Devil Dog

With a raise of hands, how many of you have heard of a Devil Dog? Let alone know there was a National Devil Dog Day. Me either.

I always thought a Devil Dog was actually a mean dog, not a chocolate hotdog bun shaped cake with a cream filling.  Why the name? It’s made like a devil’s food cake. Chocolate cake which is the opposite of a white angel’s food cake. Ohhh.. I get it. I don’t know they sound like ding dongs to me.

Sometimes these Devil Digs are dipped in chocolate and sometimes they are not. This recipe does not. Makes 15-18 a Thank you bakepedia.com for the recipe. Yum Yum!

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Marshmallow Cream

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• One 7-ounce jar marshmallow cream (1½ cups)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. For the Cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk for 30 seconds on low speed. Add the melted butter, milk, egg, and vanilla and mix on low speed for 1 minute to combine, then raise the speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes to make a smooth batter.
2. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe 30 to 36 boneshaped fingers, 3 inches long and 1 inch wide (kind of like the shape of a Milano cookie but a bit wider at the ends), in rows 11/2 inches apart on each baking sheet.
4. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the cakes are puffy and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheets.
5. For the Marshmallow Cream: Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and cream until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, marshmallow cream, and vanilla and continue mixing on low speed until combined, smooth, and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Transfer the cream to a pastry bag with the same large plain tip that you used for the cake batter (clean it before piping the filling) and pipe it onto the cakes as directed.
6. Peel the cooled cakes off the parchment paper and lay them flat side up on a baking sheet. Pipe marshmallow cream over the surface to cover, chill for 10 minutes to allow the cream to stiffen, then place a second cake on top to make a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cakes and filling. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving. The devil dogs keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or you can freeze the assembled cakes in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Here’s my little Devil Dog, Cody