Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

My default cupcake used to be the red velvet cupcake recipe that I’ve posted on here, but one of my best friends

1) doesn’t like red velvet cake
and
2) does not like cream cheese icing

So, I started searching for a chocolate cake recipe that would be easy to make, aka, involves cocoa powder instead of chocolate I have cut or melt, or something crazy like that. Who has time for that?

And then I came across the Hershey’s website, and read the recipe for Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake, and bookmarked it, and just waited for a time where I needed it.
(Turns out, this recipe is also on the back of the Hershey’s Cocoa container.)

I’m glad I did. I’ve made it three times, with great success! Everybody LOVES this recipe!

Side note: I am a cupcake lover. Cupcakes are so much better than cake because it’s the perfect individual sized portion and each cupcake gets lots of icing. Yummm. I am on team cupcake!

Okay, back the recipe.

Here’s what you need.

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I always use Gluten Free Pantry All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour)
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk (I’ve also substituted soy milk with success)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
   
2. 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.
3. 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. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

I have ALWAYS made the cupcake variation. It usually makes 24 cupcakes for me because I use a ¼ sized measuring cup to fill the cupcake liners.

I have iced them with three different types of icing. One time I made a vanilla icing, one time I made a cream cheese icing, and most recently, I bought Pillsbury Vanilla Icing (I think it's cheaper to buy icing than to make it....) All three were delicious! This cake would taste great with anything!

I urge you to make it. It’s amazing. Everybody who has tried it has LOVED it. Even my dad, who is a chocolate cake hater! This recipe won him over because it is SO moist, and delicious!

I highly recommend it!

Have a great day! :)