OLD FASHIONED COLA CAKE

Use your cola of choice (Coke or Pepsi) but DO NOT use the diet version.

 INGREDIENTS:
Cake:
1 pkg plain white cake mix
4 Tbl unsweetened cocoa powder
8 Tbl (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 C cola
1/2 C buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 C miniature marshmallows
Frosting:
8 Tbl (1 stick) butter or margarine
4 Tbl unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 C cola
3 C confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 C chopped pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly mist a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray.
2. Place the cake mix, cocoa powder, melted butter, cola, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Fold in the marshmallows. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the spatula.
3. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan (40 to 42 minutes). Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Place the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. as the butter melts, stir in the cocoa powder and cola. Let the mixture come just to a boil, stirring constantly, and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar until the frosting is thickened and smooth. Fold in the pecans (optional).
5. Pour the frosting over the top of the cake, spreading it out with a spatula so that it reaches the edges of the cake. Cook for 20 minutes before serving.
6. Store the cake, covere din aluminum foil, at room temp for up to 1 week OR freeze it, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving.

BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTE: 1 Tbl of lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough milk to equal one cup. Allow this to sit for five minutes before adding to your recipe!