HERSHEY'S Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

Hershey has this recipe on the back of their Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa box and calls it "Hershey's 'Especially Dark' Chocolate Cake". When you hear the phrase "Hershey's chocolate cake" these days, you'll likely think of "Hershey's 'Perfectly Chocolate' Chocolate Cake" — the recipe found on the back of the brand's unsweetened cocoa powder box. The regular Hershey's box has this very same recipe, but with using Hershey's regular cocoa powder.

Serve this deep dark chocolate cake as a birthday cake for your favorite dark chocolate lover or as a treat for a special occasion. HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa adds a rich elegance to this dark chocolate cake recipe with buttercream frosting.

You might be wondering why this recipe calls for a cup of boiling water. It intensifies the chocolatey flavor, contributes to the fluffy texture, and reacts with the leaveners to create an even higher rise.

FMM: This cake is often mentioned along with its Hershey’s Black Magic Cake, which switches out the milk for buttermilk, and coffee for the water. Both are very popular and well liked. Many people like the tang of the buttermilk, and the deeper flavor brought out of the chocolate by the coffee, and prefer the Black Magic cake.

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa (or HERSHEY'S Cocoa)
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

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

Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (Cake may be left in rectangular pan, if desired).

1 2-layer cake or 13x9x2-inch baking pan

Frost with "Especially Dark" Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extra

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beat to spreading consistency. Add small amount of milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

About 2 cups frosting