I know, I know – who thinks of these things? I would have never thought of adding cola to a cake, but that’s exactly what happens here. It doesn’t flavour the cake, but instead creates a sweet, moist, chocolate cake. However, the frosting on top does have that sickly-sweet cola flavour. I tend to use buttermilk substitutions instead of buying buttermilk – add 1 1/2tsp of lemon juice or vinegar to 125mL (1/2 cup) of milk, and leave for 10 minutes before using. Go on, give it a try – you won’t be disappointed!
Makes a 20cm (8 inch) square cake or 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cake
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For the icing
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Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (350°f). Grease and line a 20cm (8 inch) square tin.
- Add the butter, cola and cocoa to a saucepan and heat until melted.
- Place the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl, and add the egg, buttermilk, vanilla and cola into a jug.
- Add the cola-butter mixture to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for around 40 minutes, or until a few moist crumbs cling to a toothpick.
- Leave in the tin to cool for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
- For the icing, melt the butter and cola together as before. Remove from the heat and add vanilla. Mix in enough sifted sugar to make a smooth, runny icing.
- Cover the warm cake with icing and leave to cool before serving.
This recipe was originally from Nigella Lawson’s ‘How to be a Domestic Goddess‘.