I was born and raised in Atlanta. And, in Atlanta, we drank Coca Cola. It was part of the fabric of the city. The syrup to make Coca Cola was created by pharmacist Dr. Josh Stith Pemberton in 1886. He took the syrup to Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, mixed it with carbonated water, and handed out free samples. The drink was an immediate hit, and was sold for 5 cents a glass. Apparently, Pemberton didn’t see the long-term potential of his product and gave or sold much of his shares in it.
Two years later, Asa G. Candler, an Atlanta businessman, purchased the rest of his shares, and took ownership of the company. Candler went on to make a fortune, and became a major philanthropist in Atlanta. Candler invested heavily in land to keep Atlanta out of a building slump, and gave Emory College over $7 million to relocate to Atlanta and become a university.
We moved to Vinings on the west side of Atlanta when I was part way through the sixth grade. When we left there to go back to downtown to visit my grandparents, we always went down Paces Ferry Road, and past the Villa Juanita, a mansion built by Conkey P. Whitehead. The Whitehead family had purchased the rights to bottle and distribute Coca Cola from Asa Candler in 1888. We always tried to peek through the gates in the center of the 10-foot-high wall that surrounded the estate to oooh and aaaah at the mansion Coca Cola sales had built there. The mansion is still standing and is located next to the Governor’s Mansion.
Growing up in Atlanta, it seemed we only had Coke products to purchase. In fact, I remember going in to a restaurant the first time to find it only offered Pepsi products. For a girl from Atlanta, that seemed like heresy.
It should not be a surprise, then, that women in the south embraced Coca Cola in their cooking as well. The cake featured below is one of those Coke-based creations. The Coca Cola Cake uses Coke in both the cake and the icing. The cake is extremely moist and rich. Just don’t mess it up with a Diet Coke or a Pepsi in making it. In the case of this cake, Coca Cola is the real thing!
Believe it or not, some cooking history “nerds” have researched when this recipe appeared. They found the recipe for it in cookbooks printed in the early 1950s. Apparently, there was a resurgence in making the cake in the 1990s as well. Maybe we’ll bring it back again.
If you google the cake, you’ll find a lot of recipe options, and most are similar but not exactly the same. This is my mom’s exact recipe from the 1950s. Enjoy.
Coca Cola Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cake Ingredients:
- 2 sticks margarine
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups plain flour
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. cocoa
- 1 cup Coca Cola
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Step 1: Sift salt, flour and sugar in a large bowl.
Step 2: Heat cocoa and Coke to boiling and remove from the heat. Pour heated mixture over flour mixture.
Step 3: Add soda to the buttermilk and add to mixture. Then, add beaten eggs and vanilla. Stir and add marshmallows.
Step 4: Pour in oblong pan that’s been greased and floured.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Note: The batter will be think.
Cake Topping:
Step 1: Bring to boil:
- 1/3 cup Coca Cola
- 1 stick margarine
- 1 Tbsp. cocoa
Step 2: Empty 1 box of powdered sugar in a bowl. Pour the heated mixture over the sugar and mix well. Add 1 cup of chopped nuts and 1 tsp. of vanilla. Spread on warm cake.
Cake may be left in the baking dish to store. Cake will last up to five days. Keeping the cake in the fridge can dry it out.
