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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 Handheld or stand mixer
  • 2 Mixing Bowls Large for cake batter, medium for frosting
  • 1 Serrated Knife For splitting cake layers evenly
  • 1 Offset Spatula For smooth frosting application

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

1. For an exceptionally moist cake, ensure your boiling water is indeed hot, as it helps bloom the cocoa and activate the leavening agents effectively. Do not overmix the batter once the wet ingredients are added, as this can develop gluten, leading to a tougher crumb. 2. When preparing your cake pans, grease them thoroughly with butter or shortening, then dust with cocoa powder instead of flour for a seamless, dark finish that prevents any white residue on your chocolate cake. 3. For the frosting, ensure your butter is truly at room temperature. This allows it to cream properly with the confectioners' sugar and cocoa, resulting in a light, airy, and smooth consistency. Sifting the confectioners' sugar and cocoa for the frosting can prevent lumps and ensure a silky texture. 4. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting; even slight warmth will melt the buttercream.