Yield: 8 to 10 Servings

Hershey’s

This is a personal favorite. The coffee adds an interesting character to this cake.

• 2cups sugar (HA: 1¾ cups)
• 1¾cups all-purpose flour
• ¾cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
• 2tsp baking soda (HA: 1½ tsp)
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1tsp salt
• 2eggs
• 1cup buttermilk** or sour milk* (HA: 1¼ cups)
• 1cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
• ½cup vegetable oil
• 1tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan, two 8- or 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (Batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.

Bake:

50 to 55 minutes for fluted tube pan,

30 to 35 minutes for 9″ round pans,

35 to 40 minutes for 8″ round pans,

35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan

or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen cake from side of pan and remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Makes 12 servings.

* To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.

** Saco Buttermilk powder:

Add ¼ cup of powder to the dry ingredients and 1 cup of water to the liquid ingredients.

(HA: ¼ cup plus 2 TBS of powder to the dry ingredients and 1¼ cup of water to the liquid ingredients.)

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Betty Crocker

My granddaughter says this isn’t enough frosting for a layer cake doing a crumb coat, the middle, top and sides. She also made many colored rosettes for the top. If you need extra frosting for rosettes or other decorations, add another cup of sugar and 1/2 a stick of butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla and more milk.

Note: Be sure to use powdered “cane” sugar. Some powdered sugar comes from beets and can make the frosting grainy.

• 4cups powdered “cane” sugar
• 1cup butter (2 sticks), softened
• 2tsp vanilla
• 2 to 4TBS milk

In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 2 TBS of milk.

Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar.

Frosts 13×9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts an 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake.