We love chocolate cake and really, anything with chocolate in it and we love the New York Times. The two meet for a perfect partnership in their cooking app. We tested the cake – it is delicious – although not the easiest cake we have ever tried but well worth the effort if you need something special for a dinner party. Recommended wine: blend your own from a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  The fruity flavor and mild acidic taste compliments chocolate desserts ever so well.  

Wines available at myowncuvee 

Devil’s Food Cake With Black Pepper Buttercreamby Melissa Clark
Time: 2 1/2 hours 

Yield: 10 servings

INGREDIENTS
5 large egg whites

1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar

Large pinch kosher salt

3 sticks plus 2 tablespoons/365 grams unsalted butter, softened

1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise, seeds scraped

1 teaspoon/5 grams coarsely ground black pepper

10 tablespoons/140 grams unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pans

⅔ cup/70 grams unsweetened natural (not Dutch-processed) cocoa powder, more for pans

¾ cup/180 milliliters whole milk

2 cups/200 grams cake flour

1 ½ teaspoons/10 grams baking soda

½ teaspoon/3 grams baking powder

½ teaspoon/3 grams kosher salt, more as needed

1 ¾ cups/350 grams granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons/10 milliliters vanilla extract

1 ½ cups/300 grams granulated sugar

1 cup/240 milliliters heavy cream

Pinch kosher salt

6 ounces/170 grams unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

8 tablespoons/112 grams unsalted butter, diced

2 teaspoons/10 milliliters vanilla extract

For the recipe in its entirety, look for Devils Food Cake with Black Pepper Buttercream in the NYT Cooking app.