Name: High-Altitude Chocolate Devil's Food Cake With Mocha Buttercream Icing
Yield: Makes one 2-layer 8-inch cake; serves 8; or one 9-inch tube cake; serves 8 to 10
Ingredients: 2¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour; 1¼ teaspoons baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ cup sifted natural cocoa, such as Hershey's regular; 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1½ cups granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1½ cups buttermilk; Shortening, for greasing pans; 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 6 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, or more as needed; ⅓ cup sifted unsweetened natural cocoa, such as Hershey's regular; 5 to 6 tablespoons extra-strength coffee or espresso (or 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder dissolved in ½ cup hot water); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Two 8 by 1½-inch round cake pans or 9- to 9½-inch (6½ to 8-cup) tube or Bundt pan; baking parchment, wax paper, or foil; 1 or 2 foil-covered 8- or 9- or 10-inch cardboard cake disks or flat plates; wooden skewer or cake tester.

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Daredevil's Food Cake with Mocha Buttercream IcingZoe Singer

This recipe is for baking at sea level. However, you will notice specifics related to baking at high altitude. For instructions on baking at 3,000, 5,000, 7,000, and 10,000 feet, see note.

An American classic, devil's food cake has a moist, tender crumb and satisfying chocolate flavor. The characteristically red (devil) brown color of the cake comes from the baking soda, an alkali that reddens chocolate as it neutralizes some of its acidity and leavens the cake. This recipe is specifically developed for use with natural, not Dutch-process, cocoa. Because cocoa packs and clumps in its container, you will get the most accurate measurement if you first sift it onto wax paper, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off.

You can bake this cake as two layers, fill it with your favorite fruit preserves (try black cherry or raspberry), and frost it with the Mocha Buttercream Icing. Or bake it in a tube pan and top it with any icing or just a light sifting of cocoa or confectioners' sugar (like snow on mountaintops!).

Recipe notes

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

High-Altitude Baking: What You Need to Know
Get the lowdown on baking at high-elevation with tips from three of the of the world's best mountain-top bakers.

Recipe notes

High-Altitude Baking: What You Need to Know