Devils Food Chocolate Cake (Printable)

Ultra-moist chocolate cake with intense cocoa and silky chocolate buttercream frosting, perfect for dessert.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
03 - 2 cups granulated sugar
04 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
06 - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
09 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
10 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
11 - 1 cup boiling water

→ Chocolate Frosting

12 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
15 - 1/2 cup whole milk, plus more as needed
16 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
17 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - Add eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until just combined.
04 - Reduce mixer speed to low. Carefully add boiling water and blend until batter is smooth and thin.
05 - Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake 28–32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
06 - Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes. Then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
07 - Beat butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and cocoa powder, mixing until smooth.
08 - Add milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy and spreadable, adding additional milk if necessary.
09 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with frosting. Top with second layer and frost top and sides evenly.
10 - Slice and serve immediately or store as preferred.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The boiling water trick creates an impossibly moist crumb that stays tender for days.
  • Dutch-processed cocoa gives you that professional bakery depth without any bitterness.
  • This frosting is clouds—genuinely fluffy, not dense or greasy like some chocolate frostings can be.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable here—cold eggs and milk won't incorporate properly and you'll end up with a grainy batter.
  • The boiling water seems counterintuitive but it's the entire reason this cake tastes professional; skipping it creates a drier, more ordinary chocolate cake.
  • Sifting the powdered sugar and cocoa for frosting genuinely prevents grittiness that will otherwise ruin the silky texture.
03 -
  • Don't skip the parchment paper in the bottom of the pans; the cake releases cleanly and the bottom stays intact.
  • If your kitchen is cold and your butter is having trouble reaching that creamy stage in the frosting, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes between mixing intervals.
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