The Debated Origins Of Devil's Food Cake - Tasting Table

So, where did devil's food cake get its name? In truth, nobody knows for certain, though there are several theories.

The first is that devil's food cake was created as a counterpart to its predecessor, angel food cake. Light, fluffy, and vanilla-flavored, traditional angel food cake relies on beaten egg whites for its characteristic spongey, airy texture. In contrast, devil's food cake is dense, moist, and made with chocolate for an opposite appeal (via Cooks Info). The two were often published side by side in cookbooks and, while this might be convincing evidence for some, others point out that the two cakes actually have very little to do with each other.

Another explanation is the reddish tint of the cake coming from the beets (and later, Cooks Info points out that the red hue was caused by alkaline). Some speculate that the reddish sponge reminded folks of the devil — and in fact, this cake is often mistakenly interchanged with red velvet cake.

While traditionally the word "deviled" before a food (as in the case of deviled ham or deviled eggs) is used to describe something spicy and piquant, this cake appears to be an exception to the rule (via Southern Living). Perhaps the simplest answer is the sheer richness of the cake itself was thought to be so sinfully indulgent, it could only be called devilish.

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