Nigella Lawson's Devil's Food Cake

I know, I know.  It's a huge icing-to-cake ratio.  But don't judge me - love me! Or rather, love Nigella's Devil's Food Cake.

I actually made this the same night I baked the chocolate mudcake slab for the infamous Shoe Cake.  I knew I wouldn't be able to eat any because it all had to go into the shoe, and I did not want to spend the night baking without a chocolatey reward at the end!  I'd had my eye on Nigella's Devil's Food Cake ever since I got Kitchen, and since I had all the ingredients in the pantry, I knew it was time.  (It was a weeknight, but that's just how I roll - hardcore late-night baker, hehehe!)

The original recipe is a double-decker sandwich cake, (in the style of Nigella's chocolate fudge cake, or her malteaser cake), but I halved the recipe, making a single 20cm round layer.  For some reason, whenever I bake in my non-stick sandwich tins, the batter rises really unevenly, with such a huge dome that I can't slice it flat without wasting half the cake.  Has anyone got any tips for getting my cakes to rise evenly?

Of course, the uneven rising isn't really a big deal unless you're actually making a double-layered cake, so I left my humped cake as it was and splodged the icing on top.  And before you ask - yes, I did halve the icing quantities as well.  The recipe is just very generous with its amounts!

The icing was so luscious and smooth, with a serious dark chocolate hit, and the cake itself was incredibly moist - just fabulous.  I think it's my new favourite chocolate cake.  (Usurping, or perhaps tying with, Nigella's chocolate fudge cake, and her quadruple chocolate loaf cake).  I loved it so much that I made it again, in full quantities, a mere four days later, for my friend Kristine's birthday party.  Delicious!

The recipe is available here, on Nigella.com. Enjoy!

I know, I know.  It's a huge icing-to-cake ratio.  But don't judge me - love me! Or rather, love Nigella's Devil's Food Cake.

I actually made this the same night I baked the chocolate mudcake slab for the infamous Shoe Cake.  I knew I wouldn't be able to eat any because it all had to go into the shoe, and I did not want to spend the night baking without a chocolatey reward at the end!  I'd had my eye on Nigella's Devil's Food Cake ever since I got Kitchen, and since I had all the ingredients in the pantry, I knew it was time.  (It was a weeknight, but that's just how I roll - hardcore late-night baker, hehehe!)

The original recipe is a double-decker sandwich cake, (in the style of Nigella's chocolate fudge cake, or her malteaser cake), but I halved the recipe, making a single 20cm round layer.  For some reason, whenever I bake in my non-stick sandwich tins, the batter rises really unevenly, with such a huge dome that I can't slice it flat without wasting half the cake.  Has anyone got any tips for getting my cakes to rise evenly?

Of course, the uneven rising isn't really a big deal unless you're actually making a double-layered cake, so I left my humped cake as it was and splodged the icing on top.  And before you ask - yes, I did halve the icing quantities as well.  The recipe is just very generous with its amounts!

The icing was so luscious and smooth, with a serious dark chocolate hit, and the cake itself was incredibly moist - just fabulous.  I think it's my new favourite chocolate cake.  (Usurping, or perhaps tying with, Nigella's chocolate fudge cake, and her quadruple chocolate loaf cake).  I loved it so much that I made it again, in full quantities, a mere four days later, for my friend Kristine's birthday party.  Delicious!

The recipe is available here, on Nigella.com. Enjoy!