This has to be my family's FAVORITE chocolate dessert. It's wonderfully moist without being heavy. I bake it in a bundt pan, however, you could bake it in cake pans and ice it. Though, we think the cake is perfect without the icing. Hope that you enjoy!
2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water
One Bowl Chocolate Frosting (Below & optional)
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour one bundt pan, two 9-inch cake rounds or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the first six ingredients (sugar through salt); add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin); pour into prepared pan(s) and bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes our clean.
If baking cake rounds, allow rounds to cool slightly before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely. If using rectangular baking pan, allow cake to cool completely before icing.
ONE BOWL CHOCOLATE FROSTING
6 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
2 2/3 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1/2 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a medium-sized bowl, mix and beat all ingredients using an electric mixer. If icing seems too thick, add a touch more heavy cream until desired consistency is reached, taking care not to over-thin the icing. I have found these amounts enough to frost the top and center layer of two, stacked, 9-inch cake rounds (but not the sides) or the top of a 13x9x2-inch rectangular cake. If you are looking to frost the sides of the stacked cake rounds as well, consider doubling these amounts.
