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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.
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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.
I have always put the cocoa powder in the Boiling water and let it sit for a few minutes.Then add that paste to the batter. Same with the frosting.
Put all liquid plus Cocoa in a pot and bring to a boil.Turn off the heat , then add the sugar
Thanks for sharing this classic recipe. It is really perfect, much like the Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe. I was looking for a “hot water” chocolate cake to go with some leftover ganache, and I landed here. This cake is perfect as a vehicle for ganache since it is flavorful and not heavy. I like to reduce the sugar to 1 1/3 cup and add some instant espresso.
Hi! Anytime I try to make this cake, the cake sinks in the middle slightly. It is never under baked. The center has some kind of bubbles and then it sinks a bit. Do you have any idea what this could be due to?? I love all your recipes, thank you!!
Hi Rita – Hmmm, I haven’t had this issue with this recipe, so I’m not sure. There are a variety of things that can cause a cake to sink in the middle – the most common are underbaking and/or opening the oven door before the cake has set, the oven running too hot or too cold, or expired baking powder, so those might be some places to start. Good luck!
Jamie
I found this recipe 4 years ago and have been baking it ever since. A favorite among my guests and husband’s coworkers! Occasionally I’ve added espresso to the cake, as if it isn’t rich enough! Delicious!
So glad you love this recipe, Dawn! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
Jamie
Hi, if i am using hersehys cocoa powder and not unsweetened cocoa powder should i still add additional sugar or not?
Hi Georgia – Hershey’s cocoa is just a specific brand of unsweetened cocoa, so it will work just fine in this recipe. Hope this helps! Happy baking –
Jamie
Greetings! My wife and I made this cake tonight with your buttercream icing (sometimes I like chocolate cake with white icing) and we both agree that this is going to be our usual chocolate cake recipe. Next time we’ll try it with your chocolate buttercream icing.
So glad you enjoyed it, Stan! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your feedback! Happy baking.
Jamie
Im a young age and dont know if this would be a great starting cake any help?
Hi Sadie – This is a great cake to start with! Just follow the instructions and measure carefully and you’ll do great. Thank you so much for stopping by and please let me know how it turns out for you! – Jamie
Thank you. I’m going to make it now
This is my go to cake for any occasion. Just a question as I e changed cake pans recently: do you have Any idea if this will work for only two 8 inch pans? I’m making this for my daughter’s birthday in a few days and I don’t want to mess it up!