The Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake is a scrumptious chocolate cake. It’s chocolately, rich, moist, and delicious. Perfect for beginners. It’s nearly as easy to make as a box cake and it tastes so much better than a cake mix cake. You’ll wonder why you haven’t made it before. I know I did.
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Some of the best recipes are on the back of boxes. Quaker has a great oatmeal cookie recipe on the back of their box. Libby’s has their famous pumpkin pie recipe on the back of their can. So of course you’d expect Hershey’s to have a fabulous chocolate cake recipe on the back of their box and they do.
In my Queso Bacon Burger post, I mentioned I was hosting a BBQ/birthday party, and every birthday party needs a perfect birthday cake. I needed two cakes for our crowd. I made a Tropical Carrot Cake, and for those who don’t like veggies in their cake, I decided to make chocolate cake. But not just any chocolate cake, the Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake that I’ve seen posted dozens of times with rave reviews.
How to Make the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake
I was a bit surprised when I read the instructions. After the batter is mixed, you add 1 cup of boiling water, which creates a really runny batter. After baking though, it has a perfect texture—not too heavy and not too light. The layers bake up flat and even, so it’s an easy cake to layer.
If you haven’t baked very many layers cakes before, be sure and check out my Baking Tips For Layer Cakes post.
I made a couple of high altitude changes to the recipe because cakes can be temperamental at my altitude (5,000 ft). Generally, I use this great guide from Bonnie, City Home / Country Home, to modify recipes for high altitude. Just a few simple tweaks can make a big difference when baking cakes at altitude.
Easy Cake Decoration
After baking and frosting, the cake is decorated simply with chocolate curls. The chocolate curls are easy to make. You just use a vegetable peeler and a chocolate bar. You could also decorate the cake with sprinkles if you prefer.
The cake got great reviews from my crowd at the party! I’ve made this back-of-the-box cake many times since that party. In fact, this Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake has become my go-to chocolate cake whenever I want to make a quick homemade cake. I hope you’ll give it a try too!
Do you have a favorite recipe you got from the back of a box?
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Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake and Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons sugar*
- 1-¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup Hershey’s cocoa
- 1-¼ teaspoons baking powder*
- 1-¼ teaspoons baking soda*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk*
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting:
- ½ cup 1 stick butter or margarine
- ⅔ cup Hershey’s Cocoa
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; With a mixer, beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Carefully, stir in boiling water. The batter will be very thin. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with chocolate frosting.
- *Before high altitude changes: 2 cups sugar, 1-½ teaspoons baking powder, 1-½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 cup milk
- Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate FrostingMelt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
More Chocolate Cake Recipes You Might Like:
If you love chocolate and caramel, you’ll want to make my Chocolate Dulce De Leche Triple Layer Cake. If you prefer a cake with a chocolate ganache (a thick, rich chocolate frosting), you’ll want to make my Triple Chocolate Layer Cake. If you’re following a keto diet, check out this Keto Sugar-Free Mini German Chocolate Cake from All Day I Dream About Food. Or, perhaps you’re looking for an easy one bowl chocolate cake recipe or a Chocolate Mug Cake for Two.
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chef_d
I used to copy recipes from the backs of boxes and I remember copying chocolate cake from Hershey’s, I haven’t tried making it yet but after reading your post and seeing that moist fudgy slice, I think it’s time I do!
Ellie | Gourmand Recipes
Gorgeous and perfect looking chocolate cake, Barbara.
Cakelaw
What a perfectly gorgeous cake! Who can resist a good chocolate cake for their birthday? And I love the photo of the birthday girl with your daughter – thanks for sharing.
Lisa @ Sweet as Sugar Cookies
I have been wanting to try making this cake for years! One of these weekends, I’m finally going to get around to it. Your cake looks fabulous.
Shelby
This is my favorite chocolate cake recipe!! I have never made it in round pans though, I always do a 13×9. I add an overflowing 1/4 cup of sour cream and add some brewed coffee to the batter. Yum!!
gloria
Barbara Look perfect and beauty!!! georgeous!! gloria
debbie
I love checking out recipes on the back of boxes. I’ve made this cake quite a few times and it never fails to taste fantastic. Funny because I was just thinking about making this again this week!!!!
Alessandra
This cake makes me feel like going to the kitchen and bake :-).
Ciao
Alessandra
Angie's Recipes
Rich, moist and luscious! No wonder you got raved reviews.
teresa
i want to grab a fork and dig into this beauty! i agree about some of the best recipes being on the back of boxes, i’ve had that experience several times too. this looks amazing, so perfect for the chocoholic in all of us!
Katrina
Classic chocolaty goodness!
Jamie
Barbara,
I’ve made this recipe as a sheet cake and as cupcakes and it is always delicious. Love how moist the cake is and the frosting is so fluffy. Some of the best recipes are the classics and the ones you find on back of product packages.
Ashley@bakerbynature
I’ve been making this crazy good cake since I was 16, and it always impresses! Your cake looks absolutely gorgeous and rich in chocolate decadence.
My Inner Chick
—Barbara,
I added this to my faves. Looks Delectable. Can’t wait to make it.
you know what’s perfectly perfect? YOU! xx
PS. I made the peanut butter cookies w/ nutella.
I looooooooooooooove nutella! Smashing. My kids loved them.
Barbara
Thanks! So nice! You’ll love this one too.
Shelby
Beautiful cake Barbara and it looks yummy too!
Marla
This cake would be wonderful to dive into!! I actually enjoy Hershey’s cocoa powder & use it often. I bet it makes a fabulous cake!
Barbara | Creative Culinary
There are reasons some of those box standards are still there. They’re so good. I use the German’s Sweet Chocolate recipe for German Chocolate cake too…and love it as much as I’m sure I would love this cake. Um um good.
foodwanderings
Aww Barbara, such a precious photo and chocolate cake too. I know what you mean about sometimes the best recipes are just on the back of the carton. this looks like a perefct b-day cake to bake for my son on the 28th this month just before he heads back to college. I got a feeling he will like it!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc
omg to die for!
Catharine @ BakeBlogging
I adore this cake. An even better version is Hershey’s Black Magic cake which is very similar but contains coffee and buttermilk. It’s insane how good it is….