Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
• Use the first set of ingredients to make the cake. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Stir in the boiling water by hand. Pour evenly into the two prepared pans.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.
• To make the frosting, use the second set of ingredients. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Stir in the cocoa and confectioners' sugar alternately with the milk and vanilla. Beat to a spreading consistency.
• Split the layers of cooled cake horizontally, cover the top of each layer with frosting, then stack them onto a serving plate. Frost the outside of the cake.

Steps:

• Make the cake:
• Preheat 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 an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water. 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. Frost with "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting.
• Make the "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting:
• Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
• Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.
• One-Pan (Sheet) Cake Variation:
• Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost.
• Three-Layer Cake Variation:
• Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. 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. Frost.
• Bundt Cake Variation:
• Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
• Cupcake Variation:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter and bake 22 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
• This recipe is made available as a courtesy by the Hershey Company.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10 by 3-inch round pan with butter, line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper, and grease the paper. (I'll let you just grease, line the bottom of the pan, and lightly flour the sides if you're feeling lazy.)
• Place a large sifter or a sieve in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and sift.
• Add the sugar and whisk until combined.
• In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla together.
• Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth.
• Carefully pour in the boiling water and stir until combined. (Watch the little ones with the hot water!)
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for approximately 50 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake bounces back when lightly pressed.
• Remove from the oven and let the cake stand for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the cake to gently release. Peel off the parchment paper from the sides. Invert the cake, peel off the bottom piece of parchment, and cool on a wire rack.
• Variation:
• Coffee Enhanced Chocolate Cake: Swap the cup of water for a cup of hot black coffee.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees, 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 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "Perfectly Chocolate" chocolate frosting.
• "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting.
• Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups frosting.
• Cake Variations:.
• One-Pan cake: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
• Three Layer Cake: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 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 degrees. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
• Cupcakes: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. Makes about 30 cupcakes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9 inch round cake pans. Stir together the cocoa and boiling water from the first set of ingredients. Set aside to cool. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder, set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the cocoa mixture. Mix only until combined. Divide evenly between the three prepared pans, and spread the batter out flat.
• Bake for 18 to 22 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool cakes on a wire rack.
• In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla. When the cream becomes thick, add the confectioners' sugar and continue to whip until stiff but not too grainy. Divide into three parts and spread onto two of the cooled layers. Stack the layers onto a nice plate, putting the two creamed ones on the bottom. Place the plain layer on the top. If there is a hump on the top of the cake, trim it off with a long serrated knife. Frost the sides with the chocolate buttercream frosting.
• To make the frosting, beat the remaining ingredients, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and cocoa until light and fluffy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Frost sides of the cake, leaving a ridge that sticks up over the top edge. Spread the remaining cream filling over the top of the cake. Garnish with sprinkles, chocolate curls or seasonal fresh fruit.