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A slice of Hershey's chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on a yellow plate, with the remaining cake on a stand in the background.
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4.94 / 49 votes

Hershey's Chocolate Cake Redux

This Hershey's chocolate cake recipe with frosting is an old-fashioned classic American dessert that will never, ever disappoint. Simple and simply the best.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Calories: 561

Ingredients

  • Butter or baking spray, for the pans and wire rack
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
  • ¾ cup Hershey's Cocoa
  • 2 tablespoons instant espresso
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ cup mild vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 batch Hershey's chocolate frosting recipe
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the Hershey's chocolate cake

  • Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Generously butter and flour (or spray with baking spray) two 9-inch round baking pans, tapping out any excess flour. Line each pan with parchment paper rounds. Butter or spray a large wire rack. Set aside.
    A person lining a cake pan with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl with a wooden spoon (surely you have one of those, yes?) or spatula, stir together the 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup Hershey's Cocoa, 2 tablespoons instant espresso, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center.
    A person mixing flour, cocoa, and sugar in a bowl.
  • Plop the 2 large eggs into the well and pour in the 1 cup whole milk, ½ cup mild vegetable oil, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
    Oil, eggs, and milk in a well in the center of a bowl of dry ingredients.
  • Using a handheld electric mixer (c'mon, surely you still have one of those, too?!), beat the ingredients on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
    A hand mixer being used to beat cake batter.
  • Stir in the 1 cup boiling water. The batter will appear alarmingly thin but fear not, that's the way it should be.
    A person using a hand mixer to beat water into cake batter.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly, about 1 pound, 8 ounces (680g) in each pan.
    Two cake pans partially filled with chocolate cake batter.
  • Bake the cakes for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
  • Cool the cakes in the pans on the buttered wire rack for 10 minutes. Then invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, turn the cakes right side up, and let them cool completely.

Frost and serve the Hershey's chocolate cake

  • Place a single cake layer on a platter or cake stand and spread a goodly amount of frosting on top. Place the second cake layer on the first and frost the sides and top, creating as few or as many lavish swoops and swirls with the frosting as desired.
  • Cut the frosted cake into gargantuan wedges—none of those diminutive slivers for us, thank you very much—and serve.
    A slice of Hershey's chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on a yellow plate, with the remaining cake on a stand in the background.

Notes

  1. Use a deep bowl--Mix your ingredients in a deep bowl so that everything stays contained when you start beating it.
  2. Use a scale--To make sure your cake layers are identical in height, weigh the batter. I use a digital kitchen scale.
  3. Storage--Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap them in plastic before freezing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 561kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 509mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 68g