This is the best homemade Devil’s Food Cake recipe I’ve ever tried, and it’s covered in fluffy, thick, and glossy 7 Minute Frosting. It makes the perfect dessert any time of the year!

Slice of devil's food cake on a plate with white frosting and coconut.

 

My grandma was a fabulous cook. She had a repertoire of good, solid dishes that everyone loved and looked forward to with great anticipation. One of her signature dishes was devil’s food cake with 7-minute frosting. She would dress it up with just a sprinkling of shredded coconut on top. It was a simple family favorite any time of the year!

Unfortunately, she passed away before I found my love for cooking. While this recipe isn’t the one she used, I’d say that it’s pretty darn close! Close enough where they have now become a nostalgic family dessert.

Chocolate cake on a plate with white 7 minute frosting.

This fluffy, thick, and glossy Seven-Minute Frosting is so easy and delicious, and it’s the perfect finishing touch on any cake or cupcake!

More Delicious Anytime Cake Recipes:

white frosting on a whisk attachment.

A bowl full of 7 minute frosting.

Cook’s Note – Devil’s Food Cake with 7 Minute Frosting:

  • This recipe gets its name for the seven minutes that it takes to beat it over simmering water, not for the total time to make it.
  • The 7 Minute Frosting will not keep for more than a few hours after making it, so it’s best to make the frosting right before serving the cake.
  • The cocoa powder that I suggest for this recipe is Hershey’s Special Dark.
  • I made this cake into a 9×13 (just like grandma did), but it can easily be made into an 8-inch layer cake. Simply divide the batter among two 8-inch round cake pans that are sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, and the bottoms are lined with parchment rounds and bake for about 30-35 minutes.

Cook’s Tools:

  • 9 x 13 pan OR 8-inch cake pans (see the note above for making this cake as a layer cake)
  • mixing bowls
  • medium saucepan
  • whisk
  • handheld mixer
  • wire racks (you need 2)
  • icing spatula

ONE YEAR AGO: Blackberry Snack Cake

TWO YEARS AGO: Edamame Stir Sry

THREE YEARS AGO: Spinach Artichoke Cheese Fondue

Chocolate cake on a plate with white 7 minute frosting.
4.60 from 5 votes

Devil's Food Cake with 7 Minute Frosting

Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 3 hours
14 people
The recipe below for Seven Minute Frosting makes 3 cups, enough to ice a 9x13 cake or an 8-inch layer cake.

Ingredients
 
 

FOR DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 12 Tablespoons butter at room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup dark cocoa powder
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cups water heated to 100 degrees F
  • ¼ cup milk heated to 100 degrees F

7 MINUTE FROSTING:

  • 1 ½ Tablespoons water
  • 2 large egg whites
  • ½ cup + 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • pinch salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

GARNISH:

  • Sweetened coconut flakes optional

Instructions

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE:

  • Move oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray, line bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper, and spray again with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with handheld beaters, beat butter on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add sugar, and increase speed to medium-high. Beat until smooth and lighter in color, about 4 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl and add cocoa powder and vanilla and beat on medium for 1 minute. Add eggs and beat until combined, about 1 minute.
  • In a small saucepan bring water and milk just to a boil, and remove from heat.
  • Add flour and pulse mixer until no flour streaks remain. Carefully pour hot liquid into the batter, and pulse mixer until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top into even layer.
  • Bake until cake begins to putt away from sides of pants and when a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Move cake to wire rack and cool 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of the pan, and place a wire rack on top of the cake pan. Use oven mitts to turn cake over onto wire rack, and remove parchment. Place a second wire rack on top of the cake, turn cake over once more so it’s now right-side up. Cool cake on a wire rack, about 2 hours.

7 MINUTE FROSTING:

  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat bring 1-inch water to simmer. In a medium bowl large enough to rest on sides of the saucepan, whisk together water, egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Place bowl over barely simmering water, and using an electric hand mixer, beat mixture on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 6-8 minutes.
  • Remove bowl from the saucepan, add vanilla, and continue to beat until mixture is cooled to room temperature and the icing is very thick and stiff about 8-10 minutes.
  • Immediately use offset icing spatula to frost cake. Sprinkle THE top of the cake with coconut (optional). Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 356mg | Potassium: 161mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 375IU | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1.7mg

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Picture of a slice of chocolate cake on a plate and white frosting in a bowl.

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Recipe Rating




5 Comments

  1. When you have a craving for frosting and only frosting- this recipe!! So delicious!!

  2. This tasted so yummy this is my go to dessert when I need to bring something to a dinner party!

  3. Jessica Maclean says:

    So good! Exactly what I wanted! Turned out perfect.

  4. My mother use to make this Devils Food Cake with 7 minute frosting and I have been looking fir the recipe foe ages. Thank you so much for putting this on pintrest.