Devil’s food cake is legit one of my fave chocolate cake varieties. I make mine not too sweet and super fudgy prepping it with cocoa powder, sour cream, and a shot of fresh, bittersweet coffee. It’s so decadent, you’ll be in chocolate heaven after one bite no lie! I frost mine with either Swiss meringue buttercream or cream cheese frosting depending on my mood.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“My Dad asked for this for his birthday. It was a huge hit! ”
—JEANETTE
Ingredients Notes
- Butter and Oil: I grab unsalted butter and use oil for more moisture.
- Sugars: Swap in more all brown sugar or all granulated sugar if you don’t have both. Or if you just have granulated, make your own brown sugar by adding in molasses.
- Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder and Coffee: That powder gives rich chocolate flavor while also darkening the color of the cake and the coffee amps up the intensity even more.
- Sour Cream: or Greek yogurt.
- All-Purpose Flour: For a softer more tender cake, go with cake flour.
How to Make Devil’s Food Cake
Step 1: Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Once sifted together, set aside.
Step 2: Mix the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. On low speed, add the eggs, on at a time. Add the oil and vanilla and beat until well mixed, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot coffee until smooth.
Step 4: With the mixer on low, add the chocolate mixture to the batter. Turn the mixer to low, , slowly add half of the flour mixture to the batter. Then add all the sour cream. Finally add the remaining flour mixture and fold with a spatula until combined.
Step 5: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops.
Step 6: Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Step 7: Slice each cake layer in half horizontally. Place the bottom of the first cake, cut side up, on a flat serving plate and spread 1 cup of frosting on the top. Place the top of the first cake, cut side down, on top and spread another 1 cup of frosting on top.
Step 8: Next, place the top layer of the second cake on top, cut side up, and frost with another 1 cup of frosting. Finally, place the bottom layer of the second cake, bottom side up (so the top of the cake is flat). Frost the top and sides of the cake.
Devil’s Food Cake
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup hot brewed coffee
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream Find the Full Recipe HERE! if desired, halve the recipe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9×2-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, grease the parchment and flour the pans. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. On low speed, add the eggs, on at a time. Add the oil and vanilla and beat until well mixed, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot coffee until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the chocolate mixture to the batter.
- Still with the mixer on low, slowly add half of the flour mixture to the batter, then all of the sour cream, then the remaining flour mixture, mixing each addition until combined. With a rubber spatula, fold the batter until it is well mixed.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- Slice each cake layer in half horizontally. Place the bottom of the first cake, cut side up, on a flat serving plate and spread 1 cup of frosting on the top. Place the top of the first cake, cut side down, on top and spread another 1 cup of frosting on top. Next, place the top layer of the second cake on top, cut side up, and frost with another 1 cup of frosting. Finally, place the bottom layer of the second cake, bottom side up (so the top of the cake is flat). Frost the top and sides of the cake. The cake can be stored, covered, for up to 3 days. If you use the meringue buttercream, the cake should be refrigerated; bring to room temperature prior to serving. If you use any other type of frosting (a traditional vanilla, chocolate, cream cheese, etc.), the cake can be stored at room temperature.
Notes
How to Store Devil’s Food Cake
Make sure you wrap leftovers tightly with plastic wrap or place it in a cake carrier to keep it fresh for up to 3-4 days. If you need it to last any longer than that, add to the fridge. Just make sure you let your slices come back to room temp before you eat them.How long will devil cake last in the fridge?
It should stay all good for up to 5 days.Can I freeze?
Absolutely boos! Start by chilling the cake in the fridge so the frosting gets firm. Next cut slices, wrap them in plastic wrap and add to freezer bags releasing excess air. Label with the date. They should stay all good in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge then bring back to room temp before you indulge again. NOTES: For the Frosting, you can use my Swiss Meringue Buttercream but I would halve the recipe since it makes quite a lot of frosting! This cake naturally makes 2 layers however if you want to make 4 simple cut the two layers in half for a taller cake.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Keep the Coffee Kick: Nothing makes a rich devil’s food chocolate cake recipe like that little kick of coffee y’all. It makes that chocolate stand out, and trust me, you won’t even taste the coffee boos, trust me.
- Don’t Overbake: Boos, make sure you watch that bake time like a hawk so you don’t dry out your layers.
- Cool Completely Before Frosting: If you don’t want a super melty cake sliding around everywhere, make sure that the cake layers have cooled completely before frosting.
Serving Suggestions
- Frost It Up: I like to contrast the rich chocolate cake with a vanilla frosting like my American buttercream, seven minute frosting, or Oreo frosting.
- Add Berry Vibes: Serve each slice with fresh berries or dollop of strawberry sauce on the plates.
- Dollop It Up: Add spoonfuls of whipped cream to each slice.
- A La Mode: Add a delish scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream, mocha ice cream, coffee ice cream or cookies and cream ice cream.
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Recipe Variations
- Get Chocolatey With It: Add chocolate ganache to the inside of the cake and frost with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream and chocolate frosting.
- Add Caramel: Add caramel sauce in between the layers and coat the entire cake with my caramel frosting.
- Gluten-Free: Swap out the flour with your fave 1:1 ratio gluten-free baking flour. The texture may change slightly but it will still be fire.
Recipe Help
Absolutely boos. You can wrap your layers super well and store in the fridge or even in the freezer then bring to room temp before frosting them.
Try the good ole’ toothpick trick. Insert into the center and if it comes out clean or mostly clean, it’s good to go boos.
Absolutely y’all. You can bake the batter in lined cupcake tins instead. Just lower the bake time.
pinterest 
facebook 
twitter 
email
Hi Jocelyn. I’m making this chocolate cake tomorrow. Can I put it in a 13×9 inch pan? If yes, does the oven temperature and or time to bake change?
Yes you can. Don’t change the oven temperature but you will have to definitely bake the cake longer. I don’t have specific times but I would start checking about 5 minutes after the normal baking temp and continue until it is done.
Can I make this as a sheet cake?
Yes it can be.
I don’t brew coffee. I use instant coffee. Can instant coffee be used instead of brewed coffee?
Yes it is fine. A cup of instant coffee is totally fine.
I just want to say that I am a well seasoned professional chef and pastry chef (along with fellow guardian and family heir of the sacred recipe card box) and I am always searching new recipes on classic favorites. No offense to all you baking bloggers that I have visited and used great recipes from but I have actually never read the whole post on any of those recipes and just scan for some new family secret tips that are hidden within, but rarely find anything I didn’t know… usually just good tips for novice or hobby bakers. This post was not only fascinating and I read from beginning to end- and left feeling like I knew more about devils food cake then I could have ever possibly thought I would know and enjoyed it!! I felt like I was with you and Big Mama and enjoyed every step of this cake. I haven’t felt that excited about each step of baking an old favorite in a long time. The recipe itself is a rare beauty. The way the batter cascades from the bowl into the cake pans was like something out of a scene at the Whistle Stop Cafe in Fried Green Tomatoes! It made me slow down and appreciate a process that I have done on almost auto pilot for a long time. I paired this rich, decadent cake definitely deserving of its sinfully delicious name with a simple slightly sweet vanilla whipped cream topped with chocolate shavings and curls. I’ve always loved and enjoyed baking but this recipe and blog breathed new life into this old dog. Thank you for your insightful and invigorating post and sharing not only your sacred recipe but the story behind it. I feel honored to have baked it with you and Big Mama.
What would you use if you don’t want to put coffee in this cake?
You can just replace with hot water.
Omg- you definitely want to put the coffee in this cake. You won’t taste the actual coffee… this cake is spectacular just the way it is!
Hey there! I want to make this Devils Food Cake with the chocolate frosting from your chocolate birthday cake recipe. Will that frosting recipe make enough to work for four layers or should I keep it to two? Can’t wait to try it!
It should make enough! I hope you enjoy! Also that chocolate birthday cake recipe is a dream as well. Enjoy!
I’ve made 5 of these in the past 4 months for different friend’s birthdays. And the Swiss Meringue frosting. I am a 58 yr old man who rarely cooks. This recipe is a blast. I think I want to meet Jocelyn for a boubon. lol
Hahaha I would love that!
I look forward to making this cake. I have tried
Several of your recipes and they are all wonderful. Thank You so much for sharing.
I love your recipes AND I love your writing! The stories, the history, the science…you are a wonderfully creative person.
My husband is a milk-chocolate-only-please person, so he was a little skeptical of a dark chocolate cake. He’s converted. Thank you!
This cake was sinfully rich, decadent and DELICIOUS! I have tried 5 different cakes from your recipes so far, and I must say this was one of the best (neck and neck with the strawberry pound cake) so far. And get this … I’m not really a chocolate person, either. I know that I was after this cake. This was easy to make, too, for those of us that tend to be intimidated by involved recipes. I will be making this again and again.