This is an exceptionally delicious and easy to make chocolate cake. You can make it in a fluted tube pan, two 9-inch round cake pans as I did, or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. The cake is very tender and moist and has just the right amount of sweetness. When you serve this cake, everyone will secretly be hoping you’ll send them home with a slice for the road. It’s not at all surprising this cake recipe from hersheyland.com gets rave reviews and a 5* rating.
No fancy ingredients are required for this recipe. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, an acceptable substitution is to make your own by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and filling with milk to reach the 1-cup marker. Stir to combine, and let milk sit for 5-10 minutes before using in your recipe.
The cakes baked in round pans are done in 30-35 minutes (up to 50 minutes for fluted tube pan). Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Once again, no fancy ingredients required for the chocolate frosting. I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks for my lactose free version, however, go ahead and use regular butter when making your frosting.
Frosting the cake adds the final touch to what has become my favorite chocolate cake. I used Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting (recipe on the back of Hershey’s Cocoa box). If you choose to use a tube pan or make one layer in a 13x9x2-inch pan, frosting the cake is not required. You can simply choose to dust powdered sugar over the top before serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
A slice of Magic Cake.
The best chocolate cake! Adapted from hersheyland.com.
Ingredients
- Cake: 2 layers, 9-inch cakes
2 cups (396g) granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (63g) Hershey’s cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup (227g) buttermilk or sour milk (sour milk: add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and add lactose free or regular milk to reach 1-cup marker. Stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes before using in recipe.)
1 cup (227g) strong black coffee or 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup (99g) vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Frosting
1/2 cup (113g, 1 stick) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or regular butter)
2/3 cup (56g) Hershey’s cocoa
3 cups (340g) powdered sugar
1/3 cup (76g) lactose free or regular milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment rounds in pan then grease and flour pans including the sides.
- Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk or sour milk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed with a hand mixer for 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pan and transfer to 2 wire racks that comfortably hold each cake. I found it easiest to place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the cake pan followed by a flat cutting board and turn the cake out then place a wire rack over the bottom of each cake and flip right side up. Cool completely.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, melt Buttery Stick or regular butter in microwave just until most of the butter has melted. Stir to melt the remaining bits of butter. Whisk in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add a small amount of additional milk if needed. Stir in vanilla.
- To assemble, place one of the cakes flat side up on a serving platter or cake board. Using an offset spatula, frost the top of the cake with 1/3 of the frosting. Place second cake rounded side up on top of the first layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
Notes
- You may chill the cake in the refrigerator if made earlier in the day using a cake cover or by tenting foil over the cake being sure to secure the foil to the edge of the platter so that the cake does not dry out. Remove cake an hour before serving. Leftover cake can be frozen for a few months.
I love chocolate cake! I will definitely try this. Mahalo!
Kelvin Aloha! Yay! This chocolate cake is yummy. Next time I make one I’ll send you a text and if you haven’t yet tried it you can stroll on up the street for a slice.