CHOCOLATE CHERRY COLA CAKE

I love to celebrate birthdays with the crew and my bandmates. When we’re on the road, it’s nice to have the band family celebrate. Jimi’s birthday falls at the end of October, and I sometimes make this silly chocolate cherry cola cake for him, decorating the top with chocolate cherry cordials or gummy candies. I always let him choose what he’s got a hankering for, and it’s often this.

Make one 9 x 13-inch cake

CAKE

1 BOX DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE MIX

1 CUP (8 OUNCES) CHERRY COLA

½ CUP VEGETABLE OIL

3 EGGS

1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT

ONE 10-OUNCE JAR MARASCHINO CHERRIES, DRAINED (RESERVE ¼ CUP OF THE LIQUID) AND CHOPPED

FROSTING

⅓ CUP BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

4½ CUPS POWDERED SUGAR, SIFTED

¼ CUP MILK

1½ TEASPOONS VANILLA EXTRACT

ONE 7-OUNCE JAR MARSHMALLOW CRÈME

18 FRESH CHERRIES, CHOPPED

1. Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch cake pan.

2. Whisk together the cake mix, cherry cola, oil, eggs, vanilla, and the reserved cherry juice in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the maraschino cherries. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for at least 1 hour.

3. Make the frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla, then beat in the remaining powdered sugar. Add the marshmallow crème and mix well, then fold in the cherries. Frost the cooled cake in the pan.

SOUTHERN SIMPLE: If I make this in July I’ll use fresh pitted cherries in the frosting for a bit of tang and garnish the top with fresh cherries as well. Jimi and I can eat our weight in fresh cherries during the summer. We’re always bringing them on the bus to share. If it isn’t cherry season, I use bright red maraschino cherries in the frosting.

SOUTHERN MOTHER: For a really silly decoration for a kid’s party, top the cake with some cherry- and cola bottle–shaped gummy candies.