This vintage Hershey's recipe has a deep, rich cocoa flavor, moist texture, and decadent whipped cream filling. Topped off with a creamy chocolate ganache frosting, it's the perfect cake for birthday celebrations!
The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe
Chocolate is the most popular cake flavor in the world -- it is the most searched for cake in 81 countries! There are a lot of recipes out there, but this is by far my favorite out of the many I've tried.
But don't just take my word for it. Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, uses this recipe as the base for her popular Beatty's Chocolate Cake, which she famously refers to as the "most fabulous cake" she's ever made. She tops it with a chocolate buttercream frosting, but the ingredients for the base cake are the same as the ones in this classic Hershey's recipe, although she uses a dutch process cocoa. (I have tried it both ways and they taste the same to me. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa is dutch process cocoa.)
A Mid Century Cake Recipe with a Secret Ingredient
This surprisingly beginner-friendly chocolate cake was introduced to the world on the Hershey's Cocoa can in 1972. It quickly won rave reviews for its rich chocolate flavor and ease of preparation. Among family and friends, this is my most requested cake for birthdays and holidays.
The batter can be prepared in one large bowl, making it almost as easy to make as a boxed cake mix. It contains all the things you would expect in a chocolate cake recipe, but includes a surprise ingredient -- strong, hot black coffee -- the secret to giving it an extra rich, dark chocolate flavor.
Equipment Needed For Cake, Filling & Frosting
- Two 8-inch round pans (since I make this as a layer cake, I use round pans. If you're making the cake without a center layer, you could use different pans such as a bundt pan, tube pan, or rectangular pan.)
- Whisk or fork
- Electric mixer
- Wire racks
Black Magic Chocolate Cake Recipe Ingredients
For the cake you will need:
- All purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
- Vegetable oil
- Large eggs
- Buttermilk (or make your own buttermilk* )
- Vanilla extract
- Strong black coffee (can substitute with 2 tsp. instant coffee in 1 cup boiling water)
*If you don't want to use buttermilk, you can make your own sour milk by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar or a tablespoon of lemon juice to one cup of milk, which is equal to one cup buttermilk.
For the filling you will need:
- Whipping cream
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
For the chocolate ganache frosting you will need:
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Whipping cream (heavy cream)
How to Make Hershey's Black Magic Cake
Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix with a fork or whisk until well blended.
- Add all the wet ingredients (including hot black coffee) into a small mixing bowl, and whisk until thoroughly mixed.
- Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 2 minutes, or whisk by hand for 2 minutes. Cake batter will be very thin.
- Pour batter into two 8-inch cake pans, dividing evenly between prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Set pans on wire racks to cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the side of each pan and remove cakes. Allow to cool completely.
How to Make the Filling
I use a stabilized whipped cream for the filling, which means it has a small amount of cream cheese added to keep it from falling flat. For best results, chill bowl and beaters in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before making.
- When cakes are fully cooled, whip cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium speed of mixer. When cream cheese is fluffy, slowly add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, mixing until fully incorporated. Turn speed to high and mix until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer one cake from the cooling rack to a cake plate. Spread the whipping cream on top of one of the chocolate cakes, then set the second layer on top.
Important Note
To make this a 4-layer cake, simply cut the two cakes in half, then DOUBLE the recipe for the filling so you have enough whipped cream to go in between each layer.
How To Make the Frosting:
- Put chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. Heat whipping cream in a saucepan just until it comes to a simmer. Pour over chocolate chips and stir until it is fully mixed and chocolate is smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Do not chill or it will harden.
- When mixture has cooled, whip with electric mixer on high speed until a fluffy chocolate frosting forms. Spread over top of the cake and down the sides of the cake layers.
- Store finished cake in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Helpful Hints For Perfect Black Magic Cake
- Beat the batter on a low speed. Over beating will release the gluten from the flour and can cause the cake to have a more dense, less fluffy texture.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to make sure all ingredients are fully mixed in.
- Chill the bowl and the beaters in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before whipping the cream for best results.
- Make stabilized whipped cream rather than plain for the center to keep it from going flat.
- For best results, let cold ingredients sit at room temperature for ½ hour before mixing and baking.
- Use parchment circles on the bottom of your cake pans for easy removal. If you don't have any, you can cut them from a parchment paper roll.
- Carefully monitor the cakes as they are baking because ovens vary in temperature. Avoid opening the door until you think they are ready to test, because releasing the heat from the oven can negatively affect the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can substitute 6 oz. of mascarpone cheese in place of the cream cheese.
No, if you prefer a thinner layer of chocolate, simply apply the chocolate ganache with a flat spatula after the chocolate is fully mixed with the cream.
Yes, because it contains fresh cream it needs to be kept in the refrigerator.
Sure, you can use any frosting you like. If you want to cut down on the chocolate, a vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting is a good alternative. Chocolate buttercream is a sweeter alternative to chocolate ganache. Chocolate ganache is favored by people who like dark chocolate.
The first time you try this rich Hershey's cocoa cake, you'll swear off using cake mixes. If you love the flavor of chocolate, then this will be one of the best cakes you've ever had. The inclusion of coffee in the batter and whipped cream in the center gives this decadent cake its rich flavors, bite after perfect bite!
Craving chocolate? In addition to this moist chocolate cake, try our fudgy dark chocolate brownies or our 30 minute fast and easy brownies!
Have a comment or a vintage recipe you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Please rate, comment, or send me an email at [email protected]!
Hershey's Black Magic Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1-¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cups Hershey's cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup strong black coffee (or 2 tsp. instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water)
- 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Filling Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Frosting Ingredients
- 12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1-½ cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour two 8-inch round pans, and line the bottom of the pans with a parchment circle.
- Put first 6 ingredients (all of the dry ingredients) in a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined.
- Put remaining ingredients (all of the wet ingredients) in a small mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat with an electric mixer on low for 2 minutes, or whisk by hand for 2 minutes. Batter will be very thin.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Set cakes on wire racks to cool; remove from pans after 15 minutes and set aside to cool completely.
Whipped Cream Filling Instructions
- When cakes are fully cooled, whip cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium speed of mixer. When cream cheese is fluffy, slowly add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, mixing until fully blended. Turn speed to high and mix until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer one cake from the cooling rack to a cake plate. Spread the whipping cream on top of that cake, then set the second layer on top.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting Instructions
- Put chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. Heat whipping cream in a saucepan just until it comes to a simmer. Pour over chocolate chips and stir until it is fully mixed and chocolate is smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Do not chill or it will harden.
- When mixture has cooled, whip with electric mixer on high speed until a fluffy chocolate frosting forms. Spread over top of the cake and down the sides of the cake layers.
- Store finished cake in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
-
- Beat cake batter at the lowest speed possible. Over beating will release the gluten from the flour and can cause the cake to have a more dense, less fluffy texture.
- Make stabilized whipped cream rather than plain for the center, to keep it from going flat.
- Chill bowl and beaters for at least 30 minutes in the freezer before whipping the cream for the filling.
- For best results, let cold ingredients sit at room temperature for ½ hour before mixing and baking.
- Carefully monitor the cakes as they are baking because ovens vary in temperature. Avoid opening the door until you think they are ready to test, because releasing the heat from the oven can negatively affect the cake.
Lee says
Can I use instant espresso?