Hershey’s Chocolate Cake
This Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake is the same recipe that your mom or grandma made! The recipe has been on the box of Hershey’s brand cocoa powder for nearly a century.
This deep, rich, yet airy chocolate cake recipe has been on the back of a can of Hershey Cocoa Powder since the 1940s. It is an incredibly easy cake that can be baked in a 9″ by 13″ pan or in 2-8″ round cake pans and made into a layered cake with frosting in between.
This recipe is incredibly uncomplicated and easy enough for novice bakers. It isn’t overly sweet for a chocolate cake recipe, and we find it one of our favorites.
What you Need
Dry Ingredients
- Sugar
- Flour: All-purpose flour is preferred. Be sure to spoon the flour into your measuring cup; don’t scoop it out of the flour tin.
- Cocoa Powder: Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
Wet Ingredients
- Eggs
- Milk
- Oil: Use a mild flavored oil such as vegetable or canola oil
- Vanilla Extract
- Water- The water must be boiling so that the cocoa powder dissolves in the liquids.
What is Dutch-processed Cocoa Powder?
The process of “Dutching” is treating cocoa powder with an alkaline solution to remove some of the bitter flavor. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is darker than cocoa powder. It has a milder flavor with less acidity, and it will dissolve in liquids more easily than cocoa powder.
How to Make it
- Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla.
- Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
- Add the boiling water. Stir to combine. The batter is quite thin, so don’t be alarmed.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pans. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes until a tester comes out clean in the middle.
- Cool the cake in the tins on wire cooling racks if you make a layer cake for 10 minutes. Then, remove the layers from the tins. Cool completely.
- Frost as desired.
This cake is moist, light, fluffy, and so very chocolatey all at the same time!
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Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate”™ Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 c Sugar
- 1-3/4 c all-purpose flour
- 3/4 c Cocoa powder
- 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 c Milk I substitute coconut milk
- 1/2 c vegetable oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 c boiling water
For Buttercream Frosting
- 3 c powdered sugar
- 1/2 juice of 1/2 lime to taste
- 1/3 c Butter
- 1 tbsp coconut milk 1-2 tbsp.
- sweetened flaked coconut for garnish
- lime zest for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
- Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
For frosting
- Cream butter and sugar together. stir in lime juice and 1 tbsp. coconut milk. Taste. If you like more lime, add more lime juice. Add enough more milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. Spread frosting on cakes. Sprinkle with coconut on top and sides. Grate lime zest on top, if desired.
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Ooooo, I love the idea of coconut and lime with chocolate, how did I never think of that before?! It looks amazing!
Thanks so much, Kim! It’s one of those… “Oh, What do I have in the pantry!” LOL! Isn’t that how we come up with most of our cool recipes! 🙂
With a moist delicious cake like this, I can’t blame your son for speaking his mind! 😀 Sounds like he made an excellent choice for his bday cake!!!
Thanks Debra! He is not a shy sort, either!
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love chocolate..This looks so good. Especially loving the coconut lime buttercream. Sounds yummy!
It’s kind of hard not to love chocolate, isn’t it Stephanie! Thanks!
I am completely drooling over this recipe and want to try it ASAP! I love the combination of coconut and lime and this cake is perfect for summer. Yummy! In love with this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Luci! A raving review! Let me know how you like it!
Coconut, lime, and chocolate! That sounds like such a delicious combo!! If gobble this up!
It is good! I don’t think it lasted 24 hours at my house! Thank you for your comment, Christina!
I love chocolate cakes. My birthday is approaching and would love to bake one for myself. 🙂 Will try your recipe.
Oh, great Raksha! I hope you enjoy it! Happy Birthday!! 🙂
Oh wow! I love the pairing with the coconut lime buttercream. Sounds like an absolutely wonderful cake.
Thanks, Tara! It is super good!
This reminds me of something I had in the Caribbean and I have been looking for something ever since. Definitely giving this a try soon.
Let me know how you like it, Dannii! I would love to hear from you!
My dad would be in love with this. It is all his favorite flavors! his birthday is coming up!!
Oh! Fun! I hope he loves it! Thanks Deanna!
Oh how I love chocolate cakes, yours looks so moist, would be just the right time to have a piece now 🙂
It really is ultra moist! Wish I could send you a piece Patty!