Chocolate Birthday Cake

From http://inthekitchenwithkath.com

(Cake and frosting recipes adapted from the ones on the Hershey’s cocoa box)

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 c. flour (210 grams) (I use King Arthur All Purpose*)

3/4 c. cocoa (not Dutch processed)

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 c. milk

1/2 c. oil (I use light olive oil)

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. boiling water

Heat the oven to 350˚. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round baking pans. (Or spray them with Pam Baking Spray, which is what I did.)

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. (I weighed the flour, instead of measuring it. 1 ¾ cups of flour weighs 210 grams.) Sifting the cocoa through a mesh strainer into the bowl helps to eliminate lumps.

Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add the boiling water. The batter will be very thin. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and put them in the oven. The recipe says to bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. I don’t know if it’s my pans or my oven, but it always takes 40 minutes for me. When the cake is done, cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pans and finish cooling on wire racks.

When completely cool, frost with chocolate frosting.

*Next time I might try King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour Blend

Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter

2/3 c. cocoa

3 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Pour the butter into the mixing bowl. Sift the cocoa through a mesh strainer into the bowl. Mix well. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, mixing well after each addition. Add more milk if needed. Mix in the vanilla.