This Hershey’s Chocolate Cake Recipe is a classic when it comes to chocolate cake. This rich, delicious and moist chocolate cake recipe is one I turn to often. Therefore many chocolate birthday cakes in our home have been made using this easy and delicious classic chocolate cake recipe!

Slice of chocolate cake with half a cake sitting behind it on a cake stand

Hershey’s Chocolate Cake Recipe

Quite fittingly this homemade chocolate cake is often referred to as the Perfectly Chocolate Hershey’s Chocolate Cake Recipe.

Let me tell you, this rich chocolate cake is indeed, perfect. It’s like a chocolate experience.

This is a cake with intense chocolate flavor. Therefore it’s not overly sweet, though can be sweetened up with your choice of frosting.

Dark Chocolate Cake

My family loves dark chocolate cake, so I almost always make this cake using the Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder. This is by no means necessary, however it is a personal preference. Regular cocoa powder will work as well.

If you are a dark chocolate lover and have never used this cocoa powder, I urge you to find yourself some! I’ve had luck finding it at my local Safeway or Albertsons. I also order from Amazon when I want to stock up.

There are quite a few cocoa powder options these days, even at the grocery store.

If you want to learn more about the different types of cocoa powders, and how they impact your baking (hint: it’s more than just flavor) check out my HOMEMADE BROWNIES recipe post. It’s packed with information on cocoa powder.

A Hershey's Chocolate Cake covered with chocolate ganache and chocolate chips on a white cake stand with a blue background

Adding Coffee To Chocolate Cake

One of my tips for really pumping up the chocolate flavor in this easy chocolate cake is to add some coffee. Even though I am not a coffee drinker, I find it gives great depth to the chocolate flavor.

This Hershey’s chocolate cake recipe calls for one cup of boiling water. The cup of boiling water is a perfect place to sneak in some coffee.

Not being a coffee drinker, I don’t go with a full cup of coffee. Instead I add about half a packet of instant coffee crystals to my boiling water. I usually use the Starbucks Via Instant coffee. These are great to keep on hand for baking.

Chocolate Frosting

This has long been one of my go-to homemade chocolate cake recipes. When I make it, I like to pair it with the Perfectly Chocolate Hershey’s Chocolate Frosting recipe. Why mess with a classic, right?

That being said, I am a HUGE fan of vanilla frosting on a dark chocolate cake. It’s pretty much perfection in my book. I love the flavor contrast it provides.

My favorite vanilla frosting recipe can be found in my Easter Cupcakes post. Just leave out the food coloring, or feel free to pick a color that suits your occasion.

To take this Hershey’s Chocolate Cake Recipe over the top, I added chocolate ganache on top of the chocolate frosting. Apparently more is more when it comes to homemade chocolate cake!

You can grab my chocolate ganache recipe in my Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake post.

Did I mention this is completely over the top? Chocolate ganache covered top that is.

Hershey’s Chocolate Cake Ingredients

Sugar
Flour
Cocoa
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Salt
Eggs
Milk (I like to substitute buttermilk)
Vegetable Oil
Vanilla Extract
Boiling Water
Instant Coffee (if desired)

How To Make Hershey’s Chocolate Cake

This moist chocolate cake is very simple to make. It can even be made in one bowl, so I guess we’ve got a One Bowl Chocolate Cake recipe here!

-Dry ingredients are combined and mixed well.

-Next, the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla are added to mix, and the ingredients are beaten with a hand mixer.

-Finally the boiling water, with instant coffee if you are using it, are stirred in. This is a very thin cake batter, so don’t be alarmed if it seems runny.

-The batter is poured into two 9″ round cake pans and then into the oven it goes.

-Once the cakes have baked, and cooled, they can be assembled and frosted.

Easy peasy!

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