It’s not a birthday I’ve thought about in the past but when it popped up on my calendar I thought it a great excuse to make a cake my mother-in-law gave me the recipe to years ago… Coca-Cola Cake. What can I say – it’s chocolatey, it’s gooey and frankly, it’s delicious.
Here are a few items I used
My trustee cake tin that works for cheesecakes as well as cakes – and seems to be the perfect size for everything… My favourite mixing bowl of all time! It takes me back to cooking lessons at school… The saucepan is amazing – it was an anniversary treat to myself (I’m not dull, honest!)
Right – now for the all important recipe!
Ingredients
For the cake
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 200g plain flour
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 tsp (large pinch) salt
- 1 large egg
- 125ml buttermilk *
- 125g butter
- 2 tbps cocoa powder
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 175ml Coca-Cola
For the icing
- 225g icing/confectioner’s sugar
- 30g butter
- 3 tbsp Coca-Cola
- 1tbps cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
* if you don’t have buttermilk it’s actually really easy to make yourself! Stir 1 rounded tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 125ml milk (semi skimmed or full fat, whatever you have). Combine and then leave for 30 minutes at room temperature. You now have buttermilk 🙂 (thank you Pioneer Woman/Ree Drummond!)
Method
Bake the cake...
- As with all cake baking – preheat your oven to 180 degrees and prep your cake tin. Line the cake tin with foil and then grease it to prevent the cake batter leaking. It might also be a good idea to put a baking tray in the oven as well, just in case there is any leakage you it will go on the tray rather than the oven floor!
- Mix together the sugar, flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in your mixing bowl. In a jug beat together the egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract.
- Now melt your butter in a heavy-based saucepan, together with the cola and cocoa powder – gently. Once the butter is melted, tip in the dry ingredients and stir well to combine. Then add the jug ingredients, beating now until blended.
- Pour the cake batter into your foiled tin and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes – I tend to check cakes 5 minutes before they are due to be ready, just in case. It depends on your oven (too many differing ovens over the years!). As with most cakes – the skewer/toothpick needs to come out clean.
- Once baked, your cake can come out of the oven but leave it to stand (on the tray from the oven if you used it) for about 15 minutes or so before you undo the springform bit. Gently peel away the foil and turn your beautiful cake out onto a wire rack to cool slightly (but the cake still needs to be warm when you ice it!)
Make the icing...
- First of all, sift your icing sugar and set it aside.
- Again, melt your butter gently in the Coca-cola and cocoa powder. Once the butter has melted remove it from the heat.
- Now add the vanilla extract and then slowly spoon in the sifted icing sugar, beating as you go.
- You’re looking for a slightly runny but spreadable consistency here
- Pour your icing over the still-warm cake – pour into the middle and in an ideal world it will pool in a perfect circle towards the edges and trickle beautifully down the sides.
- Leave to cool and the icing will lightly set. You can now transfer it to a plate for serving
