Chocolate Cake with Coconut Frosting

Hello!

It's been a while again!

...but I had to stop in and post the cake I made my Mom for her birthday today.

It's the first cake I've been able to make her for a while, but now that we are living in California again...I was able to take back my position as chief-family-cake-maker:)

For this cake, I used my new favorite chocolate cake recipe.  It's the one on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa.  It turns out perfectly every time...no fail!

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake 

(recipe from hersheys.com)

Ingredients

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

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. 

VARIATIONS:

ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

I usually use the recipe for the "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate frosting too, but for this cake, I used my favorite buttercream frosting recipe and added about 3/4 cup of shredded coconut to it.

Buttercream Frosting 

(recipe from chsugar.com)

Ingredients

1 1 lb. box (approx. 3 3/4 cups) powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

3 to 4 tablespoons milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In large bowl with electric mixer at low speed, combine sugar, butter, milk and vanilla. Beat at medium speed 1 to 2 minutes until creamy. If desired, add more milk until frositng is spreading consistency.

Peanut Butter Crunch: Substitute peanut butter for butter; sprinkle either candy peanut butter pieces or chopped peanuts over frosting.
Chocolate: Add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, adding milk 1 tsp. at a time until desired consistency. Top with chocolate curls, if desired.
Orange: Substitute fresh orange juice for milk, add 1 tsp. orange extract and 1 tsp. grated orange zest. Top with thin strips of orange peel.
Lemon: Substitute fresh lemon juice for milk, add 1 tsp. lemon extract and 1 tsp. grated lemon zest. Top with thin strips of lemon peel.

To put it all together, I layered the cake with about half the frosting in between and half on the top. I also added about a half cup of the shredded coconut to the top of the cake....and do you recognize those chocolate lumps?!?!  They are snack-size Almond Joy bars!  Since the cake reminded me of a Mounds or Almond Joy candy bar, I thought they would make the perfect decoration!

Can't wait to taste this!