I'm not sure what kid doesn't have memories of mixing up a box cake mix, after school or on the weekends, with mom supervising. Licking the spatula (even though now we know you're not supposed to...) and trying not to eat all the frosting while waiting not-so patiently for the cake to bake.
Ah, childhood! We were so innocent... so easily amused and impressed! Not so, in the big grown up world. When was the last time you had a box cake? Or a cake for that matter? Feeling like you might want to break out the whisk and oven mitts? Well, don't even think about reaching for one of those boxed cake mixes.
Jessie Sheehan is the author of The Vintage Baker, published by Chronicle Books. Her recipe for devil's food cake is inspired by the boxed cakes of yore, but....BETTER. And when I say better, I mean WAY better. Imagine what real cocoa, espresso powder, and honest to goodness olive oil (oh yes) could do to one of those tired mixes. And let's not forget the seven minute icing that is just the right amount of sweetness and softness.
If you were one of those kids that made cake mixes, you might remember using vegetable oil to pull it all together. In Jessie's cake, we use our own Colavita Olive Oil. It's perfect for baking, if you didn't know. Any time you use really good quality ingredients, it bumps up the quality of the end product, right? Using the best olive oil (Colavita) in this is no exception. It helps the cake retain its moistness and texture, giving you a most satisying bite.
This cake is the rich, chocolately, delicious dessert of your childhood dreams come true, and I recommend you make it. To support you in this culinary adventure, Jessie has graciously allowed us to share the recipe here. But before you break out your measuring cups and preheat the oven, we want to encourage you to make MORE of Jessie's sweet treats (with Colavita Olive Oil whenever possible, of course). To aid you in this, we are giving away a copy of her book and one bottle of our best for baking olive oil.
You can buy a copy of Jessie's book here and check out her blog jessiesheehanbakes.com for more recipes.
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
For the Sea Foam Frosting:
PREPARATION
To make the cake:
To make the frosting: