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Tempting devil’s food cake recipes from 1919 are the feature in this post.  Mrs. Burrow’s devil’s food cake recipe includes a filling flavored with coffee and a frosting flavored with lemon.  Mrs. De Graf’s recipe doesn’t offer a frosting to go with her cake.  Mrs. Nicolas’ recipe  has a custard that is mixed with the main ingredients before being baked and it does contain a filling recipe.  Mrs. Robertson’s recipe is the only one that uses cocoa and is flavored with vanilla or cinnamon.  It doesn’t contain a recipe for frosting, but says it should be served with a plain sugar icing.  Mrs. Stewart’s recipe is put together with a simple whipped cream after the cake is baked.

If you do try one of these recipes, hop over to my measurement conversions page for help with oven temperatures and measurements.

Mrs. Burrow’s Devil’s Food Cake Recipe

Take one cup of sugar and one-third cup of butter, cream well.  Add the whole of two eggs and the yolk of a third, saving the white for frosting.  Beat these well, then add to the creamed sugar and butter.  Dissolve a half-cup of chocolate in a one-half cup of hot water, add to the above.  Lastly, add two cups of flour, one teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt.  Sift into the above and mix well.  When well mixed add a dessert spoon of vanilla extract.  Bake in layers and put together with the following;

Filling – Cream one cup of powdered sugar with two tablespoon of butter, then add 3 tablespoons of warm, strong coffee; lastly, add two tablespoons of chocolate and teaspoon of vanilla extract.  Cream all together and put between layers.

Frosting for top – One cup of sugar, three tablespoons of water, mix in small kettle and boil until threads.  Then pour on the ell beaten white of the egg and add a little juice and grated rind of one-half lemon.

Mrs. G. H. Burrows, Crockett.  Source: San Francisco Chronicle – 13 Jul 1919

Mrs. De Graf’s Devil’s Food Cake Recipe

Here is Mrs. De Graf’s formula for making devil’s food cake.  1/2 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs, 2 1/2 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup milk or water, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate melted over hot water.  Cream shortening, add 1 cup sugar, cream together well; beat yolk of eggs until thick and lemon colored; add 1 cup of sugar and combine two mixtures.  Add flour, sifted with baking powder and cinnamon, alternately, with liquid.  When well mixed, add flavoring and melted chocolate, then fold in beaten whites of eggs.  Bake in 4 greased layer cake pans, or this amount of batter makes 2 small loaves.  Have a medium over for either one.

Mrs. Belle De Graf.  Source: San Francisco Chronicle – 30 Mar 1919

Mrs. Nicolas’ Devil Cake Recipe

For the custard part – One cup of grated chocolate, one cup of brown sugar, half cup sweet milk, yolk of one egg and one teaspoonful of vanilla.  Stir all together in a granite saucepan, cook slowly until like custard and set away to cool.

For the cake part – One cup of brown sugar, three cups flour, half cup butter, half cup sweet milk and three eggs beaten stiff.  Beat all together and then stir in the custard, lastly adding one teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little warm water.  Bake in jelly tings.

Filling – Two cups of granulated sugar, ten tablespoons of hot water, half teaspoonful of cream of tartar.  Boil without stirring utnil it forms a long hair when tested with a spoon.  Put in thirty-three marshmallows, boil up again and take off and stir in the beaten whites of three eggs.   When almost cool stir in one cup chopped walnuts.  Beat until cold and spread half inch between layers and on top of cake.

Mrs. Fred Nicolas, Mountain View.  Source: San Francisco Chronicle – 7 Sep 1919

Mrs. Robertson’s Devil’s Food Cake Recipe

One cup brown sugar, one-half cup shortening, one cup ground chocolate or cocoa, one-half cup water; bring to a boil over a slow fire and let cool before adding part two.

Part two – One cup white sugar, one egg, one cup water, one teaspoonful vanilla or cinnamon, three cups flour, one teaspoon soda, two tablespoons cornstarch, sift cornstarch and soda with flour; stir in part one; make a medium stiff batter; bake thirty minutes in a moderate oven.  Ice with plain sugar icing.

Mrs. W. L. Robertson, Columbia.  Source: San Francisco Chronicle – 7 Sep 1919

Mrs. Stewart’s Devil’s Food Cake Recipe

One cup white sugar; butter, size of walnut; 1 egg, 2 small squares chocolate dissolved in one-half cup boiling water; in this put 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3/4 cup sour milk, 1/2 teaspoon of soda, 1 heaping cut of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder.  Bake in two layers in a slow oven and put together with whipped cream and eat while fresh.

Mrs. J. Stewart, 75 Santa Ana avenue, St. Francis Wood.  Source: San Francisco Chronicle – 7 Sep 1919