There used to be a very good B&B in a nearby town called The Holton House. They served all you can eat chicken dinners and ended with a square of the richest, moistest chocolate cake I had ever eaten. (Unfortunately, they recently closed) For years I have been searching for a chocolate cake that resembled the cake they served Finally, this past week I came across a recipe that came close, with a few tweeks I managed to recreate it perfectly. Here is what I came up with:
1 box chocolate fudge cake mix, Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker are the best brands
1 box instant chocolate fudge pudding
1 cup sour cream, light sour cream works well
1/2 cup Hershey's syrup
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch cake pan. Place all of cake ingredients in a large bowl and beat on low for about 1 minute, then increase speed to medium until well combined, maybe 1 1/2-2 minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips. The batter will be very thick. Spread into the prepared pan and bake 35-45 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched, is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely, about an hour or so. Spread with the Hershey's chocolate frosting.
If you want to make a layer cake, use the same recipe and bake in two greased and floured 9 inch layer pans. Adjust baking time by checking for doneness after about 30 minutes. Allow cakes to cool in pan about 10 minutes, before finishing cooling on a rack before frosting.
Hershey's Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup Hershey's Syrup
1 tbsp. milk (or more Hershey's syrup)
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
Cream the butter, cocoa, vanilla, milk and Hershey's syrup until creamy and well blended. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar and continue beating until the frosting is smooth and well blended. Spread on the cooled cake.
