Calling all chocoholics
If you have an unshakable craving for deep, rich chocolate that you find difficult to satisfy, then look no further. At The Culinary Institute of America, we recognize those insatiable yearnings, which is why we developed this Devil’s Fudge Cake recipe. A true chocolate-lover’s dream, the dense cake and thick fudge icing are easy to prepare and quick to assemble.
Devil’s Fudge Cake is a version of devil’s food cake, the classic American preparation that first emerged around the turn of the century. Many have pondered the reasoning behind its mischievous name. Some believe it was labeled devil’s food cake because of its sinfully delicious taste. Others lean toward the cake’s reddish-brown color as the inspiration behind its title. Although we can’t say for sure how devil’s food cake acquired its name, we can explain how it gets its distinctive color.
The rich look of devil’s food is the result of a chemical reaction between cocoa powder (a naturally acidic ingredient) and baking soda (an alkaline ingredient). When combined with baking soda, cocoa takes on a dark, red color. Baking soda also contributes to the leavening of the cake.
On the downside, adding too much baking soda can lend a chemical taste to the end product. You can avoid this and other baking mishaps by measuring the ingredients as accurately as possible.
“Never use baking powder in place of baking soda, and vice versa,” Richard Coppedge, professor in baking and pastry arts at The Culinary Institute of America, advises. “The two are unique in their chemical compositions, which create different results.”
While the most enjoyable part of making Devil’s Fudge Cake is eating it, the best part of assembling it is applying the icing. The goal is to slather it on. Try not to be overly concerned with using precise movements. Just loosen up and have fun with it. The icing is meant to sit atop the cake in deep, swirling pockets of fudge.
The recipe is from the “Baking At Home with The Culinary Institute of America” cookbook (Wiley, 2004, $40).
Devil’s Fudge Cake
Flourless cooking spray for greasing
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
Devil’s Fudge Icing (recipe follows)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 8-inch cake pans lightly with cooking spray and dust lightly with all-purpose flour.
Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition. Add the butter and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the water and blend until a smooth batter forms, another 2 minutes. Add the cocoa powder last, mixing on medium speed until evenly blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed while you mix.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake until a skewer inserted near the center of each comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool the layers in the pans for a few minutes before turning out onto wire racks. Cool completely before filling and icing with Devil’s Fudge Icing.
Yield: Two 8-inch layers, 16 servings of filled and frosted cake.
Nutrition analysis per slice with frosting and filling (3.5 ounces): 400 calories, 17 grams fat (38 percent fat calories), 5 grams protein, 63 grams carbohydrate, 80 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams dietary fiber, 240 milligrams sodium.
Devil’s Fudge Icing
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup hot water
2 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cocoa powder and butter on low speed until very smooth, about 2 minutes (scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed). Add the corn syrup, vanilla extract and salt, and continue to mix until evenly blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the hot water and mix on low speed until well combined.
Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low speed. Once completely blended, increase the speed to medium and whip until the icing is very smooth and light, 2 to 3 minutes.
(If you’d prefer the icing to be thicker once it is mixed, add more sifted confectioner’s sugar in 1/2 cup increments until you reach the desired consistency. Blend well between additions.)
Use immediately or transfer to a storage container, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Allow the icing to return to room temperature before using it. If necessary, beat the icing using the paddle attachment on low speed until it is smooth and spreadable.
Yield: About 5 cups, enough to fill and ice an 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake.