Introduction

This Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake is rich, moist, and bursting with deep cocoa flavor. Perfectly layered with raspberry cream and finished with a glossy ganache, it’s a show-stopping dessert that’s surprisingly easy to make at home.

A small heart-shaped cake covered with smooth, shiny dark chocolate glaze is centered on a white plate with a subtle beaded edge. The cake's surface reflects soft light, showing its glossy texture with tiny air bubbles. The white plate sits on a white marbled surface, creating a clean, simple look. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 ½ cups sugar (320g)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (215g)
½ cup cocoa powder (50g)
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
¾ cup buttermilk (or ¾ cup plus 1 tsp lemon juice as a substitute)
⅓ cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup coffee
⅛ cup rum (optional, use extra coffee if you prefer no alcohol)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
⅓ cup raspberry preserves
1 lb bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 11×16″ baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift the cocoa and baking soda if needed to remove lumps.
Step 3: Add the egg, egg yolk, buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, coffee, and rum to the dry ingredients. Whisk until the batter is smooth and well combined.
Step 4: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly using an offset spatula.
Step 5: Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cake is just set and a tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.
Step 6: Once cooled, cut the cake into heart shapes using a heart cookie cutter. This should yield about 12 two-layer cakes.
Step 7: To make the cream, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add raspberry preserves and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
Step 8: Pipe the raspberry cream onto half of the heart-shaped cake pieces, then top with the remaining hearts to form layered cakes. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate while preparing the ganache.
Step 9: For the ganache, heat the heavy cream just to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chopped bittersweet chocolate. Let sit for 3 minutes, then whisk gently until smooth.
Step 10: Place the layered cakes on a cooling rack over a parchment-lined sheet pan. Slowly pour the ganache over the cakes, starting from the center and working outward, ensuring all sides are covered.
Step 11: Let the ganache set at room temperature for about 20 minutes. If it gets too thick during pouring, gently warm it over low heat to loosen.
Step 12: If refrigeration is necessary, note that the ganache may lose its shine but will regain it once returned to room temperature.

Tips & Variations

Use fresh lemon juice added to milk as a buttermilk substitute for tender crumb if you don’t have buttermilk on hand.
Skip the rum and replace it with extra coffee for a non-alcoholic version.
Try piping flavored whipped cream by adding a teaspoon of orange or almond extract instead of raspberry preserves.
Leftover ganache can be reheated gently and reused to save waste.

Storage

Store the assembled cakes covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To serve, allow them to come to room temperature to bring back the ganache’s shine and soften the cream for the best texture. Leftover ganache should be kept cool and used within a few days.

How to Serve

A small heart-shaped cake covered in smooth dark chocolate glaze sits on a white plate with a dotted rim. The top of the cake is dusted with fine bright red powder, mostly on one side and spreading slightly onto the plate. A silver fork rests on the plate with the tip touching the cake’s side where a small bite is missing, showing rich chocolate cake inside. The background is a white marbled surface. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make this cake ahead of time?

Yes, you can bake the cake layers and prepare the raspberry cream a day in advance. Assemble and add ganache on the day you plan to serve for best freshness.

What if I don’t have a heart cookie cutter?

You can cut the cake into squares or rounds and layer them with cream for a similar effect. The shape won’t affect the delicious taste!