Name: Devil’s Food Cupcakes
Yield: Makes 18 cupcakes
Ingredients: 1 cup boiling water; 3⁄4 cup (60 g) unsweetened cocoa powder; 1¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour; 1½ tsp. baking soda; 1⁄4 tsp. salt; 1½ cups (300 g) sugar; 1⁄4 cup (140 g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature; 3 large eggs; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 1¼ cups buttermilk; Chocolate Frosting; Sprinkles, for decorating (optional); 8 cups (920 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted; 2 cups (180 g) unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 cup unsalted butter, at cool room temperature; 2 tsp. vanilla extract; 2 cups heavy cream, plus more if needed

Devils food chocolate cupcakes on a cooling rack.

Devil’s food is named for its deep, rich color and flavor. The secret to these devil’s food cupcakes: mixing natural cocoa powder, not Dutch-process cocoa, with boiling water, which allows the flavor to bloom and adds moisture to the cake. For a two-layer cake, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and add a few minutes to the baking time.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Baking for Every Season’ by Weldon Owen. Buy the full book on Amazon.