My first attempt - Devil's Food Cake

"Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies." ~ John Q. Tullius

Never mind the name, this cake is so gooood that I found myself in heaven. When I took a bite of this heavenly goodness, I've heard the angels singing... the ethereal voices filled my soul.. so pure... so melting... and it's so darn good! 

OK, I'm exaggerating, can't help it.. of course, it's my first ever cake! But honestly, I love the way it turned out. This is my first attempt to make cake and it exceeded my expectations! Yay!

 But have you ever wondered why this is called devil's cake? Hmmm.. maybe because of its color and taste... It's dark and tempting... I can't resist it even if I'm already full. I love the bitter sweet taste of the cocoa and the fudgy texture of the cake.. not fluffy as the sponge cake. 

My heart sank when I saw the big cracks in my cake. It reminded me of the dry, cracked rice field in Bohol and I'm sooo worried that my cake was dry. Oh my! I did some research in the net, yes, I'm baking while doing research, and I've found out that cracks are normal for devil's cake because the recipe contains a fair amount of water, thus, it develops gluten in the flour slightly more than a standard sponge cake recipe and may be causing the top to crack.

... and to remove the cracks, I cut the top portion of the cake and to make it flat as well. I tried eating the cracked portion and it was delightful! Oh I love the crumbly bits!

I got the recipe from Yummy magazine. I liked it because all the ingredients are available in the kitchen and it seems to be easy and perfect for a novice like me. 

INGREDIENTS:

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 1/3 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder(1), sifted

1 tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups sugar (I used dark brown sugar)

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup milk

1 cup oil (I used canola oil)

1 1/2 cups boiling water

shaved chocolate for garnish

For the icing:

2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

(1) Dutch-processed cocoa powder is made from cocoa (cacao) beans that have been washed with a potassium solution, to neutralize their acidity. Dutching cocoa powder makes it darker and can help mellow the flavor of the beans. You can substitute natural cocoa powder like Hershey’s and Nestlé for Dutch (though not vice versa). Flavor and texture can be affected, but generally only in recipes calling for 3/4 cup or more.

INSTRUCTION:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F or 175 C. Line and grease a 9 inch round pan.

2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the center.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, milk, and oil. 

4. Gradually pour the mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir until well combined.

5. Add boiling water, stir well.

6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

7. Make the icing. Place cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip on high speed. Gradually add confectioners' sugar. Whip to medium-stiff peaks.

8. Ice cake with whipped cream. If desired, garnish with shaved chocolate.

My son gave me the title - "cake boss" after eating the cake. Wow!!! He compared me to the master baker Buddy Valastro! 

Happy day always!

Rhea