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Colette & Cassi's Country Kitchen!

I've been making this cake for over 20 years and it's the ultimate chocolate cake! This is the first cake I ever made from scratch...and it's our absolute favorite. For variations I sometimes add almond extract or use strong coffee or cappuchino for the hot water. You can also ice it with cream cheese peanut butter frosting...it tastes like a peanut butter cup. I hope you enjoy this recipe, it's never let me down!

HERSHEY'S DEEP DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE



Ingredients:
 . 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
 . 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
 . 1 teaspoon salt
 . ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING (recipe follows)
 . 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
 . 1 cup milk
 . 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 . 2 cups sugar
 . 1 cup boiling water
 . 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
 . 2 eggs
 . 1/2 cup vegetable oil


Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
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 electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. 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.) Frost with ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING. 8 to 10 servings.

ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S Dutch Processed Cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.
HIGH ALTITUDE DIRECTIONS (Cake):
-- Decrease sugar to 1-3/4 cups
-- Increase flour to 1-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons
-- Decrease baking powder to 1-1/4 teaspoons
-- Decrease baking soda to 1-1/4 teaspoons
-- Increase milk to 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons
-- Bake at 375°F, 30 to 35 minutes for both pan sizes