Baking has been a difficult business for me, and it took time and patience to consider various factors that influence the product’s texture and flavors. There were times the cake would get dry or not evenly baked. But with continuous practice, all these problems can be fixable. If you love chocolate and bakes, you would understand why a moist, decadent chocolate cake is important. This recipe is a three-layer cake with a decadent filling of cream cheese and creamy frosting of buttercreams.
Ingredients:
For Chocolate Cake:
Adapted from Hershey’s
2 cups of suga
1 & 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
(2) eggs
1 cup milk or heavy cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water
For the Whipped Cream Cheese Buttercream:
1 cup cream cheese
3/4 cup butter
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream:
3/4 cup of butter
3/4 cup of cream cheese
1 & 3/4 cups Hersheys cocoa powder
5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
For the Hershey’s Chocolate Cake:
First, preheat the oven at about 350 degrees.
Spray 3 round cake saucepan with cooking spray
Lightly brush the pans with flour, and set aside.
Add and combine the flour, Hershey’s chocolate, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl or KitchenAid mixer.
Add the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract, blend until well incorporated. Stir in the boiling water once all is combined last; mix again until the batter is very thin
Add the batter evenly in each sprayed/flourished cake pan
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until each layer comes out clean with a toothpick inserted in the center. Remove from the oven once fully baked & allow the three cakes to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before removing them.
Upon removal, switch to a wire rack to finish cooling.
I always use a cake leveler to ensure that the layers are even; you can also use a clamping knife
Prepare your frostings when they finish cooling.
For the Whipped Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting:
When combined, add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar at a time, ensure every half cup is consumed before adding in another 1/2 cup, add the vanilla extract & whip one more time at high for around 30 seconds and beat one more minute until smooth and fluffy.
For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting:
Add and beat the butter & cream cheese with an electric mixer in a large bowl and start adding 1/2 cup in the powdered sugar at a time
Add the cocoa, vanilla, and milk
Whip all the ingredients until well incorporated
Add and beat for about a minute, or until fluffy, at high speed.
When assembling the cake:
Level the pastries with a cake leveler to ensure that the cake layers are perfectly lined
Place the bottom layer on a platter of cake.
Spread 3/4 tbsp of cream cheese buttercream over the bottom cake layer
Top the second straightened layer and repeat the cycle.
Finally, top with 3rd layer.
Use the remaining buttercream to fry the very top and cool for about 15 minutes.
Finally, gently remove the top layer with the chocolate cream cheese buttercream & all over the sides of the cake from the fridge & frost.
Refrigerate until serving.