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Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake

September 8, 2014

coke cake 12

About twenty years ago, when I was a teenager (can that be right? am I that old?), my Grandma was standing on the arm of an old reclining chair trying to point out to my Grandpa that the ceiling needed painted. I’m sure you can see this coming, but she slipped and fell, breaking her collarbone and wrist. This was not great news, but thankfully it wasn’t worse! (To this day, she still stubbornly refuses to allow us to help with some things. We will go over to her house to visit and she’ll have rearranged all her furniture BY HERSELF! Sigh…)

coke cake 1

Anyway, this particular incident was about 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. For as long as I can remember, we’ve held all holidays at my grandparents. ALL holidays. My Grandma was *always* the cook and host! A person without proper use of their limbs cannot prepare a Thanksgiving feast for the masses though. I always loved to be my Grandma’s helper. Growing up, she and I spent many an hour making baked treats, and still do to this day. It seemed like a fun endeavor to try to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for all the fam, but I was still pretty young. I felt ill-equipped to handle that feat on my own! Fortunately, my Uncle Andy is quite a foodie, so he and I joined forces. I’m really more the baker, and he’s the cook. Kitchen-wise, it was a good match.

coke cake 5   coke cake 14

Over the years, it’s become more difficult for my Grandma to prepare such dinners and entertain the way she used to. She turned 89 in August. As she puts it, she’s “pushing 90” now… but she’s been saying that pretty much since she was 80. We’ve been hearing it for years. Anyhow, my Uncle and I have slowly taken on more holiday dinner prep and it’s become the new family tradition these days. He and I ban together as a team to tackle the menu, and we’ve had a wonderful time at it!

coke cake 9

One year he handed me this recipe for Coca-Cola cake, suggesting we try it. But but BUT, this is NOT a traditional family recipe, I protested. His powers of persuasion won me over in the end. The lesson here is that it pays to be open-minded (sometimes) because this recipe truly is a gem.

coke cake 4

The chocolate flavor in this cake is not simple and straight-forward. It’s more interesting and complex! Something about the soda flavor makes this seemingly regular and plain chocolate cake just…. way more interesting. It’s no hum-drum chocolate cake. Try it… you’ll see what I mean. It’s also very moist and wonderful, thanks to a drizzly glaze that seeps down into the cake making it all gooey and delicious. Toasted pecans add a nice, nutty crunch. Did you ever know a dessert where pecans didn’t make it soooo much better? And it’s rich without being heavy or cloying. There’s a reason this recipe stuck around despite my initial rejection. It’s truly excellent! These days, it’s a family classic.

coke cake 15

Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake: via Southern  Living (could not find link)

Cake:

1 c. regular cola (I used Coke)

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 c. butter, softened

1 3/4 c. sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 c. mini-marshmallows

Icing:

1/2 c. butter

1/3 c. cola

3 tbsp. cocoa

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Garnish:

1 c. chopped pecans, toasted

For cake, combine the cola and buttermilk in a small bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar. Gradually add the eggs, beating at low speed. Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add to mixing bowl alternately with cola mixture, starting and ending with flour. Fold in mini-marshmallows. Pour into a greased and floured 9×13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. While cake is baking, prepare icing.

For icing, in a medium saucepan, bring the butter, cola, and cocoa powder to just a boil. Remove from heat. Whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla.

Remove the cake from the oven. Allow to stand 5 minutes. Pour icing over hot cake. Garnish with toasted pecans. Allow to cool completely.

coke cake 7

Doooo it. You won’t be sorry.

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Filed Under: Cakes & Cupcakes, Desserts, Recipes 17 Comments

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Lovely comments

  1. Living The Sweet Life says

    September 8, 2014 at 2:17 pm

    🙂 Your grandmother sounds like a delight – lol I love that she says she’s “pushing 90” hahaha, that’s adorable!! Grandma’s – they’re such gems !!
    This sounds like a great cake, adding marshmallows is genius!!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      September 8, 2014 at 3:27 pm

      Grandparents are the *best*. My Grandma is my favorite person on the entire planet! She’s definitely a hilarious individual – at least we think so! 🙂

      Marshmallows pretty much make everything better, right? Thanks for the comment!!

      Reply
  2. Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says

    September 19, 2014 at 10:11 am

    I have been meaning to try this! Thanks for linking up with Show Stopper Saturday!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      September 19, 2014 at 10:17 am

      Thank YOU for hosting! 🙂 And thank you for stopping by! This cake is delicious… probably not one that could be healthified easily, but is worth the splurge! Haha.

      Reply
  3. Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says

    September 19, 2014 at 6:21 pm

    This looks so good! Thanks for linking up with Saturday Night Fever! Pinned to the new Saturday Night Fever board! http://www.pinterest.com/ashlynedwards/saturday-night-fever-party/

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      September 19, 2014 at 6:29 pm

      Oh great – thank you so much! Thank you for hosting the party and I appreciate you stopping by!! 🙂 Happy Friday to you!

      Reply
  4. Jenni @ Jenni's Ferris Wheel of Food says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:55 am

    I love a good stubborn grandma story! Both of mine are/were the same way! And, this cake looks wonderful. Stopping by from Tickle My Tastebuds!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      October 7, 2014 at 11:12 am

      Hahaha! I know what you mean – grandparents are such characters and I love hearing stories about the eccentricities of other people’s grandparents too. They’re special people! My Gma is my favorite person in the world and cracks me up daily. 🙂 Thank you for popping over here! Have a great day! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Margot says

    March 4, 2017 at 4:41 pm

    This sounds fun! I have never heard of Coca-Cola cake before 😉

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      March 5, 2017 at 9:07 pm

      We love, love, LOVE it!! My uncle found the recipe years ago, and we’ve been making it ever since. It’s a subtle flavor that really adds to chocolate so nicely!! And the glaze on top is incredible! 🙂

      Reply

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Hello, It’s Nice to Meet you!

I'm Sarah! A baker and dessert maker, craft addict, beauty product hoarder, and fitness enthusiast. I have a special affinity for shiny gold objects. I get distracted by glitter and sequins. If it's gleaming and lustrous, I need it. Welcome! Please stay awhile! Read More…

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