At first glance, using any type of sweetened, aerated beverage in baking may seem odd, but it's actually quite common, and convenient. A quick Google search will reveal plenty of recipes, especially from Southern American cooking, which include cola or lemon-flavored soft drinks in baked goods. Aerated beverages were also used during the Great Depression when cooking ingredients were scarce, and rationed. These drinks not only add sweetness but also act as leavening agents just like baking soda or baking powder. In Southern America, around the ’50s and '60s, there was resistance from the church to adding alcohol in baked goods, so soda became a great alternative. The carbonation in the drinks also lead to a tender, moist, and softer crumb. So, we have a eggless cake recipe, and another homemade cake recipe featuring aerated beverages that you can easily replicate at home.
Cola Cake
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 400 gm granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 can of cola
- 21 gm Cadbury Cocoa Powder
- 2 eggs
- 120 ml buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 1 can cola
- ½ cup cubed, salted butter
- 20 gm Cadbury Cocoa Powder
- 450 gm powdered sugar
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare your cake tin by lining it with parchment paper. Alternatively, you can grease it with some softened butter and dust it with some flour. Make sure to shake off any excess flour.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, Cadbury Cocoa Powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon in a bowl. You can sift the flour beforehand to remove any lumps.
- Whisk the wet ingredients, eggs, buttermilk, cola, and the vanilla extract, until smooth. Then fold in the dry ingredients slowly and steadily without overmixing.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and let it bake for about 35 to 40 minutes. You can test whether the cake is completely cooked by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean, your cake is good to go.
- Let the cake cool for a half an hour and prepare your frosting in the meantime.
- Bring the second can of cola to a boil in a saucepan and reduce it to half its original volume.
- Add the cubed butter and Cadbury Cocoa Powder next. Whisk so you get a smooth consistency and then take it off the heat.
- Add the powdered sugar in batches, and keep whisking.
- Once the cake is cool to touch, pour the frosting and refrigerate.
Lemon-Lime Soda Bundt Cake
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 340 gm room temperature butter
- 600 gm sugar
- 360 gm flour
- 2 tbsp lemon extract
- 180 ml lemon-lime soda
For the glaze:
- 390 gm powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 60 ml lemon-lime soda
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease the bundt cake tin with some softened butter.
- Beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl until pale, smooth, and creamy.
- Next, add the lemon extract and eggs.
- Sift the flour beforehand and then add it in batches into the creamy paste of eggs and butter. Use a spatula to mix thoroughly.
- Finally, add 180 ml of lemon-lime soda and keep mixing for a minute.
- Transfer the batter to the greased bundt cake and bake it in the oven for about an hour. If the cake doesn’t seem done, let the tin stay in for another 20 minutes.
- For the glaze, whisk all the ingredients till you get a runny consistency.
- Once the cake is done, let it cool, and invert it over a wire rack.
- Pour the frosting generously over the cake.