I really wanted to love this cake. I really, really, really did! Its picture graces the cover of the TWD bible, Baking: From My Home To Yours ^[1]. The strength of that photo alone was the impetus for me to buy the book. I didn’t even need to turn a page. Those deep, dark, fudgy layers of chocolate cake encased in billowing clouds of fluffy homemade marshmallow frosting erased all reason and made my salivary glands go wild! I almost made this cake several times, but I always chickened out. This was, after all, my ideal of what a great cake should be. You know how it is when you build up something in your mind. You’re almost guaranteed to be disappointed by the real thing. What if I couldn’t do this cake justice? Or worse, what if I made it and it wasn’t as fabulous as I’d hoped it would be? Hmmm.

So, when I learned that Stephanie of Confessions of a City Eater ^[2] had chosen Dorie’s Devil’s Food White Out Cake for this week’s TWD assignment, I approached it with caution. I followed the recipe precisely. I was meticulous about every detail, leaving nothing to chance. For my efforts, I was rewarded with a beautiful cake that looked every bit as enticing as the one on the cover of the book. And, it tasted……okay.

The cake itself was very dense and moist. With the addition of Scharffenberger ^[3] cocoa and Guittard ^[4] semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolates, it was very……well……chocolately. It was a really tasty cake, but for some reason, it didn’t knock my socks off. I don’t know why. Perhaps, my taste buds have changed. And, for all of the time and trouble it took to make, the marshmallow frosting just didn’t “wow” me like I expected it to. It was good. Actually, it was very good. Just not incredibly good.

I don’t know if it was because my expectations were so high to begin with, but I must admit that I was slightly disappointed with the taste of this cake. Who knows? It could very well have been something I did. Don’t let my opinion stop you from trying it on your own. It really is a stunner, and would be a lovely addition to any dessert table.

If you’d like the recipe for Devil’s Food White Out Cake, you can find it on Stephanie’s site or here ^[5]. Of course, you can also find it in BFMHTY as well. Also, don’t forget to check out all of other versions of this cake on the TWD blogroll. ^[6]