Chocolate is the little black dress of desserts: it’s perfect for every occasion and never goes out of style. Two of Chicago’s top pastry chefs shared this recipe for a decadent, old fashioned chocolate cake that is sure to become your go-to dessert for every event. Whether you’re looking to wow your relatives at a big family get-together, want to surprise your friends with something amazing at your next dinner party, or make your significant other feel extra special on his or her birthday, the Old Fashioned Devil’s Chocolate Cake from trendy Chicago dessert destination BAKE will do the trick.

Save this recipe for an old fashioned, chocolate Devils Food Cake to Pinterest so you can make it often.

Hungry for more? Try this recipe for a Sicilian Chocolate Cake.

“Little Black Dress” Chocolate Devils Food Cake Recipe

Recipe courtesy master pastry chefs/BAKE co-owners Jennifer & Eric Estrella. getbakedchicago.com /

Recipe yields one 8-inch cake.

Cake Ingredients:
1/3 cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
1 cup water
1 ¾ cup sugar
2 1/3 cup All-Purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 ¼ tsp baking soda
1 up buttermilk
¾ cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Chocolate Icing ingredients:
1 lb. unsalted butter
1 ½ cup bittersweet chocolate (melted)
1 TBS vanilla extract
1 lb. 8 oz. powdered sugar
2 cups sour cream

Method:
1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Add the cocoa powder while whisking by hand and boil once again.
3. Remove from the heat.
4. Sift the dry ingredients and place them in a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment.
5. Combine the buttermilk with the oil and eggs.  Add them to the dry ingredients and mix smooth.
6. Add the liquid cocoa mixture and combine until smooth.
7. Pour into 2- 8inch round cake pans that have been and sprayed (Editor’s note: We also recommend lining the bottom with a round of parchment paper cut to size)
8. Bake at 325 F for 25-30 minutes or until a pick inserted in to the center comes out clean.
9. Allow cakes to cool. See below for icing instructions.

For the Icing:
1. Melt the butter and sugar over a water bath until hot.
2. Place the combination together in a machine fitted with the whip attachment.
3. Add the vanilla extract and all of the powdered sugar. Whisk on low speed until it comes together.
4. Add half of the sour cream until it comes together, scraping the sides. (It may look curdled at this point.)
5. Add the remaining sour cream until smooth.
6. Place in a container in a cool place to set up or in the refrigerator for longer storage.
7. Ice the cake by placing two scoops of filling on one of the two chocolate cake rounds.
8. Place the other round on top and allow it to set in the refrigerator.
9.  After the cake is set, mask the cake with the remaining frosting.

Hungry for more? Make this Mocha Cake with Ganache Icing.

About the makers of this Devils Food Cake:

One glance in the window at BAKE (or a quick visit to their Instagram page) and you’ll see that co-owners Jennifer and Eric Estrella are serious about cake. The charming and whimsical bakery’s cake menu features classic flavor combinations (like rich Red Velvet Cake + Cream Cheese Icing) as well as unique ones (like the S’mores Cake made with Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Ganache, Marshmallow, Graham Crackers and a Burnt Meringue Frosting.)  However, their Old Fashioned Devil’s Chocolate Cake is “definitely our pièce de résistance,” says Jennifer.

BAKE pastry chefs create a decadent, old fashioned chocolate cake sure to please.

In addition to their mouthwatering cake menu, customers can enjoy over 20+ different pastries and sweets baked fresh daily. Novelty sugar cookies iced by hand, oversized scones and five different types of chocolate chip cookies are just a few of the items that keep Chicagoans (and tourists) coming back again and again.

Before opening their popular Wicker Park bakery, the Estrellas honed their pastry skills in luxury hotels, bakeries and restaurants all over the country (Jennifer previously held the position of pastry chef for Four Seasons Hotels while Eric was the pastry chef at the Ritz Carlton.)  Their charming Wicker Park outpost is the culmination of a combined 30 years of experience and a lifelong love of all things sweet.

BAKE is located at 2246 W. North Ave. in Chicago. Check out their website for more scrumptious sweets.