Devil Dogs

Raise your hand if you know what a Devil Dog is. Well, let me amend that: raise your hand if, to you, a Devil Dog is a chocolaty/cakey dessert with a whipped cream substance sandwiched between two pieces of chocolate cake.

*Raises Hand*

The other day when I tweeted that I was making Devil Dogs, it became clear to me that my Devil Dog perspective isn’t necessarily the status quo. Some believed a Devil Dog to be what I believe a Devil Dog to be, but some believed a Devil Dog to be some kind of fancy hot dog concoction. Some still believed a Devil Dog to be a college mascot. Others had never heard the term “Devil Dog” at all.

So today, I shall stick up for my beliefs! Devil Dogs are in the same genre as Suzy-Q’s, Ding Dongs (without the chocolate coating), or any delight that combines chocolate cake with a light, whipped cream…or icing…or whatever that white stuff is in that genre of treats. I went the easy route and made my trusty chocolate sheet cake, emphasizing the “heaping” in the “heaping tablespoons of cocoa.” (Recipe at the end.)

 
 
Then I let the cake cool completely in the pan.

Next up, I decided to make That’s the Best Frosting I’ve Ever Had, a Tasty Kitchen recipe submitted by TK Member MissyDew several months ago. The frosting really is wonderful, despite its slightly unusual flour-and-milk beginning.

 
 
 
I decided to take a walk on the wild side and use half-and-half instead.

 
 
 
Sprinkle in some all-purpose flour…

 
 
 
And whisk it together over low heat. Keep stirring for several minutes as it thickens.

 
 
 
As MissyDew’s instructions in the printable recipe below state, it should be as thick as brownie batter (much thicker than cake batter.) Then you let that mixture cool completely; put the pan over a big bowl of ice if you’re in a hurry.

 
 
 
While that bizarro mixture is cooling, beat some butter and sugar in a mixer…

 
 
 
…Until very light and fluffy.

 
 
 
Then you add the (completely cooled) flour/milk (or half-and-half if you’re like me and like fat) concoction to the butter/sugar mixture…

 
 
 
Add some vanilla…

(There’s no excuse for my mixer. Sorry. I kinda use it a lot and I don’t always wipe it down properly. Don’t be like me.)

 
 
 
And beat it to smithereens until it becomes a light, fluffy whipped icing.

 
 
 
Turn the cake out of the pan.

 
 
 
Next, it’s time to cut the cake into rectangles. I have a set of rectangular nesting cutters and they work great, but you can also just use a sharp knife.

 
 
 
Start cutting, coming in just a bit from the edges…

 
 
 
Continue, cutting the entire cake into rectangles.

 
 
 
Then lay them on a pan and have them ready. I actually set this pan in the fridge to make sure there was no warmth to the cake at all. The frosting is so light and fluffy, the coolness will help keep it all together.

 
 
 
Throw some frosting into an icing bag if you have one, then squeeze some onto a rectangle of cake, bottom side up.

 
 
 
Then place another piece, top side up, on top, lightly pressing to distribute the frosting.

 
 
 
Squirt a dollop on top…

 
 
 
Then stick on a cherry.

 
 
 
Repeat until you have a big ol’ platter of devil dogs…and I don’t mean the loaded hot dog numbers. Chill them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve; the frosting will become softer and softer and room temperature.

 
 
 
Note that you can use any whipped-type frosting or filling you want: if you have a true recipe for the Hostess-type filling for Ding Dongs and Twinkies, that would be great…or (forgive me) you can use Cool Whip.

As I said: forgive me.

Enjoy these!

Here are the three printables:

 
Devil Dogs:

Ingredients

• 1 whole Chocolate Sheet Cake (see "Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever" On Tasty Kitchen)
• 1 whole Recipe For "That's The Best Frosting I've Ever Had" On Tasty Kitchen (or You Can Use Frozen Whipped Topping)
• Maraschino Cherries

Preparation Instructions

Bake cake according to recipe directions, thoroughly greasing and flouring the pan. Allow cake to cool completely, then turn out onto a flat surface.

Make frosting recipe, substituting half-and-half for milk for extra thickness/richness.

Cut cooled cake into rectangles.

Place frosting into a frosting bag. Squeeze frosting onto one rectangle of cake. Press second rectangle on top. Squeeze a dollop of frosting on the top piece of cake. Place a cherry on top.

Chill until ready to serve!

Posted by Ree | The Pioneer Woman on February 24 2011

 
Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe. (Update: No icing necessary.) Spray the pan thoroughly with non-stick baking spray; you’ll want to turn it out of the pan.

 

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• _____
• FOR FROSTING:
• 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1-3/4 stick Butter
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Note: I use an 18x13 sheet cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

Posted by Ree | The Pioneer Woman on November 4 2013

Frosting Recipe (Sub half-and-half for the milk for extra richness; do milk for more lightness)

 

Ingredients

• 5 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 cup Butter
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar (not Powdered Sugar!)

Preparation Instructions

Bake your favorite chocolate cake and let it cool.

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix is. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If I'm in a hurry, I place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don't want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven't beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.

Grab a spoon and taste this wonderful goodness. If there is any left after your taste test, spread it on a cooled chocolate cake.

Cut yourself a piece and put it on a pretty plate. Grab a fork and prepare to experience the most divine pairing you can imagine. This frosting on chocolate cake is to die for. Sure, the recipe sounds strange -- it has flour in it -- but it's sublime. Try it, you'll see. You'll love it so much you won't go back.

Posted by MissyDew on February 24 2011

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