Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake for Dave's 31st Birthday

Dave sent me this recipe from Southern Living because he wants this cake for his birthday in the fall. I'm posting it here now so I don't lose it. The reviews say there's too much batter for the two 9-inch cake pans specified in the recipe, so I've changed it to 3. Reviewers have baked the cake in either three 8-inch or three 9-inch pans with good results.

Update: The cake turned out great. The icing is very sweet and there will be a lot of icing on the cake if you use it all. Serve thin slices or be ready for a sugar rush.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1-1/2 cups (9 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 8-oz container sour cream
• 1 cup cola soft drink (with sugar, not diet)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Coat 3 (8 or 9 inch) round baking pans with cooking spray and dust with flour.
3. Microwave chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl on medium (50% power) about 2 minutes, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.
4. Beat white sugar, brown sugar and butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed about 4 minutes or until well blended.
5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until just blended after each addition.
6. Add melted chocolate, beating until just blended.
7. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Stir.
8. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating on low speed until just blended after each addition.
9. Place cola in a microwavable cup.
10. Microwave on HIGH until hot, about 45 seconds.
11. Gradually add cola to flour-butter mixture in a slow, steady stream, beating on low speed until just blended.
12. Beat in vanilla.
13. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
14. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 33 to 36 minutes.
15. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
16. Remove cakes from pans.
17. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely, about 1 hour.
18. Make the frosting.

Fudgy Cola Frosting

Makes about 3-1/2 cups

• 1 cup softened butter
• 6 cups unsifted powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3-6 Tbsp cola soft drink (with sugar, not diet) as needed

1. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
2. Sift together powdered sugar, cocoa and salt in a bowl.
3. Stir together vanilla and 5 Tbsp of cola in a small bowl.
4. Add powdered sugar mixture to butter alternately with vanilla mixture, beginning and ending with powdered sugar mixture, beating on low speed until just blended after each addition.
5. Beat in remaining 1 Tbsp cola to mixture, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed, until desired consistency is reached.
6. Spread Fudgy Cola Frosting between completely cooled cake layers and on top and sides of cake.

Optional: decorate top of iced cake with assorted sizes of...

• white sugar pearls