Devil's Float

I had doubts

I started my recipe test with Devil’s Float for several reasons. First, I was intrigued by the name. I’d never heard of such a dish and couldn’t imagine my religiously devout grandmother wanting to make anything with the word Devil in the title. If connecting with my grandmother was one of the goals, this recipe didn't seem a likely candidate.   

However, I was intrigued enough by its process to give it a try. To begin with, I wasn't sure it would work. The word “dough” had me concerned. Scanning the ingredient list, I didn't see some of the key ones that you usually find in a dough, namely flour and possibly sugar. I supposed that the sugar in the syrup and marshmallows might make it sweet enough for a dessert, but no flour? I had my doubts. However, I had vowed to curb my tendency to fiddle with recipes and make these exactly as written.

Figuring out the instructions

And so, I began. Making a sugar syrup was easy. However, I ran into the first roadblock when I went to pour the syrup into a baking dish. The recipe didn’t specify the size, just “large casserole.” I pulled out my 9 x 13-inch Pyrex, which seemed to fit that description, poured the syrup in, topped it off with 16 marshmallows cut into quarters, and found it funny that the recipe was so exact in some ways and so vague in others.

Then came the dough-making. I “sifted together” the cocoa powder and baking powder using a whisk and was then told to add the shortening. How? Was I supposed to beat this together? Cut it in? I didn’t know, so I used my pastry blender and demolished the shortening into fine chunks. I added the vanilla, milk, and nuts, but as I stirred this all together, I knew this experiment was going south. The result was not a dough that could be dropped by teaspoons as directed. Instead, I had a runny batter that would have to be poured over the top. Forging ahead, I did just that and stuck the dish in the oven with low hopes. 

The unintended result

After the very specific 44 minutes were up, I pulled the dish out, and it actually sloshed. Sloshed! 

Still, I had to taste it. Because everything is better with ice cream, I started with that, then poured a bit of the chocolatey liquid over top. 

The result was not bad–a sort of chunky hot fudge sundae. However, I highly doubted that achieving chunky hot fudge was the real purpose of this recipe. 

My next resort–Google

I found a recipe for Devil’s Float online that was similar to the recipe in my grandma’s box with a couple of exceptions. It called for melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder, melted butter instead of shortening, and IT HAD FLOUR. One whole cup to be exact.  

Back to the drawing board.  

I made the recipe again, this time using a 9 x 9-inch dish because the online recipe called for a “square” one. With the addition of flour, the dough was much more dough-like. In fact, it was stiff and almost dry. I was tempted to add more milk but didn’t want to stray too far from the original recipe. After dropping it on top of the floating marshmallows, I stuck it into the oven for 44 minutes. Again, my hopes weren’t high. 

Pleasantly surprised

The result looked much more appealing than my first attempt. As I took it out of the oven, it reminded me of the hike we’d taken through a volcanic crater–it was craggy and crusty on top with toasty marshmallow puddles, and the whole of that floated on a molten chocolate sauce lake. This looked much more promising. 

Of course, the real test was the taste, and I have to admit that I went back for more than one serving. What can I say? The devil made me do it? 

The verdict? 

Yes, I will be adding this to my collection but will probably do some fiddling. Next time, I’ll use melted butter or melt the shortening to add a little more liquid to the dough. I might increase the milk a bit, but not much, because I really liked the contrast between the crispy top and the chocolate sauce beneath. 

It's actually similar to a self-saucing pudding cake I sometimes make called Hot Fudge Cake, but it’s different enough that it deserves its own spot in my digital box. Besides, I like the fun idea of serving up something called Devil’s Float. And it looks like my grandmother did too. There’s a stain on the card that tells me she tried it. Tried and probably failed. I wonder if she ever figured out what went wrong.  

Try out the corrected recipe for yourself. Happy baking!