Best Feud Cake Recipes

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• To make the frosting: Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate, move the bowl gently to let the cream settle. Set the mixture aside until softened, about 4 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Cover the surface of the frosting with plastic wrap. Set aside and let set up at room temperature, about 2 hours.
• To make the cake: Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with a circle of parchment or wax paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the sugar. Continue beating until light and smooth, about 4 minutes. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and beat at medium speed for 1 minute more. (Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl again, if needed.) With the mixer running at medium-low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Combine the water and milk in a saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat.
• With the mixer at low speed, add the flour mixture, about a 1/4 cup at a time. Carefully pour the hot liquid into the batter. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a large rubber spatula, finish combining the batter until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Lightly drop each pan onto the counter to settle the batter.
• Set the pans on the middle rack in the oven. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans and the center springs back when touched lightly, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool the cakes, in the pans, on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake layers out of the pans and cool on the rack. (If not assembling the cake right away, wrap the layers in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 day, or freeze for up to 2 months.)
• Assemble the Devil's Food Cake. Place 1 cake layer upside-down on a cake stand or flat plate. Scoop about 1/3 of the icing onto the center of the layer. Using a large, offset spatula, spread the icing evenly over the layer to the edges. Place the other cake layer, rounded-side up, on top. Evenly spread half of the remaining icing over the top, spreading any excess icing down the sides. Spread the remaining icing around the sides of the cake. Use the tip of the offset spatula to make a swirling pattern in the icing. Serve. Store under a cake dome or loosely wrapped with plastic, at room temperature, for up to 2 days.
• Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, GP. All rights reserved

DEVIL'S INFERNO CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment rounds; butter parchment. Combine boiling water, cocoa, and chocolate in a bowl; stir until chocolate has melted. Let cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat butter with brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then chocolate mixture to combine. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture in two additions, alternating with sour cream, until just combined.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake until a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack 20 minutes. Turn out cakes and place on rack, top-sides up; let cool completely. With a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so they are level.
• Buttercream: In the bowl of a mixer, whisk together granulated sugar and egg whites. Place over (but not in) a pot of simmering water; continue whisking constantly until sugar has completely dissolved and mixture is warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Place bowl in mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until thick, glossy, and cool, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Switch to paddle attachment. Beat in butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, on medium-high speed until combined. Beat in chocolate. Reduce speed to low and continue beating until air bubbles are gone, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Flames: Line several baking sheets with parchment. In a small saucepan, combine granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until mixture registers 300° to 310° (hard-crack stage) on a candy thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. Swirl in a drop or two of yellow food coloring, then pour syrup into a glass measuring cup.
• Working quickly, pour lengths of syrup (each between 1 and 3 inches long) onto prepared sheets, dragging the tip of a knife through in random places to create flame shapes. If desired, add a drop of red food coloring to the last few tablespoons of syrup to create redder flames. Let stand until hardened, about 5 minutes.
• Assembly: Place one cake layer on a stand, trimmed-side up, and spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream evenly over surface. Top with remaining cake layer, trimmed-side down. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over top and sides. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes (this ensures a crumb-free finish). Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake, keeping top as flat and level as possible.
• Ganache: Place chocolate in a small heatproof bowl; add salt. Bring cream just to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour over chocolate. Let stand 10 minutes, then whisk until smooth and shiny. Let cool a few minutes. Pour half of warm ganache over center of cake, then slowly but steadily pour remaining ganache around edges, allowing it to drip down sides. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. (At this point, cake can be refrigerated up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before serving.)
• To garnish, press candy flames into top of cake, arranging lighter flames toward back and darker flames toward front.

CLASSIC POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Gradually add flour alternately with milk, beating just until blended. , Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.