This devil’s food cake is, quite honestly, the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. It delivers a deep, dark chocolate flavour without being overly heavy. Remarkably, the crumb is light and fluffy while remaining stable enough for tiered or carved cakes, yet it also splits and fills beautifully with a simple whipped cream or buttercream.
Does it work as cupcakes? Absolutely — the recipe adapts perfectly to muffin tins and makes excellent cupcakes that stay moist for days.
Does it keep well? Yes. As cupcakes, they remain fresh for several days. When baked as a layered cake, split, filled, and coated with ganache and fondant, this cake can stay moist and stable for a week when you follow a standard bake/ganache/fondant timeline, leaving time to eat leftovers after the event.
I use this cake as the foundation for many variations. Replace some flour with ground hazelnuts and add a splash of Frangelico with the coffee, or use ground almonds and Amaretto for an almond-chocolate twist. If you’re baking for children, you can omit the instant coffee—this is my go-to recipe for kids’ birthday cakes. For a milder chocolate flavour, choose a chocolate lower in cocoa solids or omit the cocoa powder.
You can also swap vanilla extract for other flavour extracts or oils to tailor the cake profile.
Versatile, right?
Even better, this recipe works equally well gluten-free or with wheat flour. It’s one of the few cakes where the gluten-free version is difficult to distinguish from the wheat version, even for a sensitive palate.
The original recipe comes from Debbie Brown’s Dream Wedding Cakes. I’ve adjusted some measurements, updated the sugar ratios, and added cocoa for extra chocolate intensity. For the gluten-free version I recommend a reliable gluten-free flour blend and adding xanthan gum for improved structure.
If the cakes won’t be eaten the same day or are destined for a decorated layered cake, brushing the layers lightly with simple syrup helps retain moisture. Before icing cupcakes or filling a cake, brush the surface with a little syrup using a pastry brush.
Note: Several readers have successfully substituted yoghurt for sour cream. One reader used lactose-free yoghurt with great results. To use yoghurt, strain it: line a sieve with paper towels, place it over a bowl, and leave the yoghurt to drain in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Use an equal weight of the thickened yoghurt in place of the sour cream.
Devil’s Food Cake {Gluten Free, or Not}
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Ingredients
- 225 ml boiling water
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant coffee powder optional
- 100 g dark chocolate 50 – 70% cocoa solids
- 225 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 175 g caster sugar
- 175 g light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 350 g plain flour* or gluten free flour
- 1 teaspoon Xanthan gum for gluten free only
- 1 Tablespoon Dutch cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 200 g sour cream
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 160°C for cakes, or 180°C for cupcakes.
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Line the base and sides of an 8″ round cake tin with baking paper, or line two 12-hole muffin tins with cupcake papers.
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Measure the boiling water into a heatproof bowl and stir in the coffee. Break or chop the dark chocolate into small pieces and add to the hot water and coffee, stirring until the chocolate melts. Allow to cool.
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Sift the flour, xanthan gum (if using), cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the softened butter, caster sugar, light brown sugar and vanilla on medium speed until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. The batter may look slightly curdled at this point. Reduce the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients and the chocolate mixture alternately, beating briefly between additions until just combined.
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Scrape down the bowl, add the sour cream, and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared tin or cupcake papers.
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Bake for 1 ¼–1 ½ hours for an 8” cake, or about 18 minutes for cupcakes. The cake is done when it springs back to the touch and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Cupcakes can be removed from the tins immediately. Whole cakes benefit from cooling completely in the tin, covered with foil, overnight before turning out.
Notes
This recipe works well either gluten-free or with wheat flour. For a gluten-free version, use a dependable gluten-free baking flour blend and include xanthan gum. If using regular all-purpose flour, omit the xanthan gum.
The gluten-free cake holds up to light carving for shaped cakes; chill before carving and cover with chocolate ganache for added stability before finishing with fondant.
Nutritional Disclaimer: Any nutritional information provided is a computer generated estimate and is intended as a guide only.
Happy baking!
~Natalie
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