Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Campfire Cake

      Sitting around a crackling campfire under a starry sky is one of the greatest joys of camping.  When I saw this cleverly decorated Campfire Cake online I could hardly wait to make it, although not entirely made in your dutch oven, you can easily make the candy flames at home, package them carefully in a container and transport them to your outdoor destination. 
     Hershey's brings us another simple to make from scratch, rich, dark, chocolate cake recipe.  The only extra step involved is boiling the water.  It does make a very thin batter so be sure to have your dutch oven on even ground, otherwise you'll end up with a lopsided cake.  In my 12 inch dutch oven, the cake baked for exactly 35 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom, 18 in a ring around the outside of the lid with 7-8 placed evenly in the center.  Use a cake tester to make sure it's completely baked all the way through before removing from the coals and allow it to cool completely before lifting from the oven.  For convenience I used two cans of store bought frosting but have included the frosting recipe if you'd prefer to make it from scratch.
     Use a packaged mix if you like or place candles between the flames for a real showstopping birthday cake.  This cake is so much fun to make and a real treat for all your favorite scouts, campers and lovers of the outdoors. 

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Campfire Cake
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     In large bowl stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
     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 oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
     Cool completely before removing from oven.
     Frost with 2 cans of prepared frosting or use following recipe.

Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

     Melt butter; stir in cocoa.
     Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
     Add small amount of additional milk, if needed.
     Stir in vanilla.
     Makes 2 cups frosting.

Campfire Decorations
15 hard yellow butterscotch candies, unwrapped
15 hard red cinnamon candies, unwrapped
Cooking spray
Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Cookies

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
     Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil, spray lightly with cooking spray.
     Crush candies in zip lock bag.
     Spread crushed candies evenly on prepared cookie sheet.
     Bake for 5-7 minutes or until candies have melted.
     Cool completely.
     When candy has hardened, break into pieces the size of flames.
     Insert candy shards gently into center of frosted cake.
     Place Pirouette cookies around flames, resembling the logs of a campfire.
     If desired, add mini marshmallows placed on wooden toothpicks around cookies.

Pour thin batter into parchment lined oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

For decorations, spread crushed candies on sprayed
and foil lined cookie sheet

Bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until melted then
cool and break into pieces

Frost cake then go to town building your 'campfire'

A cake any camper will love