baking · everyday
Tall devil's food cake with ginger-vermouth soak
A towering chocolate layer cake: buttermilk-coffee sponge soaked with ginger and vermouth, fudgy set frosting, a glossy black glaze and grated chocolate.
- Time
- 300min
- Steps
- 10
Ingredients
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Allergens
Contains milk, egg and wheat.
Worked out from the ingredient names, so it can miss what a brand adds or what a factory handles. Swaps change it too. Always read the labels, and if an allergy is serious, check every product. Allergies, food safety and our disclaimer.
Shopping list
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Equipment
You'll need: Oven.
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Method
-
1
Frosting (day before): bloom the gelatin in 2 tbsp cold water. Scald the milk and cream, pour over the chocolate and butter, add the gelatin and stir until smooth. Strain and chill overnight.
-
2
Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line three 23 cm (9 in) pans with parchment.
-
3
Sift the flour, sugar, both cocoas, soda, powder and salt into a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, oil and eggs and fold in gently by hand.
-
4
Dissolve the coffee in the boiling water and fold in gradually. Don't overmix.
-
5
Divide between the pans and bake 22-26 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely, then split one layer to get more layers if you like.
-
6
Soak: warm the evaporated milk, sugar, vermouth, ginger and salt until the sugar dissolves. Strain.
-
7
Score each layer lightly and brush with soak, concentrating on the edges. Stack with an even layer of frosting between each, biggest layer at the bottom.
-
8
Chill 30 minutes, apply a thin crumb coat of frosting, and chill 30-45 minutes more.
-
9
Glaze: bloom the gelatin in 2 tbsp water. Heat the cream, water, sugar and cocoa, whisk in the gelatin, and cool to 43°C (110°F). Pour over the cold cake, starting at the edges.
-
10
Chill until set, press grated chocolate around the sides, and slice with a hot knife.
