My Chocolate Birthday Cake with Bottle Rocket Candles

I'm not usually a very demanding person but for my birthday all I wanted was my husband to make me a decadent chocolate cake. Can you think of a better way to celebrate "30" than by drowning yourself in a sea of chocolate?  I gave him a couple of recipes to choose from but the "Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake" was the best option since we were staying with his family and most of the ingredients they had in their pantry. He went to work in their kitchen meticulously measuring, pouring, and baking the cake. He even doubled the frosting recipe because there's no reason to be stingy on birthdays and well let's face it...he knows me too well.

Then disaster struck...

As he was turning the cake plate to smooth out the final layer of frosting he turned the cake platter...right into the sink. Two casualties...the cake and his great-grandma's cake platter. I felt so bad for him. I tried to salvage what I could but there were glass shards in most of the cake. Don't worry...I was able to eat enough of the cake to see how moist and fabulous it was.


Then John did the only logical thing any man would do...put sparklers and bottle rockets in it and blow it up to smithereens. Just saying that makes me feel like a pirate.

Now those are some birthday candles...

Complete with firework residue...

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake

by Hershey's (also on the back of the Hershey's cocoa package)

2 cups white 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

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup HERSHEY®'S Cocoa Powder
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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. Frost with "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting.

4.To make "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting: 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.

5.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.

6.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.

7.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.