A perfect Chocolate Cake ~

I love a good chocolate cake, but really don't like frosting at all.  To me, it makes any cake too sweet.  I decided to make this cake with chocolate whipped cream and strawberries, similar to strawberry short cake.  But I mascerated half of the fresh strawberries with a couple of tablespoons of strawberry preserves, because it's not summer and strawberries aren't in season. 

It worked perfectly and this cake was moist and delicious.  The chocolate whipped cream was heavenly.  And even better, this dessert was so, so easy.  The cake mixes in one bowl, gotta love that.  I froze the cakes after they cooled and saved it for a time when I wanted a special dessert.  Hersey's named this the Perfect Chocolate Cake, and I wholeheartedly agree.

The directions for the strawberries and whipped cream are below.
Hersey's Perfect Chocolate Cake

• 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 cupmilk
• 1/2 cupvegetable oil
• 2 teaspoonsvanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

 

Directions

1. 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
   
2. 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. 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. 10 to 12 servings.
   
   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.

Strawberries:

1 quart of fresh strawberries, washed.
2 Tablespoons strawberry preserves
2 Tablespoons water

Set aside 4 large, ripe strawberries.  Cut in half lengthwise, leave the steam attached.
In a heavy bottom sauce pan, heat all ingredients to a low simmer.  Let cook down until nice and syrup-y. Stir, so it doesn't burn, about 5 minutes.  Let cool and set aside.  Or do as I did and cool to refrigerate.

Chocolate Whipped Cream:

2 cups of heavy whipping cream (cold)
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt (I just used a pinch of kosher)
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3 Talespoons of cocoa powder

I used a stand mixer, but you can use a hand mixer as well.
Put bowl and whisk attachment in freezer for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl mix together cocoa powder, sugar and salt.
Add a couple of tablespoons of cream and hand whisk everything to a paste.

Remove bowl and whisk attachments from freezer. Add cream, vanilla and cocoa paste.  Turn on low for about 30 seconds, then turn to medium for another 30 seconds.  Next, turn on high for a minute.  Check to see if your peaks are starting to form by lifting the whisk out of the cream mixture.  Whipped cream takes about 2-3 minutes to get to the stiff peak stage, so watch it carefully.  You can even stop the machine and hand whisk the cream until stiff peaks.

To assemble:

Brush you cakes of crumbs and place on plate to serve.  Spread the strawberries mixture on the top right up to the edges.

   
Next, add half of the whipped cream in the center of the cake and spread out to the edges as well.

Place second cake on top of the whipped cream and top with the rest of the whipped cream.  Take the fresh halved strawberries and decorate the top.

 

 

Place cake in refrigerator until ready to serve.   This cake is absolutely yummy....  Enjoy ~