When our guests arrive at the inn on a busy weekend, we understand that they have just experienced a busy day of packing, traveling and have possibly dealt with a traffic jam or two.
I try to bake this cake an hour or so before check-in time so the entire inn and office have the fragrance of warm, just-baked chocolate cake from the oven wafting through the air.
This (with a smile) is guaranteed to lift their spirits and make them feel right at home. What more could I ask for?!
Happiness is a Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Cake Recipe
You will need:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1-¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
- 1-½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1-½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Put it all together:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
- 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 mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
For the “Perfect” Chocolate Frosting:
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
- ⅔ cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make the frosting:
- Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Place into a mixer. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
- Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.
Option: Use white frosting without cocoa first (as I did) and then drizzle chocolate over the top. For looser chocolate frosting, add a little extra milk until it is at desired consistency. Decorate with Oreo’s and cherries (if desired).
Tip from the Innkeeper:
Your cake didn’t rise properly? Check the expiration date on your baking soda and baking powder. That’s usually the culprit. Here’s how to see if it’s still good:
Baking soda and baking powder are essentially chemical leaveners that react to temperature and other ingredients, so you are testing to see if the chemicals are still active. All you have to do is drop a little bit of the baking soda or baking powder into hot water (and vinegar if testing baking soda) and look for a bubbling reaction — if there’s fizzing, it’s still good to use!
Fun Facts:
There are a lot of naturally occurring chemicals in chocolate that are either good for us or affect our mood. There’s a chemical that induces feelings associated with love, as well as tryptophan, which makes us very happy. Tryptophan influences the levels of endorphins in the human brain and increases the production of serotonin, which leads to elevated states of euphoria.