Description
This Devil’s Food Cake with Heavenly Marshmallow Icing is a rich, moist chocolate layer cake with a light, fluffy meringue-style marshmallow frosting. Perfect for any celebration, the cake combines deep cocoa flavor balanced by a sweet and airy marshmallow icing that adds a beautiful finish and irresistible taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Devil’s Food Cake
- Butter and flour, for pans
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
- 3 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Heavenly Marshmallow Icing
- 1 cup granulated sugar (not confectioners sugar)
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, butter the parchment, and dust the pans lightly with flour to prevent sticking.
- Mix Cocoa: In a bowl, whisk together the unsweetened cocoa powder and hot water until smooth and well combined. Set aside to cool.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift cake flour, coarse salt, baking powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine Sugars and Oil: Using a mixer, beat together the peanut or vegetable oil with the granulated and brown sugars on medium-low speed until fully combined and smooth.
- Add Eggs and Flavors: Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in the vanilla extract followed by the cooled cocoa mixture until incorporated.
- Add Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk: Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the sifted flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let them cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Cool the Layers: Invert the cakes onto the wire rack, peel off the parchment papers, and allow the cakes to cool completely.
- Make the Icing Syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar, water, and cream of tartar. Bring to a boil without stirring and cook until the syrup reaches 245°F (118°C) with thick, clear bubbles, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to caramelize.
- Beat Egg Whites: Meanwhile, in a stand mixer bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks using medium-high speed.
- Add Syrup to Egg Whites: Slowly and carefully drizzle the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites while continuing to beat on medium-high. Continue beating for about 7 minutes until the mixture is glossy and forms stiff peaks.
- Add Vanilla: Stir in the vanilla extract at the end of the beating process.
- Assemble the Cake: Level the cake layers with a serrated knife or cake leveler. Spread a generous layer of marshmallow icing between each cake layer.
- Crumb Coat: Apply a thin layer of icing on the top and sides of the cake to seal in crumbs. Chill briefly if needed to set.
- Final Icing and Decoration: Spread or pipe the remaining icing over the entire cake. For decorative touches like rosettes, increase the icing recipe by 1.5 times. Decorate as desired and serve.
Notes
- Butter and flour the pans thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder for the best flavor.
- Do not stir the sugar syrup while boiling to avoid crystallization.
- Temper your speed while adding hot syrup to egg whites to prevent cooking them.
- The marshmallow icing can be piped or spread for various decorative effects.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before icing to ensure smooth application.
- Recipe yields three 8-inch cake layers suitable for 12-16 servings depending on slice size.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/16th of cake)
- Calories: 460 kcal
- Sugar: 43 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
Keywords: Devil's Food Cake, Chocolate Cake, Marshmallow Icing, Layer Cake, Chocolate Dessert, Meringue Frosting
