Coca-Cola Cake with Broiled Peanut Butter Frosting

We want to thank Jane and Michael Stern of Gourmet magazine and co-authors of The Blue Willow Inn Cookbook for giving us this recipe. It is a deliciously moist cake that is gobbled up by everyone who tries it. You can substitute Pepsi for the Coca-Cola, but do not under any circumstances use a diet version of either beverage.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup Coca-Cola with fizz

½ cup buttermilk

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ cups miniature marshmallows

BROILED PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

⅔ cup smooth peanut butter

¼ cup milk

⅔ cup chopped peanuts

Preheat the oven to 350° degrees. Grease and flour a 9 × 13 × 2-inch sheet cake pan. In a large bowl combine the flour and sugar. In another bowl combine the butter, cocoa powder, and Coke. Pour this over the flour and sugar mixture. Stir until it is well blended. Add the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in the marshmallows. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and frost it while still barely warm.

For the broiled peanut butter frosting, in a medium-size mixing bowl beat the butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter together. Beat in the milk. Fold in the peanuts. Spread over the cake. Heat the oven broiler and place the frosted cake under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat source. Broil just a few seconds or until the topping starts to bubble. Watch constantly and be careful not to scorch the frosting.

YIELD: 1 LARGE SHEET CAKE