Chocolat Amer Devil’s Food Cake Recipe

Prepare and Preheat

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; grease the parchment and dust with a thin layer of cocoa powder.

Whisk dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and fine salt until uniform.

Combine wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla until blended. If using espresso powder, dissolve it in the hot brewed coffee or hot water, then stir into the wet mixture.

Combine wet and dry: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet mixture and stir gently until mostly combined. Gradually add the hot coffee (it will thin the batter); mix until smooth and fully incorporated. Batter will be thin — this is normal for a devil's food cake and results in a moist crumb.

Bake: Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake on the middle rack for 28–35 minutes, rotating halfway, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs but no raw batter and the cakes spring back lightly when pressed.

Cool: Let pans cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges, invert cakes onto racks, remove parchment, then invert again so cakes sit right-side-up. Cool completely (at least 1 hour) before filling and frosting.

Warm the cream: Place the chopped bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream and corn syrup/honey substitute is not needed here; heat until just simmering (steam and small bubbles at the edges) but not boiling.

Make ganache: Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let sit undisturbed for 2 minutes to soften the chocolate, then gently whisk from the center outward until smooth and glossy. Whisk in the butter and fine sea salt until incorporated. If using, whisk in confectioners' sugar to taste and for added stability.

Cool and chill: Cover the ganache with plastic pressed to the surface to prevent a skin. Let come to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator until it is firm enough to whip — about 2 hours. You can speed this by refrigerating 45–60 minutes and then chilling briefly in the freezer, checking often.

Whip: Once the ganache is thick and scoopable, transfer to a mixing bowl. Using a handheld or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until it becomes light, fluffy and spreadable (soft peaks). Do not overwhip to dryness. This whipped ganache will be your cake frosting and filling.

Heat cream and syrup: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 3/4 cup heavy cream and the light corn syrup (or honey). Heat until it just begins to steam and small bubbles form at the edge; do not boil.

Combine with chocolate: Place the 4 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let sit undisturbed for 1–2 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy.

Finish with Armagnac and butter: Off the heat, whisk in the unsalted butter until melted and emulsified. Stir in the Armagnac and a pinch of fine sea salt. Taste and adjust salt or Armagnac (add up to 1 tsp more if desired). Let the sauce cool slightly; it will thicken as it cools but should remain pourable for drizzling.

Level layers: If the cake layers domed during baking, use a serrated knife to level the tops so they sit flat for stacking.

First layer: Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake board. Spoon or pipe about one third of the whipped ganache onto the layer and spread evenly to within 1/4 inch of the edge to create a filled layer.

Add second layer: Place the second cake layer on top, pressing gently to level. Use another third of the whipped ganache to crumb-coat the top and sides of the assembled cake. Chill for 15–20 minutes to set the crumb coat.

Final frosting: Use the remaining whipped ganache to finish frosting the top and sides smoothly or with decorative swirls. If desired, reserve a small amount of whipped ganache to pipe rosettes around the top edge.

Drizzle with Armagnac sauce: Warm the Armagnac chocolate sauce slightly if it has thickened (warm in short bursts in the microwave or over a double boiler). Drizzle the sauce over the top of the frosted cake, allowing some to run down the sides.

Garnish: Dust with a light sprinkle of cocoa powder or sifted confectioners' sugar. Decorate with chocolate shavings or curls and fresh berries if using. For a glossy finish, glaze the top with a small extra spoonful of warm sauce and spread gently.

Rest before serving: Let the assembled cake stand at room temperature for 20–30 minutes so the textures soften and flavors meld. Serve slices with additional warm Armagnac sauce on the side if desired.