Fried Pies & Fireflies: Southern Coca Cola Cake

It was my day off and it rained...and rained...

I could not do the yard work I had planned...

I could not paint the swings and deck chairs...

What else was there to do but to cook??

This recipe said: Make the icing a day ahead of time

and keep at room temperature.

And...it just could not be done...

this was an emergency...

an "I want to bake a wonderful chocolate cake emergency"...

I certainly cannot wait until tomorrow for the frosting...

so we will just have to take our chances...

we may have just a wonderful cake instead of a totally knock your socks off awesome cake since I did not wait a day...

but sometimes it's just that way ;)

My Momma came in the kitchen

when I had all the ingredients out...

"Gracious!" she said,

"Does this cake call for all the stuff in the pantry ?"

"Why, yes, Mom, this is serious!" I said...

"there's 7 sticks of butter laying on the counter!"

When it was all said and done, she just walked away,

with a smile on her face, licking the chocolate

from the mixer beater...my sweet 85 year-old Momma :)

Southern Coca Cola Cake

: 2 sticks unsalted butter; 3/4 cup mini marshmallows; 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped; (I did not have any--
so I had to do the
conversion with cocoa--
1 oz = 3 TBSP cocoa + 1 TBSP oil); 1 cup Coca-Cola, not diet; 2 1/3 cups (12 ounces) cake flour; 3/4 cup cocoa powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 cups sugar; 1 stick of butter; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 4 extra large eggs; 3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.

To prepare cake, melt butter in saucepan,

add marshmallows and stir until melted.

Add chocolate and stir over low heat until melted.

Add Coca-Cola, then set aside and let cool 10 minutes.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Place sugar, stick of butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.

Beat with a mixer on medium speed.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add cooled chocolate mixture and beat on low until combined.

Add half the flour mixture,

then the buttermilk, then the remaining flour.

Scrape down sides of bowl after each addition.

Scrape into prepared cake pans. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until cake springs back when touched lightly. Cool on wire racks.

When completely cool, frost and enjoy!

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Icing
: 4 sticks butter; 1/2 cup Coca-Cola; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup cocoa powder; 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
(conversion--1 oz chocolate =3 TBSP cocoa + 1 TBSP oil); 1 1/4 pounds powdered sugar