This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Hershey’s Chocolate Cake is easy to make and satisfies chocolate cravings for any chocolate lover! Whether you’re making a layered cake, sheet cake or bundt cake, you’ll use this recipe again and again.
For any true chocolate lover, the quickest way to their heart is with a slice of rich chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.
Sure, brownies are always a favorite. Homemade chocolate pudding is hard to beat. And few can resist my favorite chocolate chip cookies.
But for those people who really, really love chocolate? Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting is a true slice of heaven.
I’ve made plenty of chocolate cakes over the years – from Dark Chocolate Cranberry Bundt Cake to Chocolate Zucchini Cake – but the best chocolate cake recipe has always been popular with readers.
But that cake recipe uses coffee, which not everyone loves. So while this Hershey’s Chocolate Cake is similar, it’s coffee-free and still oh so delicious.
HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH HOT WATER
This Hershey’s Chocolate Cake recipe is moist, rich, and perfectly chocolatey, and made using…hot water?
Yes! You read that right. Hot water!
Here’s the thing about cocoa powder: It doesn’t always want to play well with others. Sometimes it can get clumpy when you try to mix it with liquids.
And I don’t know about you, but clumps of cocoa powder in my cake is not what I think of as delicious.
But using hot water helps to bloom the cocoa powder and helps it to incorporate better into the batter. The batter is nice and smooth and bakes up like a dream.
HOW TO MAKE HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE CAKE
This cake recipe is one of the easiest you’ll find. It might not be as easy as Doctored Cake Mix, but it’s pretty close.
Start by mixing together the dry ingredients. Then add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
(I recommend bringing the eggs to room temperature before adding them.)
Then stir in the boiling water. You’ll notice that the batter will be quite thin. That’s ok! It’s supposed to be.
Pour the batter into prepared pans (more on this later) and bake. Let the cake cool completely before frosting and decorating!
Because this cake is so easy to make, it’s a great one to make with kids. Depending on the age of your child, you may need to help them with the boiling water and of course with the oven, but most of the rest they can do on their own!
And just think how proud they’ll be to serve a slice of a cake they made on their own.
WHAT SIZE CHOCOLATE CAKE DOES THIS RECIPE MAKE?
This recipe is really versatile and can be used to make:
- One 9-inch 2-layer cake,
- One 8-inch 3-layer cake,
- One 13×9-inch sheet cake,
- One bundt cake, or
- 30 cupcakes
Seriously! I love when a cake recipe is so adaptable because it means I don’t have to dig into my recipe file and find a different recipe if I need cupcakes instead of a layer cake.
Just make sure you grease and flour any cake pan you use or use cupcake liners if you’re making cupcakes.
DON’T FORGET THE FROSTING!
What cake would be complete without frosting??
I think this recipe for Hershey’s Chocolate Cake is perfect with the accompanying homemade chocolate frosting recipe.
After all, we already discussed how chocolate cake and chocolate frosting are a match made in heaven.
But if you want to change it up, you could always turn to homemade buttercream frosting instead. Marshmallow frosting would be a fun option, too!
Honestly, it doesn’t really matter which frosting you use, because when there’s homemade chocolate cake, you know everybody will be happy.
Hershey’s Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat with a mixer on medium for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting with homemade chocolate frosting or your favorite frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You may also like
Homemade Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt butter. Stir in cocoa powder. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to desired consistency for spreading.
- If needed, add additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time. Stir in vanilla before spreading or piping onto cake or cupcakes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is in high demand when a cake is called for! Perfect chocolate cake with the homemade chocolate frosting.