The pressure was beginning to mount. What the hell was I supposed to contribute (as a hostess gift) to a garden/BBQ party thrown by two caterers?  This was certainly one instance where slice n' bake cookies would not cut it (no pun intended).

Nothing says BBQ to me like "Texas," and nothing says "Texas" to me like my favorite Southern dessert: my mother's Coca-Cola cake. Rich, dense, moist and chocolately; this decadent dessert has the power to turn enemies in to friends, friends in to lovers and pessimists in to optimists. Trust me, this is the best chocolate cake that you will ever eat. Period.

Ingredients

*Recipe serves approximately 15-20

Cake

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups small marshmallows

• 1/2 cup salted butter

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 3 tablespoons cocoa (I swear by Hershey's)

• 1 cup Coca-Cola

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing

• 3/4 cup salted butter

• 4 1/2 tablespoons cocoa

• 9 tablespoons Coca-Cola

• 24 ounces (3 cups) confectioner's sugar (a.k.a. powdered sugar)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl, combine: sugar, flour and marshmallows.

3. In a saucepan, add: butter, oil, cocoa and Coca-Cola. Stir frequently and bring to a boil.

4. Pour over dry ingredients (sugar, flour, marshmallows), blending well.

5. In a separate bowl, combine: baking soda and buttermilk, then eggs and vanilla. Whisk briefly, then fold in to batter, mixing well.

6. Pour in to a greased 13'x9' pan (I use aluminum) and bake for 35-45 minutes, I typically set the timer for 40 min's.

While cake is baking, begin making icing (recipe below). Once cake is ready, remove from oven. Delicately prick holes in to cake (using a toothpick), then ice immediately. This will allow the icing to seep in to the cake's crevices.

Icing

1. In a saucepan, combine: butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola. Stir frequently and bring to a boil.

2. In a separate bowl, add confectioner's sugar. Pour boiled ingredients over confectioner's sugar and blend well.

3. Add vanilla extract and continue to mix until icing is smooth and free of clumps. Evenly spread over hot cake.

*When cake has cooled, cut in to squares and serve. Cake can be stored in or out of fridge, covered

…

Until we eat again,

Lindsay, The Lunch Belle