Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake

An amazing chocolate cake and frosting recipe--you won't want to share!
Ingredients:

2 C sugar

1 ¾ C all-purpose flour

¾ C Hershey’s cocoa

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 C milk

½  C vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 C boiling water

Chocolate frosting (recipe follows)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350*.  Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round baking pans.

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 for 2 minutes.  Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).  Pour batter into prepared pans. 

Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.  Cool completely.  Frost with chocolate frosting (recipe below).

Chocolate frosting:  1 stick (1/2 C) unsalted butter (I don’t recommend using margarine), 2/3 C Hershey cocoa, 3 C powdered sugar, 1/3 C milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract.  Melt butter.  Stir in cocoa.  Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to desired spreading consistency.  Add more milk, if needed.  Stir in vanilla.  Makes about two cups frosting. 

Variations:

One-pan cake—grease and flour 13x9x2 baking pan.  Bake at 350* for 35-40 minutes.  Cool completely; frost.

Three layer cake—grease and flour three 8-inch round pans.  Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes, cool 10 minutes in pans, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.  Frost.

Bundt cake—grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan.  Bake at 350* for 50-55 minutes.  Cool 15 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely.  Frost.

Cupcakes—line muffin cups with paper bake cups and fill 2/3 full.  Bake at 350* for 22-25 minutes.  Cool completely.  Frost.  Makes about 30 cupcakes.