Hershey’s Chocolate Cake
Hershey’s Chocolate Cake – moist with the silkiest milk chocolate frosting ever! I’ve made many chocolate cake recipes but always come back to this recipe every time.
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HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE CAKE
I’m not usually a very demanding person but for my birthday all I wanted was my husband to make me a decadent chocolate cake.
Can you think of a better way to celebrate “30” than by drowning yourself in a sea of chocolate?
I gave him a couple of recipes to choose from but the “Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake” was the best option since we were staying with his family and most of the ingredients they had in their pantry. 
He went to work in their kitchen meticulously measuring, pouring, and baking the cake. He even doubled the frosting recipe because there’s no reason to be stingy on birthdays and well let’s face it…he knows me too well.
As he was turning the cake plate to smooth out the final layer of frosting he turned the cake platter…right into the sink.
Complete with firework residue…
UPDATE: We’ve since made this chocolate cake many times and love it every single time!
Hershey's Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup HERSHEY®'S Cocoa Powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2/3 cup HERSHEY®'S Cocoa Powder
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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. Frost with "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting.
- To make "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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
My family loves this cake and we have made it for years and years. Love the flavor, the texture and I love the frosting. But for some reason, it always sinks in the middle. We just fill in the sunken parts with frosting, and it tastes and looks fine. But the sinking is a mystery. Any idea why that happens?
Sinking can be caused from underbaking or overbeating the batter.
Just here to say I’ve been making this cake for 10 years. It’s the best recipe and I always receive so many compliments! Thank you!
Oh wow! That’s a long time.
Your husband is a sweetheart! Love this recipe but I always fail at cupcakes. They always sink or are very flat. Any tips??
Usually a sinking middle means that the cupcakes were undercooked or the batter was overmixed.
Hi,
This cake looks great and I want to try it, the only problem is that I currently only have one 8 inch pan and one 9 inch pan, not 2 of each. Could I bake one layer, then take it out and wait for the pan to cool before baking the next layer? Would this affect the rising agents in the cake batter?
Thanks!
Yes! You could do that.
Disasters can happen to anyone but your hubby showed real originality by blowing the cake up, priceless! My family has been making this cake for years. It is a look no further chocolate cake recipe & is still on the back of the Hershey’s Cocoa Box. Never add boiling water though & it isn’t in the original recipe. I am not opposed to trying new things. What exactly does it do?
It’s supposed to bring out the flavor of the chocolate.
It does! I always add the boiling water. Everyone raves, even those that “aren’t chocolate livers” love it! Of course, I’ve never done it without, so who knows? Maybe it’s the same?
Can I make the cake layers ahead of time and freeze them?
absolutely!
I’m happy to say that I promised my grandson a Hershey Bar chocolate cake. Its 3-29-2018 & We did frost it with the prefect chocolate frosting then stood Hershey candy bars along cake and leftover pieces stuck into the top amongst 11 candles.
I bet it looked soooo good!
This is a delicious Chocolate and more Chocolate Cake. I’ve made several times .
Today I started making for my husband’s 70th Birthday and no milk in the refrigerator, but I had buttermilk.
I used 1 cup buttermilk and cake was just as sweet and moist .
While the cake cooled, went for milk to make frosting.
I enjoy your adventures with your recipes !
I bet buttermilk was great!
This has been my go to chocolate cake for years! I love perfection in simplicity. The only thing I do different is instead of one cup hot water, I use one cup hot coffee! It is decadent.
YesSSSS!
I do the same thing…it’s yumminess 😋. This is the cake I always make for my husband’s birthday, and the one I think of in Bill Cosby’s Chocolate Cake for Breakfast routine (even if he’s a perv, the routine is classic, much like a good chocolate cake)!
Really enjoyed making this chocolate cake. It was nice and moist. It was great.do you by any chance have a very moist vanilla cake recipe please?. I have been looking for a great recipe but no luck yet. Could you please let me know if you do. Thank you so much.
I do not BUT I have heard that I am baker’s vanilla cake is good!
http://iambaker.net/the-perfect-white-cake/
Has anyone made this using butter instead of oil??
This cake turned out great. Thanks so much. Do you by any chance have an equally awesome vanilla cake recipe too please?
Mels Kitchen Cafe has perfected this one here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/perfected-yellow-cake/
Does this transfer over to cupcakes well?
Yes!
What type o cocoa do you use, sweet or unseated? Pls email me @ [email protected]
I used unsweetened.
This reminds me of the old chocolate cake recipe that used to be on the Hershey cocoa can years ago. I think it was called something like Townhouse Chocolate cake. It was sooooooo good. Haven’t had it in years and have never forgotten it. Can’t believe I didn’t write the recipe down. Then one day, the recipe on the can changed. Woe was me. This cake looks so good. Could it just be that this is the very same recipe?! If not, it just may make me forget about my old-time love. I’m trying it!
I think it might be the same one!?
I’m just curious why you reduced the salt to 1 teaspoon from 1 1/2 teaspoons in the original Hershey’s recipe. I currently have this cake in the oven, but I chose to go with the original 1 1/2 teaspoons.
That’s odd. My recipe only says 1 teaspoon. Hmm.
I just baked this cake, not once, but twice because the first time I forgot to flour the pans. However, BOTH times, the cake would not come out of the pans. Complete fail. I bake ALL THE TIME!!! I know how to read and follow a recipe, so I have no idea how this recipe is supposed to work.
Very disappointed.
I’m so sorry! This recipe has been around for 100 years so I’m thinking it might be something weird. Could it be altitude? Have you tried Baker’s Joy spray?
I have been using this recipe for years. Makes the best chocolate cake!!
Does this work the same for cupcakes….
I haven’t tried it but I know others who have and they loved it.
I have found the perfect chocolate cake for my sons 21st Bday – Thank you!! 🙂
Love your Blog!
You’re welcome!
WOW!!! What an amazing Chocolate cake! Just found this recipe on Pintrest and tried it for my mother in laws birthday today. The Best!!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
You’re welcome!
I think the cake will be great for the valentines supper
I think the cake will be great for the valentines supper
what is the other substitute if I’m not using eggs.
please reply
I just made this recipe but used the Ghiradelli cocoa powder instead and put dark chocolate covered espresso beans on top….YUMO!
FAMILY loved this cake and the icing was amazing…definitely need ice cream………
My mom always made this cake in the 1950s and 60s. And I loved it. I think it may have ignited (er, hm, well pardon the pun) my adoration for chocolate. But never, ever, have I actually baked one, though I’ve thought of it occasionally. So I’ve printed the recipe. And followed you on FB. And so glad your hubs blew up your cake! Thanks for sharing the recipe and a great story!
Mary
You’re welcome!
we have been making this cake for birthdays, picinic’s,and all special events. the best cake ever.
My great aunt has made this cake since I was a little girl! I thought it was her recipe for the longest time, but wised up in my teens. It is my go to chocolate cake, and I still tell everyone it’s my aunts recipe. 🙂
So I love this recipe but I changed a couple of things to make it even more perfect, I use soy milk instead of milk not because we are lactose intolerant but because I had it one day and tried it. Next I use 1/2 cup of smart balance mayo instead of 1 cup boiling water. Made it so moist I have to frost while its still hot or wait literally days to frost because its too moist and will pull the top off.
We just LOVE this cake!! I found it on your blog via pinterest last year and any time I make it my husband says it’s THE BEST chocolate cake he’s ever had… better than any bakery too!! And the best part is, the entire ingredient list consists of things normally on hand!! (Actually not sure how GOOD that is, because it makes it a HUGE temptation to whip it up when I need a choco fix!! ;)) Thanks so much for sharing with us, love your blog!! 🙂
Your hubby making you a chocolate cake? …That is so sweet. Although you did expect that there will be catastrophes while make that cake right?!
Hi Christy, I just wanted to let you know that I am highlighting your blog and the Hershey’s Chocolate Cake recipe in the Crazy Cooking Challenge tomorrow. I loved the good humor of your birthday tale! Your blog photos are awesome too!
Aw what a bummer! I’m super impressed by his efforts though and how he handled it all 🙂
Happy belated birthday!
your hubby is too sweet!!! happy birthday!
glad to know hershey’s choc cake recipe is fab–been meaning to try that!
Aw, that is so sad about the cake – but nice recovery and I love the sparklers for candles -happy belated birthday!!
Christy- You gave me a great idea. I have the baking itch today, I am pregnant with our 3rd baby boy, and this chocolate cake is going to hit the spot. YUM!
great hubby and horrible cake disaster, but….blowing it up…genius!
I use this recipe for every birthday and always with Mock Whipped Cream Frosting. Best combo ever!
At least you got a few bites! Too funny!
Awww, sorry to hear that, but he gets an A++++ in my book. My husband’s never attempted that, but then again, he always looks to our teenage daughter to take care of those things! 🙂
Happy Belated Birthday!
I am so sorry for your loss, LOL
Mmmm, I’m still craving chocolate cake, even after all that Cafe Rio! It was great to see you and your kiddos, wish we could do it more often!
I LOVE that he blew up the rest of the cake! Hilarious! It still looks delicious!
Unless I drop some very obvious hints, like saying it right to my hubby’s face, I end up making my own cake for my birthday. Birthdays and anniversaries are not his strong point. Good thing he makes up for it in other areas!
Such a shame it came to it’s death before you got to enjoy it.. but what a great man for cooking your cake – AND it looks like a fantastic recipe!
I have to go bake something now…