Chocolate Birthday Cake

In searching for a chocolate cake recipe online I stumbled across a Hershey’s chocolate cake recipe several times, and everyone seemed to love it.  Since the birthday girl requested chocolate cake, “the kind I had when I was a kid, with really chocolatey icing,” this seemed like the way to go.  And the birthday girl was pleased – she said it was exactly what she had in her mind of that childhood cake. Yay! I love it when things work out that way.  

And – it’s a pretty easy recipe. I found it here, but it’s from the Hershey’s website.  Besides adding extra instructions, the only thing I changed was that I used melted butter in the cake, while the original recipe called for canola oil.  I thought the butter would add more flavour, and I think I was right, but I’ve never made it the other way to be able to compare.  But come on – it’s butter! It’s gotta taste better!

What you need for the cake:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 &1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter, cooled slightly
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

What you do for the cake:

1. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Add the egg, milk, butter and vanilla.  Mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  Stir in the boiling water to make a runny batter.
4. Pour into the prepared pans.  Give the pans a light tap on the counter before placing them in the oven to get rid on any large air bubbles.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, testing with a toothpick to see if it is done.
6. Run a very sharp knife around the edge of the cake pans after the cakes have sat for a few minutes, then invert the cakes onto wire racks and remove the pans.  Let the cakes cool completely before adding the frosting.

What you need for about 2 cups of icing:

• 1/2 cup butter 
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk

What you do for the frosting:

1. Melt the butter then stir in the cocoa and vanilla.
2. Alternately add some of the sugar and milk on medium speed until it is a good consistency for spreading.  I needed to add a little extra milk to get it to the right consistency.
3. Frost your cake, then refrigerate it for a few hours before serving.

 

The website also gives these options for different kinds of cakes: 

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.

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. 

Bundt Cake: Grease and flour a 12-cup fluted tube 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. 

Cupcakes: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper baking cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes.