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Prep time
20 minutes
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Cook time
1 hour 30 minutes
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makes
1 8-inch cake
Author Notes
One of my all-time favorite things to do is recreate famous or popular recipes, and living in NYC, there’s never a shortage of inspiration flooding my Instagram feed. If you’re in New York, chances are you’ve heard of the iconic Claud 6-layer devil's food cake. It’s a masterpiece—six layers of rich, moist devil’s food cake, sandwiched between luscious chocolate frosting, and finished with a silky chocolate ganache. That said, I have to admit—I’ve never actually tried the original. So, to be safe, this recipe is more of an inspired version rather than a strict recreation.
Tips & Tricks:
• It’s well worth the effort, but if you want to make it ahead or split the work up into two days, complete the steps all the way through frosting the cake with the buttercream. Chill it in the fridge overnight, then cover it in ganache and chocolate shavings the second.
• When making the frosting, make sure the heavy cream and butter are both at room temperature. If the cream is colder than the butter, you might end up with a split frosting and that’s never fun to fix (check out Food52 instagram on how to fix split frosting).
• Whip the frosting more than you think. The more you whip, the fluffier it will get. This seems self explanatory but I’ve seen too many instances where people don’t whip their frosting enough.
—Nea Arentzen
Ingredients
- Cake Layers
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3/4 cup
(64 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder, non-alkalized
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4 ounces
unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
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1 1/2 cups
(340 grams) very hot coffee
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2 1/4 cups
(270 grams) sifted all-purpose flour
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1 tablespoon
baking soda
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1 1/2 teaspoons
baking powder
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1 1/2 teaspoons
salt
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1/2 cup
(113 grams) butter, at room temperature
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1/2 cup
(99 grams) neutral oil
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2 cups
(426 grams) light brown sugar
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3
large eggs plus 2 yolks
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1 tablespoon
vanilla
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1 cup
(227 grams) sour cream
- Chocolate Frosting
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1 cup
(226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
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6 cups
(681g) confectioners’ sugar
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1/2 cup
(42 grams) cocoa powder
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2 tablespoons
strong coffee, cold
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3/4 cup
(170 grams) heavy cream
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2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
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1 1/2 teaspoons
kosher salt
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CHOCOLATE GANACHE
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8 ounces
high quality chocolate, very finely chopped
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1 cup
(227 grams) heavy cream
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ASSEMBLY
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1 cup
chocolate sprinkles or chocolate shavings
Directions
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Make the cake layers: Heat the oven to 325ºF with a rack in the lower third position. Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans and line the bottom of each with parchment paper.
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In a small bowl, combine the cocoa, chocolate, and hot coffee; let sit for a few minutes to melt the chocolate, then stir until no clumps remain.
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In a separate bowl, stir to combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
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In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter, oil, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and yolks, then beat for another 2 minutes. Add sour cream and vanilla, mixing until just combined.
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Using a spatula, alternate folding in the dry and wet ingredients until just combined, starting with the dry. Finish stirring until no clumps remain.
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Evenly divide between the cake pans; bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let them cool completely in the cake pans, then run a knife along the sides to loosen and flip onto a cutting board or parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, slice each into two layers.
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While the cakes cool, make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa, coffee, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat until super fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 3 more minutes.
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FOR EASIEST ASSEMBLY: Place the first cake layer on the bottom of an 8-inch removable cake plate or a paper cake board.
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Start with the first cake layer cut-side up, then spread a ¼-inch layer of frosting out to the edges. Repeat with the remaining cake layers, with the final cake layer facing cut-side down.
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Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream. It doesn’t have to be perfect because it’s getting coated in a layer of chocolate ganache. Transfer the cake to the fridge to let the frosting harden for one hour or overnight (if making ahead).
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Make the ganache: Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan or in the microwave until hot but not yet boiling. Pour over the chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes; stir until smooth. Let it cool slightly but not too much as it will start to stiffen.
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Place the cake on a cooling rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet to catch the extra chocolate. Pour the ganache over the cake, spreading down over the sides with an offset spatula.
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Let the ganache set slightly, then cup some of the chocolate shavings or sprinkles in your hand and gently press onto the sides of the cake, dragging your hand up along the sides from bottom to the top.
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Transfer the cake to a serving plate and serve.
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