Hersheys Chocolate Cake Recipe delivers a moist, deeply chocolaty crumb with a fluffy, tender bite and a glossy chocolate frosting that sets just right. It suits birthday blowouts, bake-sale wins, and last-minute cravings, and you can pull it off in about 1 hour 15 minutes from whisk to first slice. I baked this for my kid’s class once and the teacher emailed me for the recipe before the bell rang.
Why Choose This Hersheys Chocolate Cake Recipe
This Hersheys Chocolate Cake Recipe uses pantry staples, mixes in one bowl, and leans on hot liquid to bloom cocoa for bold flavor. The batter stays thin by design, which keeps the cake moist without fuss. You get consistent height, clean slices, and a chocolate punch that makes frosting optional but very welcome.
This cake delivers bold chocolate flavor and a fluffy crumb every single time ★★★★★
Ingredients You Need
- Granulated sugar: 2 cups (use standard white sugar; superfine also works)
- All-purpose flour: 1 3/4 cups (spoon and level; or 220 grams for accuracy)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: 3/4 cup (Hershey’s 100 percent cocoa gives the classic taste)
- Baking powder: 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Baking soda: 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Fine salt: 1 teaspoon
- Large eggs: 2, at room temp
- Milk: 1 cup (whole milk tastes best; use 2 percent if needed)
- Vegetable oil: 1/2 cup (canola or light olive oil also work)
- Pure vanilla extract: 2 teaspoons
- Boiling water or hot brewed coffee: 1 cup (coffee boosts chocolate flavor; water tastes classic)
Chocolate frosting, classic option:
- Unsalted butter: 1/2 cup, softened
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: 2/3 cup
- Powdered sugar: 3 cups
- Milk: 1/3 cup, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons as needed
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
- Pantry shortcut: use your favorite canned chocolate frosting if the clock fights back
Substitutions and notes:
- Dairy-free: use oat or almond milk and swap butter with dairy-free stick for the frosting
- Buttermilk swap: use 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon white vinegar, rest 5 minutes
- Gluten-free: use a good 1-to-1 baking blend with xanthan gum
Equipment:
- Two 9-inch round cake pans or one 9-by-13-inch pan
- Mixing bowl, whisk, and rubber spatula
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Parchment rounds and nonstick spray
- Wire rack and offset spatula
How to Make Hersheys Chocolate Cake Recipe
Prep the pans and oven
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease pans, line with parchment, then grease again and flour lightly.
- Set eggs and milk on the counter so they lose the chill.
Whisk the dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until the mixture looks uniform with no cocoa streaks.
Add the wet ingredients
- Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla to the bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until the batter looks smooth and slightly thicker.
Bloom the cocoa with heat
- Stir in the boiling water or hot coffee by hand. The batter will look thin, which signals success.
Fill pans and bake
- Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for 9-inch rounds, or 35 to 40 minutes for a 9-by-13, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool and frost
- Let cakes cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out to a rack and cool completely.
- For frosting, beat butter until creamy. Mix cocoa with powdered sugar. Add to butter with milk and vanilla in 2 to 3 additions, beating until fluffy. Adjust milk to reach a smooth, spreadable texture, then frost.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- Weigh or spoon and level flour to avoid a dry crumb.
- Use room-temperature eggs and milk so the batter blends evenly.
- Do not skip the hot water or coffee; it blooms cocoa and keeps moisture high.
- Mix until smooth, then stop; overmixing tightens crumb.
- Prep pans well and line with parchment to prevent sticking.
- Check doneness early; ovens vary. Pull when a few moist crumbs cling to the tester.
- Cool layers completely before frosting or the frosting will slide.
- Use fresh baking powder and soda; old leaveners cause flat layers.
Variations I've Tried
- Cupcakes: bake 18 to 20 minutes and fill liners two-thirds full.
- Sheet cake: use a 9-by-13 pan and frost right in the pan for easy transport.
- Mocha twist: swap all the hot water with strong coffee and add 1 teaspoon espresso powder to the batter.
- Double chocolate: fold 1 cup mini chocolate chips into the batter.
- Peanut butter frosting: top with creamy peanut butter buttercream and crushed peanuts.
- Gluten-free swap: use a reliable 1-to-1 baking blend and extend bake time by 2 to 4 minutes if needed.
- Dairy-free spin: use plant milk plus oil in the cake and dairy-free sticks in the frosting.
How to Serve
Slice generous squares or wedges and plate with cold milk or a shot of espresso. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream. Sprinkle flaky sea salt or shaved chocolate for a simple finish that feels bakery-level. Fresh berries make a bright, juicy contrast to all that chocolate.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Make cake layers up to 2 days ahead, wrap tightly, and keep at room temp.
- Refrigerate frosted cake for up to 5 days, covered to prevent drying.
- Freeze unfrosted layers up to 3 months, double-wrapped. Thaw wrapped layers in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temp before frosting.
- Warm slices in the microwave for 10 to 12 seconds for that just-baked softness.
- If you use cream cheese frosting, store the cake in the fridge and serve slices slightly chilled.
Hersheys Chocolate Cake Recipe
Hersheys Chocolate Cake Recipe delivers a moist, deeply chocolaty crumb with a fluffy, tender bite and a glossy chocolate frosting that sets just right.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, then grease again and lightly flour the pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined with no cocoa streaks.
- Add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until the batter looks smooth and slightly thickened.
- Stir in the boiling water or hot brewed coffee by hand. The batter will become very thin; this is expected.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat the softened butter in a bowl until creamy. In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa powder and powdered sugar.
- Add the cocoa-sugar mixture to the butter in 2 to 3 additions, alternating with the milk and vanilla, beating until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. Add 1 to 2 extra tablespoons of milk as needed to reach a spreadable consistency.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread frosting over the top. Set the second layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Approximate per serving (1/12 of cake with frosting): 480 calories; fat 21 g; saturated fat 8 g; carbohydrates 73 g; fiber 3 g; sugars 55 g; protein 6 g; sodium 420 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on specific ingredients, brands, and portion sizes.
Approximate per serving (1/12 of cake with frosting): 480 calories; fat 21 g; saturated fat 8 g; carbohydrates 73 g; fiber 3 g; sugars 55 g; protein 6 g; sodium 420 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on specific ingredients, brands, and portion sizes.