Coca-Cola Cake

Greetings from Georgia! Yep, state number three on our trip all over the country. So far, we've had major success with Kentucky and Massachusetts. I'm noticing a trend in Warren Brown's cookbook. Many of the cakes are made in a meticulous fashion. I, however, am not so meticulous and am more willing to throw a little something here, and bit more chocolate there...

So, on to the coca cola cake & icing.

For the cake:
Dry
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 cups mini marshmallows

Wet
1 cup coca-cola
1/4 cup milk

Creaming
1.5 sticks butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 335 and place the baking rack in the middle position. Grease two 9x2 inch round pans and line with parchment paper

Measure dry ingredients and wet ingredients into separate bowls. Whisk together and set aside.

Combine butter and sugar in a bowl and mix with mixer on low speed for about 3-4minutes
Add eggs one at a time
Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients about a quarter at a time without pausing between additions  
Pour batter into prepared pans and bake about 30 minutes (edges will be just crispy and a toothpick should come out clean in the center) 

Cool cakes 15 minutes and invert onto a wire rack. 
Allow cakes to cool completely before assembling with buttercream. Finish the cake by adding chocolate curls on top and mini marshmallows along the side(To make chocolate shavings, run a veggie peeler along the slightly softened bar of chocolate (make sure it's good quality!) allowing a cur to form. Let the chocolate fall all over the cake.
 
For the Old-Fashion Chocolate Buttercream:
1 cup milk
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-3 oz of bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Quickly whisk together 4 tbsp of the milk with flour. It will be thick, so make sure you whisk it until smooth. Press out any lumps.
Whisk in the rest of the milk and coca powder and transfer mixture into 2-quart heavy bottom sauce pan. Bring to a simmer for about 30 seconds over medium, whisking constantly

Remove pan from heat, cover with lid, and cool for about 15-30 minutes. You can also cover with plastic wrap directly against surface. (This prevents a film or skin to form on the top of the chocolate)

Meanwhile, combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat on high speed

Add contents from the pot to mixer and continue to beat on high until the butter cream is smooth (about 4 minutes or so) Beat in vanilla and and chocolate.

Oh my gosh. SO SO SO GOOD. Try this immediately.

It oozed in the middle because we weer impatient but I think that adds to the charm of amateur baking!