Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake and Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting

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.

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.

I mentioned in my Queso Bacon Burger post I was hosting a BBQ/birthday party and every birthday party needs a perfect birthday cake. I needed two cakes for our crowd. (I’ll post the Tropcial Carrot Cake recipe next week.) I love this picture of the birthday girl with her cakes and my daughter and soon to be born grandson.

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. I was a bit surprised when I read the instructions. After the batter is mixed, you add one cup of boiling water which creates a really runny batter. After baking though, it has a perfect texture –  not too heavy not too light. It got great reviews from my crowd too.

I made a couple high altitude changes to the recipe because at my altitude cakes can be temperamental. I used the great guide Bonnie, City Home / Country Home, posted last year to modify the recipe. Just a few simple tweaks can make a big difference when baking cakes at altitude.

I’m sure I’ll be baking this back of the box cake again. Do you have a favorite recipe you got from the back of a box?

Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake and Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting

Yield: 12 - 16 servings

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons sugar*
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder*
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda*
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk*
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

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, 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 cup milk

Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting

Melt 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.

slightly adapted from Hershey’s.com

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