THE Chocolate Cake

Okay. Valentine’s Day is coming so I thought I’d embrace the event and have decided to share what is seriously the world most delicious chocolate cake. Seriously. And let me add that it is just as good made gluten and/or dairy free. I’ve even made it vegan before. I first started tweaking this cake using whole wheat flour. I think it made me feel a little less guilty for eating the entire thing! More recently, I make it gluten free using whole grain flour. The whole grain flours make it food instead of junk food, right? Yes, yes it does.

The first time I had this cake I was working in a large ophthalmology practice when a co-worker (out of the kindness of her heart) decided to bake this amazing cake and brought it in to share. (It could have been someone’s birthday but one bite of this cake and all my other memories were wiped out!) The cake was so rich, chocolaty and moist and the frosting was like a cross between chocolate ganache, fudge and heaven. Well, I HAD to ask for the recipe not knowing if she would share it since it must have been a secret family recipe passed down from generation to generation probably dating back to the Mayflower (..well, maybe not the Mayflower). So, I said, “This is probably the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. Would you be willing to give me the recipes?” And she said (drum roll, please), “Sure, it’s right on the back of the Hershey Cocoa box.”

What?!??!?! All my life this amazing information had been sitting in my cabinet all along? Really? How could this non-secret be such a secret? But, it makes perfect sense. Who better to develop a chocolate cake recipe loaded with cocoa than the very people who want you to keep buying cocoa. Making one of these cakes uses almost an entire box of it. It had come to be known as THE Chocolate Cake in our family. The question is never, “Are you making chocolate cake?”. The question is always, “Are you making THE Chocolate Cake?”.

So, stock up on cocoa, grab some wine or gourmet brew and have a very Happy Valentine’s Day. And remember being alone on Valentine’s Day is okay, it just means more cake for you!! Mmmmmmm.

Happy Chocolate!

Hershey’s® “Perfectly Chocolate”™ Chocolate Cake (Original, gluten free, dairy free and vegan options)

2 c. sugar

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (tweak for gluten free: I use 1 cup sorghum flour and 1 cup brown rice flour. I find that the recipe needs slightly more flour for gluten free, and I find this true for many recipes… needing about 2 TBS more flour per cup. If you would like a lighter cake you could replace the brown rice flour with white rice flour. Also add 3/4 tsp xanthan gum.)

3/4 c. cocoa

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs (tweak for vegan/egg free: I’ve only made this vegan once but it worked pretty well. You can use 2 TBS ground flax seed to replace the egg, or you could use a store bought egg replacer. Don’t worry about the missing liquid. This cake is very moist and it won’t be missed.)

1 c. milk (tweak for dairy free: Use the same amount of a dairy free milk. I usually use Rice Dream Enriched but any would work.)

1/2 c. vegetable oil (I use grapeseed oil)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c. boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pans (You can use sorghum flour for gluten free).

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into pans.

Bake 30-35 min (I find it is often more like 35-40) or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with “Perfectly Chocolate”™ Chocolate frosting. 10-12 servings.

“Perfectly Chocolate”™ Chocolate Frosting

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter or margarine (tweak: use a natural non-hydrogenated margarine)

2/3 c. cocoa

3 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. milk (tweak for dairy free: Use a dairy free milk like rice, almond or soy.)

1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter or margarine (making sure not to burn it). Stir in cocoa. Place in mixer. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk beating on medium speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk if needed. Stir in vanilla (I just beat this in.). Makes about 2 cups.