Sunday, June 14, 2009

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate "Chocolate Cake & 7-Minute Frosting


My Ole Sweetie-Pi just turned 61, and when asked what kind of cake he wanted, he requested the same cake that his mother made and the one that he's wanted through the years, chocolate cake with 7-minute frosting.

I have several favorite chocolate cake recipes that I turn to again and again; one of them is the back of the can recipe on the Hershey's Cocoa can, "Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate. Cake. This cake is moist, dark, chocolately, and truly deserves its name.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

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).

Divide equally between two pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan to racks. Cool completely. Frost. (Because this cake is so moist, be careful when handling it, it likes to stick to the cooling racks.)

This cake is a good keeper; even after three days, it will still as moist as it was on the first day.


Seven minute frosting is not my personal favorite to eat or to prepare. It's sweet, sticky, (like marshmallow fluff) and can be a little cantankerous to get it to the point where you can use it. (The first time Ole Sweetie-Pi asked me for this frosting, I panicked because I had heard how difficult it could be.) Take your time, follow the directions, have your ingredients, bowls, pot, hot water and beater ready; be prepared to stand over it while it's being beaten, (depending on weather, it may take longer than 7 minutes, today it took 15 minutes because it was cold and rainy outside!) and it should work.

Once it's on the cake, it's positively beautiful. It's glossy, fluffy, understated splendor. With just a flick of my offset spatula, I can make little pulls and peaks in the frosting that make me look as if I know how to decorate a cake (which I most assuredly do not!). This is probably the prettiest cake that I make.

Seven-Minute Frosting

2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in the top of a double boiler. Beat one minute or until thoroughly mixed. Then place this over boiling water (making sure the bottom of the pan does not touch the boiling water) and beat constantly at high speed of an electric mixer for seven minutes (frosting will stand in stiff peaks--you may need to beat it longer to reach this point).
Occasionally stir the frosting from the bottom and sides of the pan to ensure that the frosting is well combined.

Remove the pan from the boiling water and pour at once into a large bowl. Add the vanilla and beat one minute, until thick enough to spread.

You should have enough to generously cover tops and sides of two 8- or 9-inch layers, sides and tops, or a 10-inch tube cake.

This frosting is best enjoyed the day it is made. It starts to droop and crystallize on the second day.

I do not have a double boiler. I use a Pyrex bow with a rim of that sits nicely outside the rim of one of my pots. I do need oven mitts to remove the bowl, but that's a small inconvenience for the cost of a single-use pot, considering I have limited storage space.

Next year when Ole Sweetie-Pi is 62, we'll be having "Perfectly Chocolate" chocolate cake and 7-minute frosting. It's a delicious tradition.

33 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday to your Sweetie Pi! What a beautiful cake to celebrate with. When I was a young girl we had a neighbor who occasionally would make 7 minute frosting. She was a cantankerous lady and we were always kind of afraid of her, but once in a great while she would open the door and have a little leftover 7-minute frosting that she would put on a piece of waxed paper and give us a treat. Maybe she wasn't so mean after all -- LOL.

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  2. I hope your guy has/had a wonderful birthday. The cake is gorgeous and I know he'll enjoy it. The smile on his face will make your effort worthwhile.

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  3. What a wonderful birthday treat! Please extend my birthday wishes! :) Your cake is beautiful. I have not yet tried making this icing and I appreciate your words of wisdom!

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  4. Happy B'Day to your big guy! He is one lucky guy to have you make such a beautiful creation for his special day. This is gorgeous!

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  5. Happy Birthday to your Sweetie! The cake is so pretty - you did a great job decorating! And it looks moist, dark and so scrumptious!

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  6. My sweetie would probably give me a present if I made him this cake for his birthday. Really good photos!! Happy Birthday to your sweetie.

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  7. Wow Katy...it is absolutely beautiful! My hubby bday is tomorrow...it I didn't already have something made, I would make this for sure!!

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  8. Happy birthday to your sweetie pi! The cake looks as beautiful as the photo!

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  9. Katy, that cake is beautiful! I love the cake plate too.

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  10. Your cake looks beautiful and perfect! Almost too perfect to eat :)

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  11. Best wishes to your Sweetie. The cake looks heavenly.

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  12. Oh my Katie....been busy I have!!! (good grief that sounds like Yoda!) Anyway...I am glad I poured a cup of coffee and stopped on by. What a yummy looking cake. Happy Birthday to Ole Sweetie-Pie and congrats on making such a wonderfully PERFECT cake ... it truly is exquisite!

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  13. Happy Birthday to Sweetie Pi! I couldn't believe this picture when I saw it. I had planned on making this tomorrow since my birthday is Thursday...I was going to finally try 7 minute frosting since I love marshmallow frosting and heard this is similar. I am VERY nervous trying this so wish me luck! I will be posting mine IF it turns out ok!! Thanks so much Katy....

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  14. Happy Birthday to your Sweetheart..I just adore CHOCOLATE cake, so have a piece for me..YUMMMY!

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  15. Happy Birthday to your Sweetie!

    Beautiful job on the frosting!

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  16. Your cake looks beautiful and I bet it tasted delicious! Happy Birthday to your Sweetie-Pi :)

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  17. Your cake looks amazingly tempting, boy I could go for a slice right now! My husband would just enjoy this, it's one of his favorites!

    Happy Birthday to your Sweetie ;-)

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  18. Happy Birthday to your hubby!

    I would love a cake like that! Great frosting!

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  19. when I dream of chocolate cakes this is the one in my dreams....

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  20. Gorgeous! I love the way it looks on your cake stand. Happy Birthday to the Sweetie Pi!

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  21. This is a special birthday cake, Katy...it's gorgeous and that frosting is to die for! Yum!

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  22. Mmm, this looks delicious!!! What gorgeous photos!!! I left you an award over on our blog!!! :o)

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  23. How beautiful! The frosting turned out so pretty and looks delicious!

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  24. Your cake is gorgeous! My layer cakes always come out so lopsided, I've become a little cake-a-phobic. But I'll bet this one is good. It's so pretty it looks like it came out of a magazine.

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  25. This is an absolutely gorgeous cake! Talk about a decadent treat!

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  26. Gorgeous! My grandmother made the same cake for our family when she was living. I love it when the frosting begins to break down just a tad, weeping into the cake and creating an extra fudgey moistness. Your cake is bringing back a lot of wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing! Oh, and happy birthday to your husband.

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  27. YUM! What a lucky guy your Sweeti-pi is! I've never made 7 minute frosting, but it is my BFF's favorite with a cherry cake her mom used to make her every year for her birthday. Maybe I'll surprise her this year with one! Last year her mom made the cake, but didn't make the 'real' frosting and she was heart-broken.

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  28. My mother made 7 minute frosting years ago but it has been... years! It does make a beautiful presentation. Happy Bday to Sweeti-pi! :)

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  29. great frosting.. love the b day cake ye made for ye sweet heart..

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  30. You did a beautiful job on this cake - It looks gorgeous! I'm definitely saving this recipe :)

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  31. wow your cake is gorgeous! I would say you know how to decorate a cake :) Hope your sweetie loved it. I too hate 7 minute frosting. You can't pipe it the same as buttercream, I hate the taste, it takes forever to make, etc etc but you did wonderfully! Thanks for sharing!

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  32. Reminds me of the mayo cake with 7 minute frosting Nanny would make me for my birthday! Its beautiful Katy!

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