05/19/2026
NATIONAL DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE DAY
Devil’s Food Cake is a heavenly chocolate cake. It differs from a regular chocolate cake by its darker color and tends to be more moist and airy. Devil's Food cake recipes use hot or boiling water as the primary liquid. Cocoa is typically utilized in the batter, as opposed to chocolate, and coffee can be added for a distinctive flavor. A delicious chocolate frosting usually accompanies the cake.
The definition for deviled foods: Food that is dark, rich, and chocolate was termed “deviled” in its day. This term dates into the 18th century and remains popular in various recipes ever since. At one time, Velvet Red Cake was one name for what we might view today as deviled cake.
Recipes for Devil's Food cakes often appeared alongside recipes for Angel Food cakes. One of the earliest recipes appeared on August 10, 1898, edition of the Hagerstown Exponent of Hagerstown, Indiana. While earlier chocolate cake recipes existed before this one, Devil's Food Cake is uniquely different from other chocolate cakes.