Pepsi-Cola Cake with Broiled Peanut Butter Frostin

Y’all, this is pure Southern ingenuity. Coca-Cola cake gets all the attention, but Pepsi-Cola cake holds its own with a fudgy, ultra-moist crumb thanks to the soda’s carbonation and acidity working alongside buttermilk and baking soda.

Mini marshmallows get stirred right into the batter before baking. They melt into gooey pockets throughout the cake, creating a texture somewhere between fudge and brownie. The cocoa keeps things chocolatey without being overwhelming.

But the real star is the frosting. Peanut butter, brown sugar, butter, and chopped peanuts get spread onto the warm cake, then slid under the broiler for just a few seconds until everything bubbles and caramelizes. Watch it like a hawk, because this goes from bubbly to scorched in the blink of an eye.

Chef Tips

• Frost the cake while it’s still warm. The heat helps the frosting melt and spread evenly across the surface.
• Stay right by the broiler. You need literally seconds, not minutes. The moment you see bubbling, pull it out.
• Let the frosted cake cool at least 30 minutes before cutting. The frosting firms up and slices cleaner.
• Use creamy peanut butter, not natural. Natural peanut butter separates under the broiler and gets oily.

Variations

• Use Dr Pepper or root beer instead of Pepsi for a slightly different caramel-like flavor in the cake.
• Skip the broiler and just spread the frosting on warm cake for a simpler finish.
• Add a layer of sliced bananas between cake and frosting for an Elvis-inspired twist.