Coca Cola Cake

When it's hotter than hot in the southern most south, what sounds better than an ice-cold coke?  Well, a southern to the core cola cake to go along with that beverage, of course!  This here is a recipe we (my daughter and I) tried from my Southern Living best kept Secrets of the South's Best Cooks cookbook.  This cake is Satan in a Sunday hat.

1 cup Coca Cola
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Coca-Cola Frosting
Garnish: 3/4 chopped pecans, toasted

• Combine Coca-Cola and butter milk; set aside.

• Beat butter at low speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugar; beat until blended.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat at low speed until blended.

• Combine flour, cocoa, and soda.  Add to butter mixture alternately with cola mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat at low speed just until blended.
• Stir in marshmallows.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

• Bake for 35+ minutes.  Remove from oven; cool for 10 minutes.  Pour Coca-Cola frosting over warm cake.

Coca Cola Frosting:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup Coca Cola
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 (16 oz.) pkg. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

• Cook first three ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until butter melts.  Remove from heat; whisk in sugar and vanilla.

I didn't use pecans to garnish in my preparation.  Also, I was out of buttermilk so I substituted by adding 1/2 tbsp. of lemon juice to a 1/2 cup of milk (let this curdle for 5 minutes or so before adding your cola to the sour milk).

playing superman with daddy while he waits for cake!