After dusting off the cobwebs and sweeping the floors, I'm back in business.....ok in all seriousness I've been really busy with such little time to do anything I really enjoy. Photography and baking has become such a luxury for me, but soon enough I'll be out of school and I'll have more time on my hands to do the things I love most!
Yesterday was my mom's birthday, in the past I've done elaborate desserts for her birthday but this year time simply didn't allow that. I've got a notebook that I put all of my printed recipes in, I decided to find a recipe for a good ol' chocolate cake that I hadn't tried before. Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" chocolate cake was my pick, I had everything on hand to make it so I was set!
This was truly the best cake I've ever made from scratch, it was so moist and slightly dense. It's a perfect cake to use if you want to put elaborate heavy decorations on because even though it's moist it's still dense enough to hold up. I've come across so many cake recipes that when you make them you either end up with a super moist soft cake that just falls apart or a dense cake that's dry. This cake is the perfect happy medium of both!
As for the frosting part of the recipe, it's not so much my favorite. While it was yummy, it wasn't my favorite. I think perhaps I'm to critical of what I bake, because nobody agreed with me on the verdict of the frosting. My entire family loved the frosting.
Overall the recipe is good, it's VERY chocolately indeed and quite simple to make! I'd recommend this recipe to anybody, even the novice bakers out there!
HERSHEY'S "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S 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
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in 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.
3. 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 with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.
VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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.
{found at www.hersheys.com}
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