 I
suppose there are many reasons why cooks use the term "devil" to describe
a dish. deviled crab, deviled eggs, deviled ham - all dishes with
a heavy dose of mustard in the recipe. Maybe it's the tangy and spicy
flavor of mustard that conjures up images of the hot little red devil
with horns. The term "deviled" for spicy foods dates back to the 18th
century, though there is some evidence that it may have been in use
even earlier.
Early 20th
century cooks created a dense, chocolate cake that was so rich it
was wicked, in a sinful, devilish sort of way. They appropriately
named the cake, "devil's food." First appearing in 1905, it was
probably named to contrast with the earlier, fluffy white angel's
food cake.
My devil's
food cake recipe was created for the "Gerry Frank Chocolate Cake
Contest" at the Oregon State Fair. Mr. Frank, is a native Oregonian.
The Franks joined with the Meir family in the late 1800's to form
the Meir & Frank department stores, still a fixture throughout the
Northwest, although now a part of the large May Company conglomerate
of department stores.
Mr. Frank
is a judicious student of chocolate. He has tasted chocolate the
world over, often during his travels as chief of staff for former
Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield. Mr. Frank also owns a "Konditorrei,"
or European-style bakery, and he wrote an authoritative tome on
gourmet foods, "Where to find it, buy it, and eat it in New York."
The "Gerry
Frank Chocolate Cake Contest" has been a fixture at the fair for
over 30 years. Last year alone, over 70 cakes were entered. Mr.
Frank takes two bites from each cake, one of frosting, one of cake.
The main judging criteria is flavor, pure chocolate flavor. Texture,
presentation and creativity are minor elements of consideration.
Over the years,
many a baker has tried to fool Mr. Frank, presenting cakes laced
with liquor, dotted with chocolate-covered grapes, or stacked 10
layers high. But the bakers who try to stump the judge and the competition
by using gimmicks have been left out of the money. Simplicity seems
to be the key to a win, as evidenced by one 14-year old grand-prize
winner who used plain Hershey's cocoa as the main ingredient in
her chocolate cake.
I was one
of those bakers who fell into the former category. I thought my
gargantuan creation would be so stunning that it just couldn't fail
to garner a ribbon - six tiers of devil's food cake sandwiched between
layers of dark chocolate ganache and the whole mountain covered
with milk chocolate buttercream.
Alas, my cake
was passed over by Mr. Frank and left sitting on the sidelines.
Only the scar of a thin, very thin, slice taken from its side shows
that my proud cake was a part of the competition. The winner, baked
by a woman of over 80 who has been entering cakes since the contest
started, a two layer chocolate cake with "seven-minute frosting."
Today's recipe
is a simpler version of my State Fair entry - individual devil's
food cakes baked in small fluted tart shells then glazed with milk
chocolate ganache'. The presentation is elegant yet simple. Serve
a cool scoop of French Vanilla Ice Cream with your Devil's Food
Cake, a decidedly wicked, end to a great meal.
Devil's
Food Cakes with Milk Chocolate Ganache
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