Cocoa Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We had a birthday to celebrate this weekend. The birthday boy wanted a chocolate cake, but given the limitations of kitchens at the lake, common sense dictated the cake be made ahead of time and packed for travel. The cake I decided to make is extremely easy to prepare and it freezes beautifully. The recipe comes from Hershey's test kitchens, and it has been successfully made by experienced and novice cooks alike. I wanted a grand cake, so I doubled the recipe to make three 9-inch layers with enough extra batter to make a dozen cupcakes as well. I used whipped cream as a filling between the layers, and to improve the appearance of the finished cake, I coated the sides with toasted hazelnuts and the top with grated chocolate. The finished cake was quite attractive, but more to the point, it was drop dead delicious and looked like it took more effort than it actually did. This recipe has been around for a while now. I urge any of you who have not yet tried it, to give it a shot. It's hard to beat easy and delicious. Here is how the cake and frosting are made.

Cocoa Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of the Hershey's Recipes

Ingredients:
Cake
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1) To make cake:
    Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three  8-inch round cake pans.
    Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in  a    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 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. Makes 12 servings.
2) To make 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. About 2 cups frosting.

                    

                                  Older Posts

                 One Year Ago Today:                                                       Two Years Ago Today:

      Quick Orange Glazed Pork Chops                                Spiced Meatballs with Sherry Wine Sauce

                 Three Years Ago Today:                                             Four Years Ago Today: 

Strawberry Panna Cotta with Strawberry Compote                        Spinach and Pancetta Strata