1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk 
2 tablespoons red food color (Note: paste food coloring does better than the liquid type)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-process
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar  

Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional Buttercream Frosting)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
1 pound box confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

2 cups HERSHEY'S ® MINI CHIPS ™ Semisweet Chocolate, optional

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 13x9-inch or 2, 9-inch round pans. 

2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl; add eggs and vanilla, beating well. Stir together buttermilk and food color. Stir together flour, cocoa and salt; add alternately to butter mixture with buttermilk mixture, mixing well. Stir in baking soda and vinegar. Pour into prepared pan. 

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (If using 2, 9-inch round pans, bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.) Place pans on wire cake rack to cool for 10 minutes and then remove cake to the same rack to cool completely. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost; garnish with chocolate chips, if desired. 

 4. Variation: For heart shapes using the 13x9-inch pan: Using open-topped heart-shaped cookie cutter (at least 1-1/2 inches deep and 3-inches wide), cut cake into 12 hearts. Frost and decorate as directed.

For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter. Beat in confectioners’ sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Stir in pecans. Use frosting to fill and ice cake. Slice and serve on individual plates.

OPTIONAL: Buttercream Icing Makes enough for 1 9-inch 4 layer cake plus decoration or enough icing for a 9x13 with decoration. For larger cakes you will need to double the batch (only if you have a 7qt or 12 qt mixer) or make several batches.

2 cups Crisco Shortening
1 stick Butter, slightly soft but not mushy
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. clear vanilla extract ( Clear vanilla would color the icing and is found at cakeware stores. You can  also use almond extract, which is clear or regular vanilla extract.)
2 pounds powdered sugar ----- 8 cups, sifted

In your mixer bowl, beat the shortening until it's smooth, add the butter and cream together until smooth and light and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup of the heavy cream and the vanilla and mix well.

Add half the powdered sugar and mix for 5 minutes on low-med. speed. Add remaining sugar and mix well. Add more cream if necessary to adjust the consistency. If you want a more dense buttercream, then only mix and be done. For a lighter one, beat the buttercream on a low - med. speed for about another 10 minutes.

Notes: For a super smooth buttercream, don't beat as long. BUT this buttercream will be more ivory than when it's beaten longer. It's easiest to smooth out when it's fresh.

I'm asked all the time about this icing crusting and how long it can be left out. So, it doesn't really crust, it will need smoothed with a hot knife if you want a super smooth surface. This is great because a cake can be done one night and the icing will still be creamy the next day for serving.

As for sitting out, I have left this buttercream in a tight tupperware for several days at room temperature, several weeks in the refrigerator or several months (6+) in the freezer without problems.

No matter how you store the buttercream, be sure to beat it vigorously with a heavy spoon before using to take away the spongy texture.

cake recipe from Hershey's.com