Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

There’s a reason this cake is called devil’s food!  It’s absolutely one of my most favorite guilty pleasures.  I especially like frosting this cake with a bittersweet chocolate ganache.

Inspired by Unbroken and We Were the Mulvaneys

Click here for more book club party ideas for Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.   Click here for more book club party ideas for We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates.

Prep Time:  20 minutes     Cook Time:  25-30 minutes     Cool Time:  2 hours    Yield:  3-layer 8″ cake or 2-layer 9″ cake

Ingredients

(Note:  Prepare frosting first because it will need to cool for 2 hours before you can top the cake.)

Frosting

• 11.5-ounce bittersweet chocolate chips (use semisweet chocolate chips for a sweeter frosting)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter

Cake

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon butter extract
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Frosting

1. Place chopped chocolate and heavy cream in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until chocolate is melted.  Remove the top of the double boiler.
2. Cut the butter into small pats and whisk into the chocolate/cream mixture until completely melted and smooth.  Allow frosting to cool about 2 hours hour at room temperature before frosting cake.

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and adjust rack to the center of oven.  Grease two 9-inch or three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper.
2. Beat together vegetable oil and sugar for about 5 minutes.  Add eggs one at time, scraping sides of bowl after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla and butter extracts and scrape sides of bowl again.  Set batter aside.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together  flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa, set aside.
4. In a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, heat water and cream until very hot, but not boiling.
5. Add  1/2 of the flour mixture to the batter.  Beat well, scraping sides of bowl.  Add 1/2 of the water/cream mixture, beating well and scraping sides of bowl.  Repeat with remaining flour mixture and water cream mixture.  Beat well and scrape sides of bowl after each addition.
6. Divide the batter into the prepared cake pans.  Lightly tap pans on counter to settle the batter.  Place pans on the center rack of oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Allow cakes layers to cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Run knife around sides of each pan to loosen cake layers.  Place each layer on rack to cool completely before frosting.