Hershey's 'Perfectly Chocolate' Cake

Another birthday at work last week. This picture is just awful, but the cake turned out much better. There are probably as many chocolate cake recipes as there are chocolate chip cookie recipes. I think this is one of the easiest and best ones. So, if you're ever looking for a good one, here it is.

HERSHEY'S 'PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE' CAKE

2 cups granulated sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa powder
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

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 8-inch round baking pans. 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. 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. (This can be made in 2 9 inch pans, a 9 x 13 pan, bundt pan, or into cupcakes.

FROSTING:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Paula Deen's Grandmother Paula's Sour Cream Pound Cake

We had an early 4th of July luncheon today at work. I decided to try out my new Nordic Ware bundt pan that my son and daughter-in-law got me for Mother's Day. I have several Nordic Ware bundt pans and I love each one of them. I like to make pound cakes and these pans make them turn out really special.

I decided to try Paula Deen's Grandmother Paula's Sour Cream Cake recipe. To keep with the red, white, and blue I served it with strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream. The stars don't show as well in the cake picture, but I thought it was a good cake for 4th of July.

Hope everyone has a safe and fun 4th.

GRANDMOTHER PAULA'S SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add to the creamed mixture alternating with eggs, beating each egg one at a time. Add the vanilla and pour the mixture into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.