Ingredients
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 55 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 2 eggs
- 180 ml Québec maple syrup
- 180 ml buttermilk
- 120 ml hot coffee
- 90 ml vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Heat the oven to 175 °C; grease and line a 23 cm round cake pan.
- Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Whisk eggs, maple syrup, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla; stir into the dry mixture until smooth.
- Pour into the pan and bake for 38–45 minutes, until the center springs back and a skewer is clean.
- Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then unmold and cool completely.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 250 g granulated sugar
Conversion used: Replace 250 g sugar with 180 ml maple syrup; reduce the classic buttermilk by 60 ml and bake at 175 °C, about 15 °C below the usual 190 °C.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple rounds out the bitterness of cocoa and coffee, creating the deep flavor expected from devil's food cake. It also adds a regional identity without relying on refined sugar.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →