Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

This is one of the BEST chocolate cakes I have made. Yummy and not hard at all.
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c flour
3/4 cu cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. boiling water

Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9" rounds or 9x13, or you can make this into cupcakes.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, powder, soda, and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 min. Stir in water. (Batter will be thin.) Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

Bake 30-35 min. or until pick comes out clean. Cool 10 min; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

The frosting that goes with it:
1/2 c butter or marg
2/3 c cocoa (I personally think this is too much)
3 c powdered sugar
1/3 c milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

The frosting that I used: (from yourcupofcake.com)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Buttercream:

½ cup butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese

4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbs strawberry puree
Puree strawberries by placing 1 or 3 berries (fresh or thawed from the freezer) in the blender.

11. Beat butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes. Slowly add powdered sugar and strawberry puree. Add food coloring if desired, and let beat for 4 more minutes.

(I got a little excited about the strawberry puree and added extra, then it was way too runny, so I added flour to make it think, but not too sweet...did you know about this trick? I just learned about it recently. DELICIOUS!) ourbestbites.com has a great flour frosting (white frosting) that's delicious...I haven't tried their chocolate, but next time I make this cake I plan on it!

Cafe Rio Salad

Okay, this is really yummy! I halved the whole thing because it makes a ton! Honestly, it's the dressing that makes it the best. You can probably do different recipes for the pork and even just do a more simple rice. But as long as you have that dressing. Oooh YUM!


Cafe Rio Pork

4-5 lbs pork roast (I used a shoulder)
2 cans (16 oz each) tomato sauce
3 tsp minced garlic
2 c. brown sugar
4-5 tsp cumin
3 Tbs molasses
4 c. Dr. Pepper

Mix all ingredients in crock pot, then add the meat and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high 4-6 hours. Shred meat and keep warm until served.

Here is an instant pot version of this meat.

Cafe Rio Rice

4 Tbs butter
2 1/2 c. long grain rice
4 1/2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 limes
4 Tbs fresh chopped cilantro
3/4 tsp cumin

Mix all ingredients in rice cooker or cook on the stove.


Cafe Rio Dressing
16 oz Green Salsa Verde (I used Pace green salsa)
1 package Ranch Buttermilk Dressing (dry)
1/2 c sour cream (I used buttermilk)
1/2 c mayo
1 c. chopped cilantro
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (red pepper)
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 c. sugar

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until cold.

Serve all the above on a warm tortilla with:
black beans, heated (just leave the liquid in)
fresh salsa
cheese
avocado
sour cream
lettuce