Sometimes you need a cake that is fancy. Sometimes you need a cake that is unique. Sometimes you need a cake that wows. And sometimes you just need a cake that is simple, delicious and timeless.
This cake is my favorite chocolate cake recipe – it falls into the simple, delicious and timeless category. It’s crazy moist and super chocolatey and never lets me down. The recipe comes from a trusted baking friend of mine, the side of the Hershey’s Cocoa can. This weekend I needed a cake for a family dinner to celebrate my baby brother’s 16th Birthday – and 16 year old boys don’t really want fondant or beautiful buttercream roses, so straight up chocolate fit the bill perfectly. This is an easy cake to make, though one part of it always throws me for a loop, so let me walk you through…
Hershey’s Deep Dark Chocolate Cake
recipe adapted from Hershey’s Kitchens where you can print a copy of this recipe
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 & 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Hershey’s Cocoa or Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa (I use half of each cocoa)2 eggs
1 cup milk (I use buttermilk)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
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 electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
Let’s talk about the part that throws me through a loop – adding a cup of boiling water. The first time I made this recipe, I had this lovely cake batter and then poured in a cup of boiling water and created chocolate soup. I was certain I had screwed up. I was certain the cake wouldn’t turn out. I was certain I should just eat the bowl full of frosting to help with my cake misery. But it turns out that chocolate soup bakes up into a deliciously moist cake – so have faith and add the water. It has a fairy tale ending and lives happily ever after.
Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (Cake may be left in rectangular pan, if desired.)
This is the part where I always get nervous. Getting those cakes out of those pans and onto a plate in as close to one piece as possible stresses me out. I admit I have layer cake anxiety. Post traumatic stress disorder from cakes past that didn’t come out of the pan all that well, or, well, at all. I grew up using cake pans likes these, and I really should hunt some down – those suckers made sure that the cake was coming out of the pan. I put wax paper in the bottoms of my pans (cut to fit – well, cut to somewhat kinda remotely fit) and I grease the living daylights out of them. And if I’m lucky…
Yay – the cake came out of the pan. All of it! Woohoo! I jump for joy and celebrate with a big spoonful of frosting! Speaking of frosting… I LOVE this chocolate frosting. I have no problem using box cake mixes, but I try to always go with homemade frosting – for me it makes all the difference.
ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING FROM HERSHEY’S KITCHENS
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa or HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
I also add a teaspoon of salt (as I do to all frosting) as I like cutting the sweetness a bit with the salt.
Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.
Now let’s talk about the other thing about cakes that causes me great anxiety. Frosting.
I can admit there are some things in life I’m just not that great at like… planning for and actually cooking dinners, managing my toddler’s temper tantrums in public without breaking out into a sweat and wanting to crawl into a hole, ironing clothing (or remembering where I keep the iron), keeping my sarcasm in check around ridiculous people or situations and frosting or decorating cakes. Wilton will not be asking me to do a cake decorating tutorial ANYTIME soon. I basically slop on frosting and cover with sprinkles. I’ve accepted this, and will happily serve my poorly decorated cakes to those who can also accept this.
Frosting + Sprinkles = Good enough!
Simple and delicious.
I think this cake looks awesome – I definitely couldn’t do as good a job with the frosting! I love how chocolatey this cake and frosting is, I would absolutely love to dive in!
Wonderful cake! I would need a slice right now. Yummy! ;P
This cake looks awesome. I love a basic chocolate cake that delivers without being all hyped up. We all need that
Susie, this is just that. Nothing fancy about it, but it always delivers.
Sometimes we need a frined blogger as you , who post us this delicoius cakes!!! Thanks, hugsm Flavia
I think a simple chocolate cake is just perfection.
A wonderful chocolate cake is an essential in life! Yours looks fantastic – thanks for a great recipe
Mary
I just made this cake today. This is the only chocolate cake recipe I use.
New follower. Lovely blog, very pretty design. Am loving on this cake big time. I haven’t been feeling well and this makes me want to wander back into the kitchen again. Gorgeous.
Looks absolutely sinful and no frills is a refreshing change from people feeling like they need over the top baking productions. Sometimes old fashioned is best. Thanks for the tip about the chocolate soup, I probably would’ve freaked out! LOL
Nice cake! A quick cocoa cake is my favorite! I bake it for all the b-days in the house.
This cake is wonderful! I am such a big fan of chocolate chocolate cake. One of my favorites!
this is my favorite cake recipe too! the boiling water really freaked me out, but man oh man is this delicious! I have the same struggles with layer cakes and the frosting as well. At least it takes good!
Ive been wanting to try this recipe for a while now, i dont think i need any more convincing after seeing your gorgeous example though! Bet it went down a storm, truly scrummy photos
Can’t beat chocolate cake and this one looks delicious!
Glad to know I’m not the only person out there with layer cake anxiety. lol I love your cake tho! I think it’s perfect! Sprinkles and all
Great job! chocolate cake is delicious no matter what it looks like haha
Regarding your cake removal anxiety… try using parchment paper instead of wax paper to line your pans. The wax on wax paper melts during baking time which may be why you have “sticking” issues when it comes time to remove the cake.
Nothing sticks to parchment and it is quite sturdy. I find it helps in lifting the cake and keeping it from crumbling before assembly.
Hope that helps
This looks so good. I don’t think there is anything better in this world than sitting down with a piece of chocolate cake! I can’t wait to make it.
I really like your posts! Cake looks delicious!
Hi! Very good, just super-duper recipe! Prior to that, we all love chocolate muffins, but now it yesterday! Thank you!
can i bake this recipe in cupcake liners?
I used to have every cake I baked stick to the pan until I started using Baker’s Joy. It is a spray that is oil and flour, but, for some reason it is just perfect and nothing sticks. I won’t bake if I am out of it.
Chocolate cake is my all time favorite especially those that don’t stick on your teeth. From the looks of it, this one does not. Thanks for the recipe. Will surely try this one out.
you forgot to list the eggs in the ingredients list… glad I caught this before I started, could have been disastrous!
J
This is also my fave Choc cake recipe! I never liked chocolate cake much before I made this one. However, the one thing I do differently is that I use coffee instead of boiling water–supposed to bring out the chocolate flavor I guess. Mmmmmm.
This is my all time favorite chocolate cake recipe too! It looks delicious
amaaazing the best thing about your site is that its so appealing and easy available recipes there
<3
would it work if i used trader joe’s cocoa powder? there’s no difference, is there?
thanks
yumi
Looks delicious, thinking of making this for mother’s day! For the frosting did you use salted or unsalted butter?
THanks for all the great recipes!
Jamie, I typically always use salted, but for me that is 100% a matter of personal taste. I love the combo of salty sweet, so I will always go the salted route. But by no means do you have to, unsalted would work just as well.
by hershey’s cocoa, do you mean hershey’s cocoa powder?
Linsey – yes, Hershey’s Cocoa Powder.
Thanks! It tasted great and my family love it! I even tried that frosting recipie. It wasn’t my favorite but it was a big hit with everyone else. Very impressive!
Can I bake this in one round cake pan and just cut in the middle? Thanks!
For so long I have been searching for that perfect chocolate cake, thanks to you I have now found it
I’m making it now for my husband’s birthday. Excited to see how it turns out! EDIT for blog owner…. make sure you add 2 eggs into the list of ingredients. It’s in the photo but not on in the text.
Ok, the cake was a hit. My hubby LOVED it! The only thing I did differently was add ghirardelli cocoa powder. SO VERY GOOD!