Chocolate cake, moist, rich, delicious and arguably the most popular cake flavor. This recipe is so easy to make there is no need to buy a boxed mix, you only need one bowl and an electric mixer. Make a layer cake, cupcakes or a sheet cake this recipe is so adaptable. You can frost with whatever you like, buttercream, ganache, vanilla buttercream, cream cheese frosting or whipped cream. This is a vintage recipe found on the Hersheys cocoa can. Here’s how to make it:

Hersheys Chocolate cake

makes 24 cupcakes, 2 nine inch round or 3 eight inch round or a 9×13 rectangular sheet pan

1 3/4 c flour

3/4 c natural (not dutch process) unsweetened cocoa powder (Hersheys is good)

2 c sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 c whole milk (room temperature)

2 large eggs (room temp lightly beaten)

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp instant espresso coffee powder (optional but recommend)

1 c boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If making round layers grease and flour and line with parchment round, grease and flour 9×13 sheet pan, place cupcake liners in 2 muffin tins

In large mixing bowl add the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and powder, cocoa powder and espresso powder, whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients, milk, eggs, vanilla, oil except for the boiling water. Beat with your hand held mixer for 2 minutes, add the boiling water and mix just until combined. Bake layer cakes 30-35 minutes, cupcakes 20-25 minutes and sheet cake 40-45 minutes. Let the layer cakes cool in pan for 10 minutes, run butter knife or flexible offset spatula around the edges and invert onto cooling rack. The sheet cake can cool in the pan and cupcakes inverted onto cooling rack. let cool completely before frosting.

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