter completely). Sprinkle chocolate chips over topping.

Place cakes in oven. Bake plain cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Bake topping-covered cake until center springs back when lightly touched, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on racks, then freeze cakes 3 hours.

Icing: Bring evaporated milk to boil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted and smooth. Cool completely. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in chocolate mixture.

Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto work surface. Peel off parchment. Using serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Set one plain cake layer on platter. Spread ⅔ cup icing over. Top with second plain cake layer. Spread ⅔ cup icing over. Top with third plain cake layer. Spread ⅔ cup icing over. Top with cake layer with cheesecake topping. Spread top and sides of cake with 1 ⅔ cups icing. Spoon remaining icing into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe icing in rosettes atop cake. Refrigerate until cake is slightly chilled and icing sets, at least 30 minutes.

Makes 12 to 16 servings






❧ Do Ahead: Can be made one day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep refrigerated. Let cake stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving.