Orange Cocoa Cake

Your guests will be so impressed by this cake! Alternating layers of cocoa and orange cake two flavors that pair so well together in between orange buttercream make this recipe truly special. The chocolate layers of this cake are moist and flavored by rich HERSHEYS Cocoa. The orange layers are bright and citrusy thanks to the use of freshly grated orange peel. And like good friends the different flavors in this Orange Cocoa Cake bring out the best in each other.
Ingredients

12 cup
Cocoa
12 cup
boiling water
14 cup
butter or margarine 12 stick softened
14 cup
shortening
2 cups
sugar
18 tsp
salt
1 tsp
vanilla extract
2
eggs
1 12 tsps
baking soda plus 18 teaspoon divided
1 34 cups
allpurpose flour
1 cup
buttermilk or sour milk plus 3 tablespoons divided
Orange Buttercream Frosting
23 cup
butter or margarine softened
6 cups
powdered sugar divided
2 tsps
freshly grated orange peel
1 12 tsps
vanilla extract
4 to 6 Tbsps
milk
Directions
Heat oven to 350F. Grease three 8 or 9inch round baking pans line with wax paper.
2
Stir together cocoa and water in small bowl until smooth set aside. Beat butter shortening sugar salt and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs beat well. Stir 112 teaspoons baking soda into 1 cup buttermilk add to butter mixture alternately with flour.
3
Measure 123 cups batter into small bowl stir in remaining 18 teaspoon baking soda and 3 tablespoons buttermilk orange peel and orange extract. Pour into one prepared pan. Stir cocoa mixture into batter divide evenly between remaining two prepared pans.
4
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes remove from pans to wire racks. Carefully peel off wax paper. Cool completely.
5
Beat butter 1 cup powdered sugar orange peel and vanilla in large bowl until creamy. Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with milk beating to spreading consistency. If necessary add additional milk 12 teaspoon at a time to get desired spreading consistency. About 3 cups frosting.