Hershey's Disappearing Cake

A moist two-layer cocoa cake made with butter, shortening, Hershey's cocoa and milk, baked in two 9-inch rounds. It disappears fast.

Vegetarian

Contains: milk, egg, wheat. Based on the ingredients as written; check package labels, which can change.

From the recipe book of Sandra Mills, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained cook in our family.

Two-layer chocolate cake on a cake stand with a slice cut out
  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 35 min
  • Total 55 min
  • Yield 1 (9-inch) two-layer cake

Updated

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This classic cocoa layer cake earns its name: it disappears fast. It is a moist, tender chocolate cake made with Hershey's cocoa, butter and shortening, sugar, eggs and milk, baked in two 9-inch rounds.

Sandra Mills frosts it with one of the frostings in her dessert chapter.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/4 cup Crisco
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups milk

Flour for this recipeKing Arthur Baking Company makes all-purpose, bread, whole wheat and gluten-free flours.

Shop King Arthur flour

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Instructions

  1. Prepare the pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans well.
  2. Cream. Beat the butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla until fluffy, then mix in the eggs.
  3. Combine. Whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the batter in turns with the milk, beating until smooth.
  4. Bake. Divide between the pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
  5. Cool and frost. Cool 10 minutes on a rack, turn out of the pans and cool completely before frosting.

Vegetarian

Tips

  • The batter is thin; that is what makes the cake so moist.

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