Secret-ingredient cake

Here's a fabulous recipe from All You, the magazine where I work. Usually at photo shoots none of us eat much of the food being shot -- but when we shot this cake, we all couldn't stop eating it! It's a simple one-layer cake, perfect for snacking -- and the secret ingredient is cola.

I first was introduced to the idea of soda as a cooking/baking ingredient at 17, when I moved to North Carolina for my freshman year of college (I transferred to USC in Los Angeles after 1 year). I find you don't exactly taste the cola in this cake, but it has a richness and a sweetness that feels familiar but is hard to place. A little goes a long way, and I definitely recommend having a cold glass of milk nearby. But I think it's a perfect afternoon treat.

I'm off to LA this weekend -- Mark and a few of his colleagues were nominated for 3 awards by the Visual Effects Society for their work on the movie Synecdoche, New York. (It's a great film! If you haven't seen it, go see it, or rent it on DVD, I believe it's coming out next month.) I'm technically too pregnant to fly (I'll be 35 weeks on Monday), but I just couldn't miss this event! I'll let you know what happens. Have a great weekend!


Enjoy!

Chocolate Cola Cake with Cola Frosting
Serves: 16
Cost per serving: 36 cents

CAKE:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup cola

FROSTING:
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tbsp. cola
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Make cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.

2. In a pan, combine butter, cocoa and cola; cook over low heat, stirring, until butter has melted. Stir into flour mixture, then whisk in egg mixture.

3. Pour batter into cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.

4. Make frosting: Cook butter, cocoa and cola over medium-low heat, stirring, until butter has melted and ingredients are well mixed. Place confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Pour cola mixture over sugar and whisk well. Stir in vanilla.

5. Poke holes all over top of hot cake with a fork or toothpick. Pour warm frosting over cake. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack.