My son is crazy about Butterfinger candy so I made him a cake themed around the sweet. The chocolate cake is my absolute fave from the back of the Hershey’s Cocoa container, Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake, with a chocolate ganache frosting and a butterscotch butter cream filling. The topping: crushed Butterfinger candy bar. Sinfully good.
Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake Recipe
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups cake flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa (unsweetend, powdered)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Butterscotch Buttercream Filling
1 (11 oz.) bag Nestle Butterscotch Morsels or Chips
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar
Chocolate Frosting
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Butterfinger Candy Bar, (coarsely chopped)
Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 350F (175C). Butter inside of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line bottom of pans with wax paper circles. Butter wax paper. Dust entire inside of pans with cake flour, shaking off excess flour.
To make Hershey’s chocolate cake: 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, evenly divided, 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.
Run a knife around the edge of the cakes in pans. Invert one cake on to wax paper and then re-invert on to serving platter. If necessary, slice rounded top off cake so it is level. Invert the other cake on to wax paper and then re-invert on to a plate; slice off top to level if necessary. Cover cakes with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make Butterscotch Buttercream Filling: Place butterscotch morsels in a glass bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan until boiling. Pour cream over morsels and stir until completely melted and smooth. Cover and refrigerate until mixture solidifies. When butterscotch mixture has chilled, add powdered sugar, and beat with an electric mixer until filling becomes thick. Spread filling on top of the cooled cake on the serving platter. Place the other centered cake on top of the filling on the first cake. I like to place the cake back in the fridge again for cake and filling to re-chill, about 1 hour.
To make Chocolate Frosting: Place chocolate chips in a glass bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan until boiling. Pour cream over chips and stir until completely melted and smooth. Cover and refrigerate until mixture solidifies and is completely cold.
Remove cake from fridge and assemble cakes placing one on top of filling on the other. Ice sides and top of cake with chocolate frosting. Scatter crushed butterfinger candy on top and serve cold!
Makes about 12 servings
