I will forever be grateful for the gracious sharing of knowledge and enthusiasm for food that I experienced during my externship for culinary school. Though the restaurant closed a few years ago and has been replaced by a fun and creative new Mexican-Korean fusion joint, I will forever cherish all of the people, techniques and tastes from that time.

Lucia’s was a little farm-to-table restaurant with a weekly rotating menu in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis. It boasted a fine dining restaurant, a bar and a cute little to-go area where you could pick up meals and treats that were elevated without feeling fussy. There was vegan chili that you could spike with housemade habanero jelly (folded into sour cream if you were down with dairy), frittatas filled with the best local veggies and cheese and these crispy bottomed, fluffy-topped individual pizzas dolloped with beautiful red sauce and whatever sounded delicious to us that day.

I am no baker, but I was lucky enough to work for a week with the bread bakers and pastry chefs while I was there, and of course I stole all of their recipes before I left! I still don’t bake much now, but this too-good-to-be-real cake is worth breaking out the cake pans and cooling racks.

Devil’s Food Cake

Makes 1 three-layer cake (16 servings)

Cake Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups cold water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 TB vanilla
3 tablespoons dark chocolate chips

Cake Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Cut three parchment rounds to fit cake pans, place in pans and generously spray bottoms and sides of pans with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk in water, oil and vanilla. Divide among the 3 prepared pans. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon chocolate chips evenly over each pan.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of each cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans. Run palette knife around edges of pans. Place parchment paper on top of cooling racks and place parchment-side down on top of pans. Invert and release cakes from pans. Cool completely.

Frosting Ingredients

1 lb salted butter, softened
8 cups powdered sugar
1 2/3 cups cocoa powder
1 TB vanilla
1-3 TB milk
Shaved white chocolate, optional

Frosting Directions

In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-low until smooth. Add 4 cups of the powdered sugar and the cocoa. Beat on low until incorporated. Add remaining 4 cups powdered sugar and vanilla and beat on low until incorporated, then increase to medium-high until creamy. Add milk a little at a time until very soft, creamy and completely combined. The mixture should be spreadable.

Finishing

Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread 1/4 of the frosting on center of cake layer, leaving about 1-inch border (the frosting will spread out after all layers are added). Repeat with remaining two layers. Use remaining frosting to frost sides of cake as well. Dip a large metal spatula in very hot water to smooth the frosting on top and sides. You may have a bit of frosting leftover. If desired, top with white chocolate shavings while the frosting is still wet.

Refrigerate uncovered at least two hours before cutting. Once the icing sets up, cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated, up to a week.