Dr. Pepper Cake

Please don't laugh at my decorating skills.  I never claimed to be a cake decorator.  My friend Kristi is engaged and getting married in just a couple of weeks.  Last night we threw her a bachelorette party and this was her cake.  Why a Dr. Pepper cake?  Because I rarely ever see her without a Diet Dr. Pepper, that's why.  Oddly enough, this cake doesn't taste like Dr. Pepper at all, there is even Dr. Pepper in the frosting and you can't taste it there either.  The cake tastes like chocolate, sort of a very sweet mild chocolate flavor.  It was extremely moist and I got a lot of compliments on it.  It was unlike any cake I've made in the past, I'll explain why as we go.

Begin by creaming the sugar, butter and vanilla together.

Add the eggs one at a time.  Then add the other dry ingredients and the buttermilk - but not the marshmallows or Dr. Pepper.

Once the mixture is incorporated; stir in the Dr. Pepper.  Once this is blended add the marshmallows.

Pour the mixture into two well greased 9" cake pans, or a 9x13 inch pan.  Bake the round pans for about 35 minutes and the 9x13 inch pan for about 40-50 or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This is the part that was different for me than other cakes.  They didn't really mound up in the middle like I'm used to cakes doing.  They sort of stayed flat.  This made frosting them much easier but it also gave me un-necessary doubts about how it would taste.  As you can see above, the marshmallows are visible.  I let them cool for about 10 minutes in the pans, then inverted them onto cooling racks until they were cool enough to frost.

I used wax paper on the bottom of my cake stand so that when I frosted the cake, I could pull the wax paper away and the cake stand would still be clean. 

I turned both cakes upside-down to frost them since the bottoms were perfectly flat.  The frosting I used also had Dr. Pepper in it and tastes like a mild chocolate flavor.  You can't taste the Dr. Pepper at all.

I of course "decorated" mine for my friends soon-to-be wedding.  Feel free to draw stick figures on yours too.

I took pictures of the cake while I was at the party.  It was very moist and delicious.  I will make this again for sure!

Recipe is from Cooks.com

1 C. Butter
1 3/4 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 Eggs
2 C. Flour
2 Tbsp Cocoa
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 C Buttermilk
1 1/2 C. Mini Marshmallows
1 C. Dr. Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients except Dr. Pepper and marshmallows.  Blend at low speed for 1 minute, then beat 1 minute at medium speed.  Add Dr. Pepper, blend well.  Stir in marshmallows.  Pour batter into greased 9x13 inch pan, or two 9 " round pans.  If using a 9x13 bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  If using the round pans check it at around 35 minutes.  If using the round pans, cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.  Don't frost until the cake is cool.

Frosting:

1/2 C butter, softened
3 tsp. Cocoa
1/3 C. Dr. Pepper
4 C. powdered sugar
1 C Pecans, chopped (optional)

Combine all the ingredients except Pecans, beat until smooth.  Stir in the pecans (if you're using them).