Perfectly Chocolate Birthday Cake

For a dear friend's birthday cake, I decided to try out the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe. I had been hearing a lot of buzz about it online, and wanted to see if it lived up to the hype. It certainly did! This is a great, moist, and easy-to-make chocolate cake. And I especially liked the chocolate frosting.

The big question: has this recipe replaced my favorite, go-to. basic chocolate cake recipe? Hmmm. Almost. I still think my old-time fav is super-easy, fluffier, and more chocolaty . . . so it's not going anywhere!

That said, this is a great recipe that definitely deserves its place in the rotation!

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake
from Hershey's

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegeetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round baking pans.

Mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting (see below).

Perfectly Chocolate Frosting
also from Hershey's

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, stirring in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating with an electric mixer until the frosting reaches spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla. Frost your cake as desired.