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Back-of-the-Box Hershey's Chocolate Cake

A rich super moist chocolate cake with a chocolate buttercream frosting. This is the best cake in the world!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 12 people
Calories 7916.7 kcal

Equipment

  • 2 9-inch Round Cake Pans
  • 1 Electric Mixer (Stand or Hand-held)
  • 2 Large Mixing Bowls
  • 1 Wire Rack (for cooling cakes)
  • 1 Serrated Knife (for splitting cake layers)

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 5 ⅓ cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ⅔ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
  • Make cake: Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Stir in boiling water by hand. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Pour evenly into the prepared pans. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • While cakes cool, make frosting: Cream butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in confectioners' sugar and cocoa alternately with milk and vanilla. Beat to a smooth spreading consistency. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Split the layers of the cooled cake horizontally, cover the top of each layer with frosting, then stack them onto a serving plate. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Frost the outside of the cake with remaining frosting. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Enjoy! DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS 

Notes

For the cake: Ensure all wet ingredients like eggs and milk are at room temperature for a smoother batter and better emulsification, leading to a more tender crumb. Avoid overmixing the batter after adding the wet ingredients to prevent gluten development, which can result in a tough cake. The boiling water step is crucial for activating the cocoa and contributing to the cake's exceptional moistness and deep chocolate flavor; incorporate it gently by hand. For the frosting: Sift confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder to prevent lumps, ensuring a silky-smooth consistency. Cream the butter thoroughly until genuinely light and fluffy before gradually adding other ingredients, which creates an airy, spreadable frosting. A high-quality cocoa powder will elevate the overall chocolate intensity of both the cake and frosting.