My Birthday Cake -- The Rocky Road Cola Cake

 My Birthday Cake  --  I make this only once a year and always when others will be around otherwise I eat the whole thing!  It's a simply cake--no mixer needed--but oh, so moist and rich.  I usually use the Mexican Coke but any regular sugar Coca Cola will work.  Be sure to serve it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

ROCKY ROAD COLA CAKE                 Serves 12.

Cake:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

4 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup coca cola

2 large eggs, at room temp.

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

 Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup coca cola

1 tsp. instant espresso

2 T. water

1 lb. powdered sugar, sifted

5 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

1. To make cake, grease and flour (or spray with nonstick spray) a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt in a large bowl.  Bring butter and cola to a boil in a small saucepan.  Pour over the flour mixture and stir with a spoon until combined.  Whisk eggs in a medium bowl and add buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla.  Stir into batter until incorporated. The batter will be thin.  Pour into prepare pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

 2. While cake bakes, make the frosting.  Bring the butter, cola, instant espresso and water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Whisk the powdered sugar and cocoa together in a medium bowl and pour the butter-cola mixture over; stir until well blended.  Fold in the nuts and marshmallows.  Remove cake form oven and pour the frosting over the top of the hot cake, spreading to sides of pan.  Cool to room temperature.