Devil's Food Cake with Salted Milk Chocolate Frosting
Source of Recipe
From "Smitten Kitchen Keepers" by Deb Perelman
Recipe Introduction
"This cake is here to audition for the role of your new favorite chocolate birthday cake. It knows that what we want most of all is a plush dark chocolate, hard-to-mess-up cake that can be made in a single bowl with no hard-to-get ingredients. A rich, classic frosting, sweet with just a hint of salt, is the perfect embellishment. It bakes in half an hour and cools quickly, knowing that most of us are in a hurry, and it keeps things really simple: a single 9-by-13-inch pan is divided into the easiest three-layer rectangular cake on earth. Why rectangular? Few things fit better in the bottom of a paper shopping bag than loaf-shaped cakes, optimizing this for subway commutes to see your favorite people. I've tweaked this one over the years from a few favorites, getting the levels exactly where I want them to be and then rearranging the steps so we could circumvent sifting while still using only one bowl. Because I'm surrounded by chocolate lovers (chocolate lovers with birthdays) this cake took no time to go into heavy rotation here."
List of Ingredients
Cake:
◦ 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
◦ ⅔ cup cocoa powder, any kind
◦ 1 teaspoons baking soda
◦ teaspoon baking powder
◦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
◦ 6 tablespoons vegetable or another neutral oil
◦ 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
◦ 2 large eggs
◦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
◦ cup brewed coffee
◦ cup buttermilk
Frosting:
◦ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
◦ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted if lumpy
◦ teaspoon kosher salt
◦ 3 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
◦ teaspoon vanilla extract
◦ Flaky sea salt, for between the layers
Recipe
Heat the oven to 350 F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch rectangular cake pan with nonstick spray, and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly mixed. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until everything is evenly combined with the cocoa mixture; then whisk in the coffee and buttermilk.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan once at the 10-minute mark, so that the cake bakes as evenly as possible. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top feels slightly dry. Run a knife around the cake to loosen it, and then let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Flip the cake out onto a rack, remove the parchment paper if it's stuck to the bottom, flip the cake back, and let it cool completely. Cooling the cake in the freezer has two benefits: it hurries the chilling along (takes only about 20 minutes), and this soft cake is easier to cut cleanly once it's firmer.
While the cake cools, make the frosting: Beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a large bowl until the mixture is fluffy. Pour in the chocolate and vanilla, and beat until combined, then 1 more minute to whip it further.
To frost and serve: Cut the cooled cake crosswise into even thirds with a sharp serrated knife. Place the first layer on a platter, and cover the top with a third of the frosting; it will seem like a scant coating, but it's the perfect amount here. Sprinkle the layer with a pinch or two of flaky sea salt, and repeat twice. You can serve this right away, or, for super-clean edges, chill the whole cake until the frosting is firm, and trim the sides with your serrated knife.
Serves 8 to 10
❧ Note:
This is an old-fashioned chocolate cake, using oil instead of butter and a larger amount of liquid to achieve the perfect texture. The coffee will not make the cake taste like coffee; it just enhances the depth of the chocolate. I often use decaf (or even decaf instant) coffee when making it, just so I don't accidentally caffeinate anyone. However, almost any other liquid works here, tootea, red wine, juice, or water.
❧ Do Ahead:
This cake is fine at room temperature for a day. If you need it to last longer, keep it in the fridge. I often chill it if I'm taking it somewhere, so the firm frosting stays neat; it warms up as it travels.
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