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Hershey's Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Filling and Frosting

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Ingredients
  

For the Chocolate Cake:

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1-¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder
  • 1-½ tsp. baking powder
  • 1-½ tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

For the Whipped Cream Cheese Buttercream:

  • 1 cup cream cheese
  • ¾ cup butter
  • ½ tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar

For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream:

  • ¾ cup butter
  • ¾ cup cream cheese
  • 1-¾ cups Hershey's cocoa powder
  • 5 cups confectioners' sugar
  • ½ cup, plus 3 tablespoons whole milk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions
 

To prepare the Hershey's chocolate cake:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
  • Spray 3 round cake pans with cooking spray; dust the pans lightly with flour; set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, or mixer, combine the flour, Hershey's cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Add the milk, oil, eggs and the vanilla extract; mix until everything is thoroughly incorporated.
  • Once all combined, stir in the boiling water last; mix again; the batter will be very thin.
  • Pour the batter evenly in each of the sprayed/floured cake pans.
  • Place in oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean.
  • Once fully baked, remove from oven and allow the 3 cakes to cool for at least 10 to15 minutes before removing from pans.
  • Once removed, transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
  • While they finish cooling, prepare the buttercream frostings.

To prepare the whipped cream cheese buttercream:

  • Whip the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer, on high speed, for about 30 seconds.
  • Once combined, begin adding in 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar at a time, making sure each half cup is fully incorporated before mixing in another 1/2 cup.
  • Add in the vanilla extract and whip one last time for about 30 more seconds on high; beat one minute more until nice and fluffy.

To prepare the chocolate cream cheese buttercream frosting:

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer and begin adding in the confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup at a time.
  • Add in the cocoa, the milk and vanilla.
  • Whip all ingredients until they are thoroughly incorporated; beat, at high speed, for about one minute or until fluffy.

How to assemble the cake:

  • If available, use a cake leveler to assure perfect stacking of the cake layers; a serrated knife works too.
  • Place the bottom layer on a cake plate; spread 3/4 cup of the cream cheese buttercream filling over the cake layer.
  • Top with the second leveled layer and repeat the process.
  • Lastly, top with the third layer.
  • Frost just the very top with the remaining whipped cream cheese buttercream; refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
  • Finally, remove from the refrigerator and frost the top layer gently with the chocolate cream cheese buttercream and all over the sides of the cake.
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve.