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5.0 from 402 votes

Chocolate Cake Recipe (Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Recipe)

This decadent, moist chocolate cake is so easy to make with one bowl and minimal ingredients!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 12 serves
Calories: 514 kcal
Course: Dessert , Cake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE CAKE
  • 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour or plain flour
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder or regular Hershey's cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda or bi-carb soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups white granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
  • 4 oz butter
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder or regular HERSHEY'S (2.4 oz | 65 g)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar confectioners or icing sugar
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

CHOCOLATE CAKE
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) standard or 320°F (160°C) fan/convection.
  2. Lightly grease 2x 9-inch (22cm) round cake pans with butter. Line base with parchment paper.
  3. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk in sugar, then add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk well to combine until lump free, about 30 seconds.
  4. Pour boiling water into batter, mixing well. Cake batter is thin in consistency.
  5. Pour batter into cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  6. Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
  1. Melt butter, then whisk in cocoa powder. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency (add a small amount of additional milk, if needed). Stir in vanilla.

Notes

  • COCOA POWDER:
  • I use a combination of ½ cup Dutch processed and ¼ cup regular unsweetened cocoa powder for a richer cake.
  • COFFEE:
  • For a richer chocolate flavour, DISSOLVE 2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso in the boiling water before adding into the batter. You can't taste the coffee!
  • SUGAR:
  • White granulated sugar is used here. You can also use superfine or caster sugar.
  • SPRINGFORM PAN (PLEASE NOTE)
  • Springform pans are NOT 100% leakproof. Very thin cake batters such as this one will leak through the base. To combat this issue, line the base with parchment paper coming up where the sides meets the base to create a 'cover'. Place a baking sheet on the shelf below the cake pan (or the bottom of the oven) to catch any stray drips (don't put cake pans directly on the pan).
  • VARIATIONS FOR CHOCOLATE CAKE SIZES FROM HERSHEY'S
  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) standard or 320°F (160°C) fan/convection.
  • ONE-PAN CAKE: Use 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake 35-40 minutes. 
  • THREE LAYER CAKE: You'll need 8-inch round baking pans. Bake 30-35 minutes.
  • BUNDT CAKE: Use a 12-cup fluted tube pan. Bake 50-55 minutes. 
  • CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-½ inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Fill cups ⅔ full with batter. Bake 22-25 minutes. Makes about 30 cupcakes.

Nutrition Information

Calories 514kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 85g (28%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat 6g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Trans Fat 0.4g Cholesterol 55mg (18%) Sodium 471mg (20%) Potassium 231mg (7%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 64g (128%) Vitamin A 325IU (7%) Calcium 87mg (9%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12serves

Amount Per Serving

Calories 514

% Daily Value*

Calories 514kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 85g 28%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g 35%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Trans Fat 0.4g 20%
Cholesterol 55mg 18%
Sodium 471mg 20%
Potassium 231mg 5%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 64g 128%
Vitamin A 325IU 7%
Calcium 87mg 9%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.