Cola Chocolate Chip Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: one hour, twenty minutes

Ingredients:

2-1/3 cups flour
one teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted (one stick)
one cup cola, at room temperature
one square semisweet baking chocolate
3/4 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup vegetable oil
two teaspoons vanilla
two cups sugar
two eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
one cup powdered baking cocoa
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
.
Optional Frosting:
1-1/4 cups chocolate chips, powdered sugar, or prepared chocolate frosting

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with non-stick foil. (If using regular foil, grease and flour with powdered cocoa.)

Merge butter, cola, and semisweet chocolate baking square in a saucepan. Remove the mixture from the heat when it comes to a boil. Stir in marshmallows until blended and smooth. Set aside to cold.

In a medium bowl, merge flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a whisk so the ingredients are equally distributed.

Add half of the flour mixture to egg mixture and beat well, scraping down sides often. Add cooled cola mixture and beat. Add remainder of flour and beat until combined. Fold in 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips. Batter will be thick.

In a immense bowl, merge shortening, oil, vanilla, and sugar, blending until mixed. Add eggs, buttermilk, and cocoa, beating at medium speed until smooth.

Pour batter in to prepared baking pan. Place on the top shelf in the oven and bake about 50 minutes or until it tests done. (See frosting options below.) Let cold before cutting to serve.

Optional Frostings:
Sprinkle 1-1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips on hot cake as soon as you remove it from the oven. Wait three to five minutes for the chips to melt, then smooth with a spatula to frost the cake. Alternatively, wait until cake is cooled and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar or spread on store-bought prepared chocolate frosting.

Yield: 36 to 48 servings, depending on cut size