mothers day
cake
chocolate
dessert
baking
feed a crowd

A cola glaze is the icing on this decadent chocolate sheet cake from actress and mom Patricia Heaton.

For more chocolate cakes, try this Stovetop Chocolate Cake, Flourless Chocolate Cake With Almond Whipped Cream or One-Bowl Chocolate Cake with Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Adapted from Patricia Heaton's Food for Family and Friends: 100 Favorite Recipes for a Busy, Happy Life by Patricia Heaton. Copyright © 2018 by Patricia Heaton. Used with permission by William Morrow Cookbooks. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

For the cake:
  • 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 can cherry cola, (12-ounce)
  • 1 cup canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, well shaken
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the icing:
  • 1 can cherry cola, (12-ounce)
  • 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 16 pieces
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Yield

Serves: 24

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper that is long enough to hang over the longer sides.

Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the cola, oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla, and whisk until just combined, with no visible traces of flour. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Halfway through baking, prepare the icing: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer the cola until it’s reduced to ½ cup, 12 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until it’s completely dissolved. Combine the cocoa and confectioners’ sugar, and whisk them in, 1 cup at a time, until the icing is smooth.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, spread the icing over it. Set the cake on a wire rack and let it cool completely before serving. Wrapped in parchment paper, the cake will stay fresh for up to 3 days.