Hershey's Kisses Birthday Cake

A fun chocolate layer cake, with vanilla buttercream frosting, decorated with milk chocolate Kisses and colorful candy sprinkles.

Recipe Ingredients:

Cake:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates for garnish

Multicolored candy sprinkles for garnish

Cooking Directions:

1. For Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
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.
3. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
5. Frost with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.
6. For Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: Beat butter in large bowl until creamy. Gradually add about half of the powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add additional milk, if necessary, until frosting is spreading consistency. Makes about 2 1/3 cups frosting.
7. Remove wrappers from chocolates and garnish around top edge and around the bottom edge of cake and sprinkle with candy sprinkles.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Recipe and photograph courtesy of the Hershey Kitchens, and reprinted with permission of The Hershey Company. © The Hershey Company.