Chocolate Cola Cake & Salted Peanut Butter Glaze

As you know, I’ve baked a Coca Cola Cake in the past. There’s just something magical about the secret Coca Cola recipe baked into a moist chocolate cake – really. But I got to thinking…as I sat in the summer sunset on my porch…in the South, it’s not uncommon for folks to really take the salty-sweet combo (it truly is delicious, by the way) to the extreme of adding salted peanuts to “Coke.”
(I also believe everything is “coke,” in terms of beverages, so further specifications are needed when seriously ordering). Not that I want to soak peanuts in my cola beverage, but it got my mind going – of course. I thought about pretzels to add into the mix, but kept it simple: Chocolate Cola Cake & Salted Peanut Butter Glaze.

You’ll love these little mini bundt cakes, even if you’re not from the South or accustomed to drinking sweet tea and coke with peanuts!

Chocolate Cola Cake & Salted Peanut Butter Glaze

2 cups Coca-Cola (or other cola soda)1 1/2cups dark brown sugar3/4cup cocoa powder8 Tbs. butter, cut into 1″ cubes3 cups all purpose flour2 tsp. baking soda1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup Coca-Cola (or other cola soda)
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the cola, brown sugar, and cocoa powder into a medium sauce pot and mix to combined, being careful not to fizz over the cola. Add the butter. Place over a medium heat and bring the mixture to a bubble, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat to cool slightly.

While the mixture cools, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Pour the slightly cooled but still a bit warm chocolate-cola mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into a large greased sheet pan, bundt cake pan, or several mini bundt cake pans. (Baker’s Joy seems to work best for greasing the intricate folds of a decorate bundt pan). 

Place the pan into the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the middle to check for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, remove. If not, bake for 5 minutes more. Time may vary with the size of your pan. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

Invert the pan and release the cake(s) onto a large sheet of parchment paper.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, simmer together the powdered sugar, peanut butter, last of the cola, and salt. Stir constantly until smooth. Allow to cool slightly before drizzling over the cake(s).