Coca-Cola Chocolate Bliss Cake

I recall the first time I was served a slice of coke cake. It was back in the early 90's when a neighbor brought one over to us. It was very good, but a bit too heavy on the chocolate. Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate, but it drowned the coke flavor out almost completely. Years later, and I think I've got it down. It's still not going to punch you in the face with coke flavor, as the soda is just a suble player, but the adjustments really help enhance it. This is what you'll need for a 9 x 13 sheet cake:

Photo bySugar Spun Run

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) Coca-Cola
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) Coca Cola
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13x9-inch cake pan, then set it aside.
For the cake, combine Coca-Cola, vegetable oil, butter, and unsweetened cocoa in a large saucepan, bringing it to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in the sugar and flour.
Next, add the eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla, mixing everything until the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking or cooling, prepare the frosting.
In a medium-sized saucepan, cook the cola over medium-high heat until it reduces to about 1/3 to 1/2 cup. To check, carefully pour the cola into a heatproof liquid measuring cup.
Once reduced, return the cola to the pan, add butter and salt, and cook over medium-low heat until the butter melts (if the mixture looks separated, don’t worry—it will come together).
Remove from heat, whisk in cocoa powder until smooth, then add powdered sugar and whisk until the frosting is smooth and lump-free.
Immediately pour or spread the frosting over the warm cake. Optionally, you can make this a poke cake by creating 40-50 holes using a chopstick or the handle of a thin wooden spoon before adding the frosting. This will help it soak into the cake.
Allow the cake to cool and the frosting to set before slicing and serving. It’s delicious on its own or paired with vanilla ice cream! Enjoy!

*Notes:
Do not use Dutch process cocoa. This is one of the reasons you won't taste the coke flavor. Dutch process is too strong and will overpower the soda.

Store (covered) at room temperature for 3-5 days, depending on your humidity level. Cover well if storing in the fridge.