My husband, Phillip, has been dreaming about this cake for the better part of a year. If you’ve noticed that I do a lot of cherry + chocolate desserts, it’s all because of him. Okay, maybe like 80% because of him. I love cherry, too. Phillip, though, revealed to me sometime this summer that he loves to drink a Coca-Cola with his cherry chocolate desserts. I don’t fully understand the appeal, because I’m not a huge Coca-Cola drinker, but I promised him for his birthday that I would concoct a cake with this flavor combination.
I had heard of Coca-Cola chocolate cakes, but I didn’t believe that the soda would retain its flavor when mixed in with all that chocolate. So for months, I pondered how to make a strong Coca-Cola syrup that I could add to a buttercream without the taste getting lost in all that butter. As I went through the possibilities out loud, my genius husband said, “What about a Bundt cake?”
To fully appreciate my excitement about this idea, you should understand that I have a slight obsession with Bundt cakes and, more particularly, Bundt cake pans. For my birthday, which is only 9 days before his, Phillip bought me three vintage Bundt cake pans. I now own a total of 6 Bundt cake pans, and I have plans to purchase at least 3 more in the coming months.
So when Phillip suggested a Bundt cake with a Coca-Cola glaze, it was really like I was getting another birthday gift. I already knew exactly what I wanted the cake to be. Maraschino cherries were a definite must, because despite the fact that they are chemical-laden mutant fruit, they are delicious and happen to be one of Phillip’s favorite things. He drinks the juice. What? Gross. But, to each his own.
The glaze, on the other hand, caused some contention. I had read on other blogs about a Coca-Cola glaze involving butter and powdered sugar. I whipped that up, but had Phillip try it before pouring it on the cake. “No.” was his definitive answer. It was too sweet and didn’t taste enough like Coke. So the two of us went back to the drawing board, and I used his knowledge of sauce-making (he’s the cook in our house) to concoct a more “pure” glaze.
While I still think that the glaze loses some of its potency when coupled with the chocolate, Phillip was a happy camper. He does insist that the cake be served with an ice cold bottle of Coca-Cola. Happy 25th birthday to my husband with unique tastes!
CHERRY CHOCOLATE COCA-COLA CAKE
- Cake Magic
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup (40 grams) cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (225 grams) water
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cups (350 grams)granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (120 grams) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cherry extract
- ½ cup maraschino cherries, roughly chopped
- 8 whole maraschino cherries for garnish (optional)
- 2 cups Coca-Cola, divided
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush Cake Magic onto the inside of a 10-cup Bundt cake pan. (Alternatively, butter and flour the inside of the cake pan.)
- In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cocoa powder, salt, and water. Melt over medium heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and baking soda. Gradually pour in the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly with your opposite hand, until the mixture is smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking until combined after each addition. Whisk in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and cherry extract until smooth. Stir in chopped cherry pieces.
- Pour the batter into your prepared Bundt cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto the wire rack and let it cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together ½ cup Coca-Cola and the cornstarch in a small bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine remaining 1½ cups Coca-Cola, sugar, and vanilla extract. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and continue to whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat, transfer to a measuring cup for easy pouring, and allow to cool slightly; the glaze will thicken a bit more as it cools. Pour over the top of the cooled Bundt cake. Garnish with whole maraschino cherries. Slice and serve with a cold Coca-Cola.
