Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate cake with rose buttercream frosting

Remember my post about vanilla cupcakes?  Well, read on for the chocolate cupcake recipe that I had mentioned for our daughter's birthday party.

This chocolate cake recipe is a popular one, and there's a good reason why.  The cakes are not too sweet and keep their moisture even after a few days. Many people describe this as the perfect chocolate cake. I guess that is why this is called Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake.

I haven't had a single complaint about this cake. In fact, my husband requests this cake all the time. It's hard for the two of us to finish on our own, so I usually turn them into cupcakes instead. My coworkers definitely are not complaining about that!

I used this chocolate cake and its accompanying frosting recipe for a work potluck last winter around the holidays.  In between the layers, I filled it with a peppermint buttercream frosting that I found on ABC's Good Morning America website. My coworkers (and husband!) absolutely loved this simple adaptation.

This time, I made the cake for a coworker's surprise bridal shower. I used the buttercream icing recipe from i am baker, who also provides the tutorial for the rose cake design. The photo above is the final product of the rose cake, so it's a bit hard to see the actual chocolate layers. You don't need a picture of the chocolate cake anyway, so I'm sure you'll forgive me this time.

Ingredients

• 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
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

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.

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 cupcake pan with paper liners. Heat oven to 350° F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Sources: Cake from Hershey's (their chocolate frosting recipe which I used for cupcakes can also be found there). Peppermint buttercream frosting mentioned above is from ABC's Good Morning America website. Buttercream recipe from i am baker. Rose cake tutorial can also be found at i am baker.

Remember my post about vanilla cupcakes?  Well, read on for the chocolate cupcake recipe that I had mentioned for our daughter's birthday party.

This chocolate cake recipe is a popular one, and there's a good reason why.  The cakes are not too sweet and keep their moisture even after a few days. Many people describe this as the perfect chocolate cake. I guess that is why this is called Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake.

I haven't had a single complaint about this cake. In fact, my husband requests this cake all the time. It's hard for the two of us to finish on our own, so I usually turn them into cupcakes instead. My coworkers definitely are not complaining about that!

I used this chocolate cake and its accompanying frosting recipe for a work potluck last winter around the holidays.  In between the layers, I filled it with a peppermint buttercream frosting that I found on ABC's Good Morning America website. My coworkers (and husband!) absolutely loved this simple adaptation.

This time, I made the cake for a coworker's surprise bridal shower. I used the buttercream icing recipe from i am baker, who also provides the tutorial for the rose cake design. The photo above is the final product of the rose cake, so it's a bit hard to see the actual chocolate layers. You don't need a picture of the chocolate cake anyway, so I'm sure you'll forgive me this time.

Ingredients

• 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
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

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.

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 cupcake pan with paper liners. Heat oven to 350° F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Sources: Cake from Hershey's (their chocolate frosting recipe which I used for cupcakes can also be found there). Peppermint buttercream frosting mentioned above is from ABC's Good Morning America website. Buttercream recipe from i am baker. Rose cake tutorial can also be found at i am baker.