Cocoa Cola Bundt Cake

Traditional Coca-Cola cake, a staple of the American South, usually comes in the form of a chocolate sheet cake that's doused in a gooey glaze. The batter is splashed with a bit of cola, sometimes for flavor but mostly for fluff; the soda's carbonation acts as a leavening agent, similar to baking soda or baking powder,

Ingreadient

Cola Syrup

• 3 cups cola soft drink
• .50 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cake

• Baking spray with flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter (8 ounces), softened
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• .50 cup granulated sugar
• 2.50 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 5/8 ounces)
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• .50 teaspoon baking powder
• .50 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• ⅔ cup buttermilk
• .50 cup sour cream
• 1.50 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Glaze

• ¾ cup powdered sugar (about 3 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon whole milk

Additional Ingredients

• Sweetened whipped cream and amarena cherries (optional)

Direction

Make the cola syrup:

1. Bring cola and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1 cup, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Reserve 1/4 cup cola syrup in a liquid measuring cup for glaze.

Make the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray. Stir butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar into remaining 3/4 cup cola syrup in saucepan. Cook over medium-low, stirring often, until butter is melted and sugars are dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool 5 minutes.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs and egg yolks, buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla, and zests in a medium bowl; gradually whisk in slightly cooled syrup mixture until well combined. Make a well in center of flour mixture; add egg mixture, stirring until well combined. Spoon batter into prepared Bundt pan. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack, and let cool completely, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Make the glaze:

1. Whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, cocoa, and reserved 1/4 cup cola syrup in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in milk until creamy, pourable, and smooth.
2. Place cake on a plate. Pour glaze over cake. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Serve with whipped cream and cherries, if desired.