Chocolate Cola Cake

Royal Crown cola (RC cola) has recently been launched in the UK (May 2011) and I was sent some samples to try out which arrived the other day. I don't really drink a lot of fizzy drinks, but I did share a can with Todd and it was a.o.k. I preferred the diet one, but then that is just me. I prefer diet drinks in most soft drinks as they don't seem to be quite as sweet to me.

Royal Crown cola was born out of the efforts of a young pharmacist in Columbus, Georgia; Claude A. Hatcher began creating his own soft drinks and the results of his experiments became the American soft drink RC cola.

Created in 1905, RC cola is one of America’s original colas and is already available across the globe in over 45 countries and is now available in Asda stores nationwide. RC cola is keeping it's retro 50's image as it launches in the UK

RC cola built up its brand name by introducing a series of industry firsts:

1950s – First to sell soft drinks nationally in cans and to introduce the 16 ounce bottle

1960s – First to introduce a low-calorie diet cola, Diet Rite, and the all aluminium beverage can

1980s – First to introduce a caffeine free diet cola, RC 100 and a diet cherry cola Diet Cherry RC

RC cola is a part of American popular culture:

Television/Movies –RC was featured in the Jerry Lewis movie, The Nutty Professor and The Green Mile with Tom Hanks.

Of course I could not let the opportunity pass without using some of it to create something positively scrummy.

Chocolate Cola Cake. Yeppers. Can anyone really have too much chocolate cake?

I think not! And this Chocolate Cola Cake is especially moist and delicious and comes with a scrummy chocolate sauce, that is not only scrumdiddlyumptious spooned over the cake, but also quite irresistable when spooned over vanilla ice cream. Just sayin is all.

I'd like to be able to say that it is completely non fattening . . . and that it's all a part of a healthy diet . . . but alas . . . tis not. More's the pity . . . In fact . . . you probably don't even want to go there . . .

Coz I could easily eat this every day of the week! Many thanks to the people at RC Cola for sending me some samples. I have my eye on a Ham that is cooked in Cola which I think I will try next, except it will have to be gammon, coz that's what they have over here.

And now??? Let's eat Cake!!

*Chocolate Cola Cake*

serves 8

A deliciously moist chocolate cake with a chocolate cola buttercream icing. Serve with a tasty chocolate sauce and some mini marshmallows for an extra special treat.

For the cake:

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a 9 inch loose bottomed round cake pan. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking soda together in a large bowl. Melt the butter and cola together. Add to the dry ingredients along with the milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix gently bur thoroughly. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Beat together all the ingredients together for the icing until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake.

To make the sauce, melt the butter and sugars together until they no longer feel grainy. Whisk in the cream and heat through. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.

Cut the cake into slices to serve. Sprinkle with some marshmallows and spoon some of the chocolate sauce over top.

RC Cola, available only as ASDA. A 2 litre bottle of RC cola retails at £1.28, while the 6 x 330ml multi-packs retails at £1.87.

Cooking in The Cottage today a delicious Roast Chicken Pie.