Devil's Food Cake

Ingredients

2 cups (440 g) sugar
½ cup + 2 tablespoons (140 g) butter, softened
3 eggs, separated
2 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup boiling water
1 cup sour cream

Ingredients for frosting

3 cups (660 g) white sugar
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
4 egg whites
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C) and grease two 9 in (23 cm) cake tins.
2. Put cocoa in small bowl; add boiling water and mix until smooth. Let cool.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for approximately 5 minutes. Add egg yolks and mix well.
4. Sift in flour, baking powder and baking soda, add cocoa mixture, sour cream, and vanilla extract and mix well.
5. Whisk egg whites until stiff and fold gently into the cake mixture. Divide into two equal portions and transfer to the cake tins.
6. Bake at 350 degrees until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 40-50 minutes. Let the cakes cool.
7. Slice each cake through the middle to make altogether four layers; if necessary remove the top of the cake by using a knife.
8. For the frosting, combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook until candy thermometer reaches 242 degrees F (115 degrees C) or until a teaspoon of mixture dropped into cold water forms a ball when removed from water. Add cream of tartar and a pinch of salt to the egg white, and beat them until stiff. Add hot syrup in a slow stream, beating constantly. Stir in vanilla. Use approximately one fifth of the frosting between each layer of the cake, coat the cake with the remaining two fifths of the frosting.
9. Cool the cake in the fridge. Place the cake at room temperature 1-2 hours before it is served.

Variations

1. You may add one teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the cake mixture for a hint of spice.
2. Instead of white frosting you may use either whipped cream or chocolate frosting (made with chocolate, syrup, butter and coffee; double recipe).

Chocolate Layer Cake

Ingredients

1+½ cup (340 g) butter, softened
1+2/3 cup (365 g) sugar
6 eggs
2+2/3 cup (300 g) all-purpose flour
About 3/4 cup (120 g) finely ground almonds
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup boiling water

Ingredients for frosting

6 tablespoons (80 g) butter
7 oz (200 g) semisweet chocolate (40-60% cocoa)
2 eggs (salmonella-free)
7 oz (200 g) icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).
2. Line two 9 inch (23 cm) cake tins with greaseproof or other non-stick paper and grease the tins.
3. Beat the softened butter with sugar.
4. Add one egg at a time, mix well between each egg.
5. Mix with flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla extract, and finely ground almonds.
6. Add ½ cup of boiling water and mix well.
7. Transfer to two separate cake tins and bake at 350 degrees just until set in the middle, approximately 30-45 minutes. A wooden pick inserted in center should come out with just a few moist crumbs on it. Do not over-bake!
8. Cool the cakes and cut each in half, horizontally. They are easier to cut if they are kept in a refrigerator for a few hours before cutting.

Frosting

1. Melt butter and chopped chocolate in a double boiler.
2. Beat the eggs with icing sugar and mix with the chocolate and butter mixture.
3. Use two thirds of the frosting to sandwich the four layers together and coat the cake with the remainder of the frosting.
4. Cool the cake in the fridge to harden the frosting. Place the cake at room temperature 1-2 hours before it is served.

Variations

1. You may substitute the boiling water with hot coffee or tea.
2. If you want a smaller cake use half the amount of each ingredient and one cake tin. Make then only two layers.
3. For the frosting you must use an egg without salmonella risk. If this is not available, please use a different chocolate frosting.
   

This cake is approximately 3 inches (7.5 cm) tall. We have also a recipe for a chocolate layer cake with cocoa instead of chocolate. That cake is not as tall as this one.