Devil's Food Cake Cockaigne
Submitted by Bonniebel
The classic Joy of Cooking devil’s food cake with a cooked chocolate custard folded into the batter and whipped egg whites for lift. Finished with caramel icing. A vintage recipe worth mastering.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsCockaigne is the signature label from Joy of Cooking, and when Irma Rombauer put that name on a recipe, she meant it was the best version in the book.
This devil’s food cake earns it. A cooked custard of unsweetened chocolate, milk, brown sugar, and egg yolk gets made first, then folded into a buttery cake batter built from cake flour, more egg yolks, and vanilla. Whipped egg whites go in last, giving the crumb an almost ethereal lightness that heavier chocolate cakes can’t touch.
Finish it with caramel icing and you’ve got a cake that’s been making people swoon since the 1930s.
Chef Tips
- Cook the chocolate custard in a double boiler, not directly over heat. Direct heat will scramble the egg yolk and give you a grainy texture
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature (about 70 degrees) before starting. Cold butter and eggs won’t cream or fold properly
- Sift the cake flour before measuring, then sift again with the baking soda and salt. This double sift is essential for a tender crumb
- Fold the whipped egg whites in gently. Aggressive stirring deflates them and you lose that signature lightness
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Prepare the following custard: Cook and stir in a double boiler over-not in- boiling water the unsweetened chocolate, milk, brown sugar, and 1 egg yolk.
Remove from heat when thickened, Have other ingredients at about 70 degrees F.
Sift before measuring 2 cups of cake flour. Resift with baking soda and salt.
Beat the butter until soft then beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Add the flour to the mixture in 3 parts alternating with a mixture of the water, milk and vanilla.
Stir the batter until smooth after each edition. Stir in the chocolate custard. Whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
Fold lightly into cake batter. Bake in greased pans for about 25 minutes.
Spread, when cool with caramel icing.
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