Homemade Devil Dogs Recipe

By
Stella Parks
Stella Parks
Stella Parks
Editor Emeritus
Stella Parks is a CIA-trained baking nerd and pastry wizard, dubbed one of America's Best New Pastry Chefs by Food & Wine. She was the pastry editor at Serious Eats from 2016 to 2019.
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Updated February 13, 2025
20160429-devil-dogs-vicky-wasik-6.jpg
Photograph: Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Melted chocolate makes the batter thick and easy to pipe without requiring extra flour, keeping its flavor bold and rich.
  • Dutch processed cocoa powder has just the right color and pH to mimic the original.
  • Filling the "buns" at the last minute prevents the cake from turning to mush.

If you've never had a Devil Dog, just think of it as a hot dog–shaped whoopie pie—two layers of soft chocolate cake sandwiching a creamy whipped filling. Honestly, that filling can be just about anything, from your favorite vanilla frosting to Homemade Cool Whip or even a batch of Cherry Pit Whipped Cream.

Recipe Details

Homemade Devil Dogs Recipe

Prep 15 mins
Cook 15 mins
Active 45 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 15 servings
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Ingredients

  • 3 ounces coffee or black tea (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon; 85 g), hot

  • 3 ounces 72% dark chocolate (2/3 cup; 85 g), finely chopped

  • 1 ounce Dutch process cocoa powder (shy 1/3 cup; 30 g)

  • 5 ounces unsalted butter (10 tablespoons; 140 g), about 70°F

  • 4 ounces light brown sugar (1/2 cup; 115 g)

  • 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight

  • 1 large egg, straight from the fridge

  • 6 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (1 1/3 cups; 185 g) (see note)

To Finish:

  • Roughly 9 ounces homemade Cool Whip, cherry pit whipped cream, or your favorite frosting (1 3/4 cups; 255 g)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 aluminum half sheet pans with parchment, trimming as needed so it lies perfectly flat. Whisk hot coffee or tea with chopped chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl until smooth. Combine butter, brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed to moisten. Increase to medium and cream until fluffy and light, about 5 minutes, pausing at the halfway point to scrape bowl and beater with a flexible spatula. While still mixing, add egg and continue beating until smooth. Reduce speed to low and add 1/3 of flour, followed by 1/3 of the chocolate paste. Alternate between the two, forming a chocolaty batter. Fold once or twice from the bottom up to ensure no streaks of flour or butter remain. Transfer half of batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8- or 1/2-inch round tip.

  2. Dab a little batter under each corner of parchment, then press firmly to secure it to sheet pans. Pipe about fifteen 2 3/4-inch by 1-inch "buns" onto each sheet pan, refilling the bag when needed. Bake until "buns" are puffy and firm, about 8 minutes. Slide parchment onto the counter and cool until no trace of warmth remains. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container with a sheet of wax paper between each layer; store at room temperature up to 24 hours.

  3. To Finish: Transfer Homemade Cool Whip, Cherry Pit Whipped Cream, or your favorite whipped frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8- or 1/2-inch round tip. Flip half the "buns" upside down and pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling down the center of each. Top with remaining "buns" and press gently to secure. Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 6 hours.

Special equipment

2 aluminum half sheet pans; stand mixer; 2 disposable pastry bags, fitted with a 5/8- or 1/2-inch round tip

Notes

This recipe was tested with bleached all-purpose flour from both Pillsbury and Gold Medal, which use red and white wheat to create a tender, low-protein blend. Flours that use 100% red wheat will create a stiffer batter and less tender cake.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
229 Calories
14g Fat
24g Carbs
3g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 15
Amount per serving
Calories 229
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 8g 41%
Cholesterol 46mg 15%
Sodium 65mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 48mg 4%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 89mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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