Devil’s Food Cake with Chocolate Macadamia Praline Crunch
Ingredients
- For Cake
- 1 ½ cups hot brewed coffee
- ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk, well shaken
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Frosting
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 1/3 cups milk chocolate chips, chopped
- 1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, chopped
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- ½ recipe Chef Gail’s Chocolate Macadamia Praline Crunch to be used between the cake layers
Instructions
- Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 300° Fahrenheit.
- Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment circles and respray with nonstick cooking spray. Flour each pan and dump out excess. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the hot brewed coffee and the ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips until the chocolate has melted.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the sugar, flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Using a whisk, combine the dry ingredients well.
- In a large bowl whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil and pure vanilla extract.
- On low speed, using the paddle attachment, slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Turn the mixer to medium speed and blend well. Stop the machine and using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Pour the batter evenly into the 3 prepared pans. Batter will be thin.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a small knife inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
- Cool until barely warm. Remove cakes from pans and place on plates or cardboard cake circles.
- Make the Frosting
- In a large saucepan, whisk together the cream and light corn syrup and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add both types of chocolate chips. Whisk together until the chocolate is completely melted.
- Pour this mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment and beat on high speed until the mixture becomes lightened in color, approximately 5 minutes.
- On medium speed, slowly add small pieces of butter allowing the butter to be incorporated thoroughly before adding additional butter. Continue adding the remaining butter slowly.
- Beat on high speed until the mixture becomes lighter and slightly thickened.
- Remove the bowl from the motor and place in a large bowl of icy water.
- Whisk the mixture until it becomes a spreadable consistency. This should take approximately 10-15 minutes.
- Assembly
- Place 1 cake layer on a large serving plate or a cardboard cake circle.
- Using an offset spatula, spread approximately 1 cup of frosting on top of the cake.
- Sprinkle approximately 1 cup of the Chocolate Macadamia Praline Crunch evenly over the frosting.
- Place another cake layer on top and repeat steps 2 and 3.
- Place the last cake layer on top of the previous 2.
- Spread the remainder of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing as necessary.
- If desired, sprinkle the remainder of the Chocolate Macadamia Praline Crunch over the top.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
Makes 1 8-inch round layer cake