Hershey's One-Bowl Syrup Cake

     Today just happens to officially be National Chocolate Cake Day and if you're stuck in the winter doldrums, this One-Bowl Syrup Cake from Hershey's is guaranteed to lift your spirits and satisfy your craving for chocolate.  When I first read this recipe I scratched my head wondering how a batter using such little flour could possibly fill a 9 by 13 inch pan.  Made with only a few ingredients, this forgiving cake comes together easily, is a great recipe for beginning bakers and cooks beautifully in your dutch oven.  In my 12 inch oven it baked for 45 minutes with 12 briquettes around the base of the oven, 18 coals in a ring around the outside of the lid with 8 spaced evenly in the center.  Being a cold and windy day, I rotated the lid halfway through cooking time to even out the temperature.  I used a can of milk chocolate frosting but try your favorite recipe or even dust it with confectioner's sugar.  This delicious one-bowl cake is tailor made for outdoor cooking and you'll be surprised by how easy baking a cake from scratch can be.

Hershey's One-Bowl Syrup Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups (1 16 oz. can) HERSHEY'S Syrup

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and eggs until thoroughly blended.
     Add flour and baking soda, blending well.
     Add syrup; mix thoroughly.
     Spread batter in prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
     Cool completely before removing from dutch oven.
     Frost and garnish as desired.

Pour batter into parchment lined 12 inch dutch oven

Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees or until tester
comes out clean

Cool completely before removing from oven and frosting

A cake that's fun to make and amazingly good