Moist and Tender Devil's Food Cake

Name: Moist and Tender Devil's Food Cake
Yield: Serves 8 to 10 (Makes three 8-inch cakes)
Ingredients: 4 ounces (113 grams), unsweetened chocolate, chopped; 1/4 cup (¾ ounce/21 grams), Dutch-processed cocoa powder; 1 1/4 cups, water (boiling); 3/4 cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams), unbleached all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup (3 ounces/85 grams), cake flour; 1 teaspoon, baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon, table salt; 8 ounces (227 grams), unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, plus extra for greasing pans; 1 1/2 cups (10½ ounces/298 grams), packed dark brown sugar; 3 , large eggs, room temperature; 1/2 cup, sour cream; 1 teaspoon, vanilla extract

Desserts or Baked Goods
Chocolate
Cakes

Appears in Cook's Illustrated March/April 2000

The secrets to this moist, velvety chocolate cake are Dutch-processed cocoa, boiling water, baking soda, and sour cream.

SERVES 8 to 10 (Makes three 8-inch cakes)

TIME 1½ hours, plus 2 hours cooling

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