Hershey's Chocolate Cake With Frosting

Submitted by Lydias Mama

"One night I was craving chocolate cake, but we didn't have a mix and I didn't feel like going to the store. I looked on the back of a box of Hershey's Cocoa and found this recipe. It is just a basic chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, but it is DIVINE. My husband and I both LOVE it and think it is the best cake ever. I will never make chocolate cake from a box again."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 10mins
• Ingredients: 16
• Yields: 1 cake
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3⁄4 cup cocoa
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

• FOR THE FROSTING

• 1⁄2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
• 2⁄3 cup cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1⁄3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

1. CAKE DIRECTIONS: Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.
4. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.
5. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
6. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9" round pans.
7. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Cool 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks and cool completely.
9. Frost with "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting.
10. This also makes about 30 cupcakes.
11. FROSTING DIRECTIONS: Melt butter.
12. Stir in cocoa.
13. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency.
14. Add more milk, if needed.

Reviews

[Soozzee]

This cake is excellent. I've used it for years and have recently made a couple of changes just to kick it up a notch! I use 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup melted butter instead of the 1/2 cup oil. The butter adds richer flavor while the oil adds more moisture. I also use 1 cup very hot coffee instead of the 1 cup boiling water. The coffee just kicks up the chocolate flavor, you don't taste coffee at all. The frosting has good chocolate flavor. To Gloss it up a bit, I add 1 tablespoon light corn syrup to the melted butter, then add the rest of the ingredients as directed.

 

[Pixel36]

This recipe is AMAZING!!! I followed it exactly and doubled the icing recipe to create a beautiful 3 layer cake with iced rosettes. I also made cake balls with the extra cake I had from leveling the layers. I just crumbled the cake, added a bit of icing, shaped them into balls, chilled them, then dipped them in melted chocolate. After they chilled completely they tasted almost like truffles they were so moist. I also made cupcakes and added about 2 tsps. of chocolate chips to each before putting them in the oven. I used this recipe for my moms birthday who is a crazy chocolate lover and she thought it was amazing. I love this recipe and will be using it many more times in the future.

 

[PurlyQ]

I make this cake EVERY time I need a cake now. It is my and my family's absolute favorite! I make it with the modifications noted by Soozzee on 2/25/08 and that makes all the difference. Especially substituting brewed hot coffee for the water, it is fantastic, so rich and yummy. Also, I add parchment paper to the bottom of my 9" rounds first so that the cake doesn't stick to the bottom of the pans. Without parchment, I had a couple crumble on me, so now parchment is a must. I make it for every family birthday, so so good!

 

[eleahy2005]

THE CAKE EXPLOITED IN MY OVEN!

 

[Mommy2two]

Yum! I made this cake over the weekend but I didn't make the frosting. I covered it with ganache--it was delicious! As some other commenters have said, it is not super sweet or rich, but it makes the perfect backdrop for a rich frosting or ganache. I like that this doesn't require baking chocolate squares since I never seem to have them on hand. It would be good with espresso or cinnamon to spice it up a bit, but for a simple chocolate cake, this is a great choice! I baked in a 9x13 glass pan and it was done in 30 minutes.***Edit to add: the cupcake pictures I posted have Recipe #454493 on them and that was fantastic as well as the ganache I usually use. This cake really is delicious and easy!