Old fashioned chocolate cake

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02
 
       Title: OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE
  Categories: Cakes
       Yield: 1 cake
 
     3/4 c  Butter or margarine
            -- softened
   1 2/3 c  Sugar
       3    Eggs
       1 ts Vanilla extract
       2 c  All-purpose flour
     2/3 c  Hershey's Cocoa
   1 1/4 ts Baking soda
       1 ts Salt
     1/4 ts Baking powder
   1 1/3 c  Water
     1/2 c  Hard peppermint candy, opt.
            -(finely crushed)
            Add'l hard peppermint candy
            --(crushed), optional
 
 ----------------------------------FROSTING----------------------------------
       6 tb Butter or margarine
            - softened
   2 2/3 c  Powdered sugar
     1/2 c  Hershey's Cocoa
     1/3 c  Milk
       1 ts Vanilla extract
 
   Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour two 9-inch round
   baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan. In large mixer bowl, combine
   butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla; beat on high speed of electric mixer 3
   minutes. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking
   powder; add alternately with water to butter mixture, beating until
   blended. Add candy, if desired. Pour batter 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. Frost
   with ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING. Just before serving, garnish with
   peppermint candy, if desired. 8 to 10 servings.
   One-Bowl Buttercream Frosting:
 
   In small mixer bowl, beat butter. Add powdered sugar and cocoa
   alternately with milk; beat to spreading consistency (additional milk
   may be needed). Blend in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.
   Variation:
 
   Chocolate Cupcakes: Fill paper-lined muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in
   diameter) 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to
   25 minutes; cool. Frost. About 2-1/2 dozen cupcakes.
 
   Hershey's is a registered trademark of Hershey Foods Corporation.
   Recipe may be reprinted courtesy of the Hershey Kitchens.