I love my husband for numerous reasons, but I really admire his love for people and his generous heart. This week our neighborhood had a cake auction to raise money for charity and Josh made and decorated a cake all by himself. He didn’t use a box mix, he made Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” cake from scratch.
I planned on helping Josh with the cake, but I was “out of commission.” On Sunday, I got a little piece of something embedded in my eye. To make a long story short, we spent hours in the ER and they removed the mystery object with a large needle. They still aren’t sure what it was, but they got it out. My eye was in pain, but luckily it is healing and will be fine.
Anyways, back to the cake. Josh was super excited to create his cake. He made Hershey’s chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. It is an easy recipe that is always a hit. I told him to keep things simple with the decorating, but he wanted a unique design. He decided to make a University of Utah cake with a big red U in the center. Josh is a die hard Ute fan and is always looking for a way to show his Ute pride.
To make the U, he broke wood skewers into pieces and super glued them together to form a U. Next, he poured melted red chocolate into the U mold. He said it was just like pouring concrete:) He let the U harden and then removed it from his homemade mold. It cracked a little when he took it out, but luckily he saved it. He frosted the cake with chocolate frosting, placed the U on top, and used red and white chocolate for a polka dot affect on the sides of the cake.
I was very impressed with Josh’s cake. He did a fantastic job, especially for his first cake. And the good news-his cake sold for $51.00 at the cake auction. All of his hard work paid off to support a great cause.
This is a great go to cake recipe. It is perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or for an emergency chocolate craving.
Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa we used Hershey's
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2/3 cup cocoa we used Hershey's
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- 2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; With a mixer, beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Carefully, stir in boiling water. The batter will be very thin. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
- 3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with chocolate frosting.
- For the frosting:
- Melt butter in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.
- Makes about 2 cups frosting.
- Cake Variations from Hershey's:
- If you want to make a three layer cake: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
- If you want to make a bundt cake: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
- If you want to make cupcakes: Line muffin cups (2-½ inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.
Have you tried this recipe?
Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram. Tag @twopeasandpod and hashtag it with #twopeasandtheirpod
If you like this chocolate cake, you might also like:
The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever from The Pioneer Woman
Chocolate Cake from My Baking Addiction
Chocolate Mousse-Filled Chocolate Layer Cake from Cookin’ Canuck
So glad your eye is ok, Maria. I can’t imagine how painful that was and just the thought of the needle freaks me out!
Josh’s cake looks great! I can’t imagine that my husband has ever baked anything. I’m truly impressed. Have a great weekend!
Ya’ll should go on food network challenge! The cake looks perfect. I’m glad you’re ok! How scary. Hope this weekend is relaxing and wonderful 🙂
First of all I’m so happy to hear your eye is doing better!
Second of all, I’m so impressed with this cake! Way to go Josh! Wow! And $51, great job! The cake looks great and you can’t go wrong with double chocolate.
Have a great weekend Maria!
I’m so sorry about your eye! Wow, scary! Hope you’re feeling better. Good to know you have a husband that can make a perfect chocolate cake if you ever have to be laid up again 😉
How cute is that? I’m not sure my husband would attempt it at all. I love this cake recipe- have made it many times.
Glad you’re eye is better- yikes!
What a great looking cake!
So happy to hear your eye is okay. Scary!
what a great cake! Your husband is quite talented. my husband made me a cake for my birthday once and he told his coworkers proudly that he made it “from scratch.” When I told him that “from scratch” doesn’t include a box mix, he was all disappointed haha
Glad your eye is getting better Maria! That must have been scary.
The cake is phenomenal! I’m so impressed by your hubs 🙂 I love that Hershey’s recipe too – so delicious and easy!
What a sweet thing for him to do! I hope you’re feeling better. If my husband ever baked a cake from scratch by himself I’d end up in the hospital myself – from the shock of it! 😀
This is a great cake recipe. I remember baking a Perfectly Chocolate cake the day before my wedding. My wedding date fell on Kevin’s nephew’s birthday so we wanted to do something special for him. What possessed me to bake a cake in the midst of everything else is beyond me.
I’m so sorry about your eye, but I have really issues with this “U” cake. Why not try a “Y” cake next time Josh? 🙂
Totally half kidding.
Have a great weekend guys!
I’m so glad your eye is fine. I had something stuck in my eye not too long ago and it was not pleasant getting it out. I’m so glad to read the cake mad $51. What a wonderful way to raise money.
He did such a great job!
That is awesome! I love the simplicity of his design!! Greatness.
You have an awesome hubby! Great job on the cake, Josh! It looks fabulous!
I love the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate cake and frosting. It’s my go-to recipe for chocolate!
Josh is a keeper, no doubt about it!
I’ve been a long time reader, but I have never left a comment. I love your site! Thanks for your great ideas. I have made tons of your recipes and love them! This is one of our favorite cake recipes. We have been making it for about a year now. It is so easy and I always have the ingredients. It works out perfect EVERY time!
I hope you are feeling better!
The moment I saw the picture of the cake I knew it was a U of U cake! How awesome is your husband!?!
I’ve heard this is a good cake. I’ll have to try it sometime
Josh did an awesome job with that cake! He’s a better froster than I am!
Very cool cake… despite the “U” 😉
How can they take something out of your eye and not know what it was?
At first they thought it was metal and then they thought it was organic matter-maybe pollen? They never decided. So odd!
Glad your eye is okay! Eye injuries freak me out…what would you do with your eyes! I love this recipe. I’ve made it a bunch of times.
Hershey’s recipes are always great, I love their frosting recipe. Great job by your husband!
Great job Josh – the cake looks delicious! I’ve never seen red chocolate before – yum.
Hope your eye is feeling better. The cake looks fantastic. Josh could get a job at a bakery if he ever is so inclined. He’s done the U proud.
Josh did an excellent job on the cake! I hope your eye is all better!
I’m crying here. First of all, because any time I hear about someone getting something stuck in their eye, it makes mine water.
Secondly, I’m awestruck by your husband’s dedication to this project. How wonderful of him to put so much effort into this gorgeous cake. You must be so proud of him!
It was not fun having a big needle stuck in my eye:( I am glad they got it out though. And I am always proud of my Josh:)
Very clever to make it a Ute cake. I’m sure that alone increased the bidding. It looks delicious!
I am so glad your eye is better and that you’re healing fast.
This is my go-to recipe for chocolate cake. The only changes I make is to use buttermilk instead of milk and coffee/espresso in place of boiling water. I’ve yet to use the frosting recipe, though. Your husband did a fantastic job on the decoration and the cake. That’s awesome that he made 51 dollars off of it!
i concur–this is a tremendous cake-frosting combination. i’m glad you haven’t been blinded, maria–that was quite a scare, i’m sure!
Go Josh! I think I like blue and white better though. 😉
I’m so sorry about your eye but glad to hear your on the mend. Josh did a great job. I’d love a piece right now!
I am going to have to tell Kel about this one. Since we live in Hershey, we had better try it!
im glad to hear your eye is now better. take care cause our eyes are very important. im hoping to hear more from your blogs.
$51 is great! Must have gone to another Ute fan! Looks yummy too.
This is the only kind of chocolate cake I eat 🙂 I just made it for my sister-in-law’s baby shower (shaped like a monkey!). It’s even more fabulous made with dark chocolate cocoa 🙂
Awww, that’s so cute – Josh did an incredible job!!
Oh what a beautiful cake! My boyfriend tried to make a cake for my birthday last year and ended up with a box cake with a huge crack in the middle filled with gobs of chocolate frosting. Adorable but not nearly as beautiful as this cake.
I’m glad your eye feels better. Sounds scary!
oooh wow hersheys cake!! this looks and sounds delicious 😀 yummmmyyy!
What an awesome and thoughtful husband making that cake for charity!!
When I was younger I had a piece of metal in my eye and had to go through the same thing. I know how painful it can be. I looked like a pirate for a few days. haha! I’m glad to hear your eye is feeling better!
Sorry to hear about your eye, but this cake looks so good! I’m a sucker for anything chocolate!
Ooh nice cake- I’m so impressed with Josh’s skills! This is a great cake and he did such a wonderful job. Kudos for making his own mold too 🙂
Hope your eye is okay. My husband got wood dust in his eye not too long ago. He was cutting a piece of ply wood and even though he was wearing goggles it still embedded into his eye lid and scratched up his cornea pretty good. Once it was out he was much better. I hope you are too! take care.
Oh my gosh, sorry about your eye! My husband is a mechanic and he’s had to have his eye “drilled” several time for metal fragments. Yikes! Glad you are on the mend. Josh’s cake looks marvelous and what a great price for a great cause!
Just made this 2 wks ago for my baby girl’s bday. Delicious!!! Those Hershey people definitely know their chocolate. : )
I have seen this chocolate cake recipe before and have only heard good things about it. I really need to try it!
He did a great job. And, I love Hershey’s chocolate.
Ouch! So glad you are ok. Eye injuries are no joke. I’m very impressed with his cake baking prowess. Randy could probably take apart a car engine before attempting a cake. 🙂
This is one of my favorite cake recipes! I have made and adapted this recipe many times!
Oh, Josh sounds darling. And his cake looks absolutely delicious. I have a very old Hershey’s chocolate recipes book from the early 70s that I found in my mom’s kitchen cupboard and I love the recipes.
Josh is darling-at least I think so:)
I just found your blog and wanted to say we are fellow “Utah” fans! LOVED the cake.
This Hershey’s Cake has always been my favorite!! I discovered rececently (probably someone said this before in another comment) that the chocolate taste more intense if you use boiling coffe instead of boiling water 🙂
Your blog is amazing, i discovered it recently and I’ve been spending hours and hours reading all your recipes! I was so happy to see that you have my favorite chocolate cake recipe here 🙂
We love the Hershey’s recipe too! Thanks for following our blog!
This looks great! You have such a insightful food blog!
Do look me up – http://ruchisimplyfood.blogspot.com/2012/01/happy-new-year-2012.html
Is the cocoa the unsweetened cocoa powder or is it like a hot cocoa mix?
Thanks!