Go Back

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

  • 1 Electric Mixer Stand or hand-held for efficient mixing.
  • 2 9-inch Round Cake Pans Ensure even baking and good cake structure.
  • 2 Large Mixing Bowls One for cake batter, one for frosting.
  • 1 Wire Cooling Rack For proper air circulation to prevent soggy bottoms.
  • 1 Rubber Spatula For scraping bowls and gently folding in boiling water.

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 an exceptionally moist cake, ensure your boiling water is truly hot when adding it to the batter; this helps bloom the cocoa and activate the leavening agents effectively. Do not overmix the batter after adding wet ingredients, as this can develop gluten and lead to a tough cake. When making the frosting, start with softened butter, not melted, for a light and fluffy consistency. If the frosting is too stiff, add a tiny bit more milk; if too thin, add more confectioners' sugar. Cool the cake layers completely before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting. Leveling the cakes after cooling will provide a professional, even presentation.