My grandmother was known for her baking. There are stories that professional bakers came from miles around just to learn a few tricks from her. I never had the luxury to learn from her, but at least we still have her recipes. And let me tell you; I made this devils food cake recipe the first time for my daughter’s birthday when she turned 2. It is DIVINE! It has since been requested for each birthday of my kids since! It is extremely moist and very delicious! Not too rich and not too bland. This Devils Food Cake recipe puts all those box mixes to shame! And to my surprise, it isn’t hard to make at all!
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Devils Food Cake Recipe
Now you may laugh, as I know it’s been said there is no such thing as Red Devils Food Cake recipe, but that’s what Grandma called it. So we all call it red devils food cake! But in a culinary sense, it really is just a great devils food cake recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour milk (you can use buttermilk, but I used regular milk with 1 Tbsp vinegar mixed in it)
- 2 cups flour (cake flour makes a wonderful texture)
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 3/4 cup boiling water with 2 tsp baking soda mixed in
Directions:
- Beat shortening, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy.
- Add salt, milk, flour and cocoa and mix well.
- Combine boiling water and baking soda.
- add one teaspoon at a time of the Water/baking soda mixture to batter while mixing.
- Grease and Flour cake pan before filling with batter
- Fill cake pans 1/2 full. Any more and it will overflow as the cake bakes.
- Bake 350 degrees 30 minutes or until done in center.
- (cupcakes bake for 20 minutes or until done is center)
- Cool on rack.
Makes one 9 x 13 rectangle or two 8-9 inch round cakes or 1 8-9 in round and 24 cupcakes.

Red Devils Food Cake Recipe Tips:
- To check if the cake is done, use a clean toothpick and insert into center of cake. if it comes out clean the cake is done!
- Let cool fully before frosting (otherwise it melts the frosting)
- For decorated cake (outside of pan) let cool in pan for 15 minutes and then remove from pan to finish cooling.
If you like our recipes, be sure to try out the frosting recipe to go along with the cake! Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield:
Grandma Maurine's Red Devils Food Cake Recipe, Extra Moist Homemade Chocolate cake recipe

Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour milk (you can use buttermilk, but I used regular milk with 1 Tbsp vinegar mixed in it)
- 2 cups flour (cake flour makes a wonderful texture)
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 3/4 cup boiling water with 2 tsp baking soda mixed in
Instructions
- Beat shortening, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy.
- Add salt, milk, flour and cocoa and mix well.
- Combine boiling water and baking soda.
- Add one teaspoon at a time of the Water/baking soda mixture to batter while mixing.
- Grease and Flour cake pan before filling with batter
- Fill cake pans 1/2 full. Any more and it will overflow as the cake bakes.
- Bake 350 degrees 30 minutes or until done in center.
- For cupcakes bake for 20 minutes or until done in the center.
- Cool on rack.
Like our Recipe? Be sure to stumble it or Pin it so others can find it; and leave us a comment below with what you think!
Eric
Wednesday 6th of December 2017
The rest of the story... we have this and others of Grandmothers recipes because mother would watch Grandma cook and stop her at each ingredient to estimate how much she was using. Grandma never measured anything, and everything turned out wonderful. For this cake she would make a real fudge frosting, but no one was ever able to duplicate that. Mother tried many times, but it never turned out. My wife makes a simple chocolate frosting that I love.
Amber
Wednesday 6th of December 2017
Thanks for sharing that Eric! Dad just told me the story last time I was up there. It was fun to hear it from his perspective.
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