Diet Coke Chocolate Cake

The first thing my children did this morning was to run to their respective bedroom windows, look out and groan!! The much talked about snow didn't arrive, as a result there was much talk at the breakfast table as to when was the snow coming and would it be soon. Such impatience for freezing cold hands and feet!! I  have mixed feeling on the whole snow issue, to me there is nothing better than snuggling up with a mug of hot chocolate and a slice of chocolate cake (no such thing as too much chocolate) watching the snowflakes flutter past my kitchen window, however if I need to run to town for milk and bread, well then it's just a pain. So no matter what camp you're in on the snow issue, you can either drown your sorrows in a large slice of  cake or you can celebrate the total lack dangerous driving conditions, either way it will be fairly guilt free with only 282 kcal per slice. I like mine warmed in the microwave for 15-20 seconds and then smothered with cream or with some reserved ganache frosting...heaven.

Recipe thanks to Coca Cola

Yield: 12 slices

Ingredients:
250g Self-raising flour
45g (3 tbsp) Cocoa powder
5g (1 tsp) Bicarbonate of soda
150g Soft brown sugar
150g Butter
200ml Diet coke
150ml Buttermilk
2 Medium eggs
5g (1 tsp) Vanilla extract

For the Ganache frosting:
100g Plain chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces
45ml (3 tbsp) Diet Coke
45ml (3 tbsp) Buttermilk

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350F Gas Mark 4, gas mark 4. Grease a 20.5cm loose-bottomed, spring release cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar.

Put the butter in a saucepan and melt over gentle heat. Add the Diet Coke to the butter and stir to mix, making sure mixture does not boil. Remove from the heat. Beat together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract. 

Quickly whisk the cola mixture into the dry ingredients, then whisk in the buttermilk mixture. Mix gently but thoroughly. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. 

Bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. To make frosting, place the chocolate and Diet Coke in a saucepan. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring until the chocolate has melted. 

Remove from the heat and stir in the buttermilk. Place the cake on a plate and spoon over the chocolate mixture. Allow to set.