Who Loves the Devil?

Yes! Yes! A cake!  It's only the second cake I've ever featured on this blog, and that's because I usually can't be arsed hauling a knife around to wherever I'm going to be caking-it-up.  But here I was, going to a most civilised dinner party, and thought, what cake takes almost no effort, I have all the ingredients for, and is almost universally loved?

The answer, whispered on a sweetly sulphuric stream, was Devil's Food Cake.

I'd actually never made one of these puppies before.  And there is actually a darn good reason for that - I'm craptastic at making ganache.  It's probably a matter of practice, but also probably the fact that yours truly might be a tad overconfident with her skills.  I mean, on paper, how hard could it be?  It's essentially adding either cream or water to melted chocolate to make a thick, choco-tastic frosting. Simple, right?  Ha!  That's just what the French want you to think.  My ganache, while sufficiently delicious, was matte and stiff, not shiny and limber as it's supposed to be.  As it always is.  You'd think that by now, I'd be aware of my limitations and either practice making ganache when it's not a make or break occasion (it never really is, usually people are impressed that you didn't just buy something, but still.  Competitive streak and all that), but no!  Where is the fun in that?

Damn, it was good.  I got the recipe from David Lebovitz , made no adjustments or re-doings, just pure, unadulterated Lebovitz.  I've got to stop writing about this cake now, I'm getting drool all over the keyboard.  Lucky I've got a few vegetarian cooking books out of the library, 'cause Mama's gonna need to lose a few kilos after her date with the Devil.