Letters to Myself

I am amused as all get-out that you people actually think I can bake. Well, okay, I can. Banana bread. But that's it. For those of you filled with secret, or not so secret cakey Coca Cola cake desires, I offer you this, so that you will back off, man:

Coca-Cola Cake
15 servings
Hands on: 15 minutes.
Total time: 1 hour.

This is our favorite recipe for the Atlanta classic. The cake gets a nice, light crumb from the bubbly Coke and buttermilk and the secret addition of mini-marshmallows that melt into the batter. It also tastes like Coke. Not lame chocolate cake, but Coke.

For the cake:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups mini-marshmallows
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup Coca-Cola
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 6 tablespoons Coca-Cola
• 1 (16-ounce) box confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, sift together sugar and flour. Add marshmallows. In saucepan, mix butter, oil, cocoa and cola. Bring to a boil and pour over dry ingredients; blend well. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk just before adding to batter along with eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well. Pour into a well-greased 9-by-13-inch pan and bake 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and frost immediately.

To make the frosting: Combine butter, cocoa and cola in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over confectioners' sugar, blending well. Add vanilla extract and pecans. Spread over hot cake. When cool, cut into squares and serve.

--- From "Great Cooks of the South Entertain Southern Style," published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Per serving: 547 calories (percent of calories from fat, 42), 4 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 26 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 58 milligrams cholesterol, 229 milligrams sodium.