Unusual Uses for Coke and Cola Chocolate Cake

Coca Cola is one of the most widely recognized brands of soda in the entire world. It’s a staple in most American refrigerators. But Coke is more than just a refreshing drink; it has tons of awesome household uses as well! Check out some crazy uses for Coca Cola. Perhaps you even have one to share.

1. Tenderize your meats: Have a tough or low-quality hunk of meat? You can soften it up with a little marinade in the world’s favorite soda. Just add some Coke to the crockpot, or marinate the meat in Coke before grill time or before popping it into the oven. Yum!

2. Clean your clothes: Have a tougher than normal stain on your work clothes, like oil, grass, or dirt? Soak it in Coke! The acids in coke will remove your stains without damaging the cloth. Then just toss your clothes in the wash like normal, and run the cycle as hot as you can without damaging the cloth. Your clothes will be clean and stain-free again.

3. Grill Sauce: Run out of BBQ sauce? Mix up some Coke with some ketchup, a dash of garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce and ta-daaa! Instant sauce for the grill! If you’d like it thicker you can let it bubble on the stove for a bit.

4. No more rust: Have a rusty bolt that won’t budge? Soak it in Coke! The combination of the acids and the bubbles in Coca Cola cause the rust to dissolve and melt away, leaving you with clean, easy-to-turn nuts, bolts, and screws. This will also help dissolve any other unsightly rust spots in your home.

And the list goes on and on...5. Defrost a frozen windshield. Apply liberally and wait (I’ll see if this works in winter)
6. Clean burnt pans; let the pan soak in the Coke, then rinse.
7. Clean car battery terminals by pouring a small amount of Coke over each one.
8. Cure nausea; let a can of Coke go flat then take a teaspoon of Coke every hour. 
9. Also, flat coke can help relieve an upset stomach (aka “the runs”)
10. And don't forget coke added to a cake recipe 

Okay, I was skeptical. I had friends tell me they had tried this but hadn't myself. So today I did. It's great. You don't have to use chocolate cake mix. Any flavor will work. And it makes a very moist cake.

Cola Cake

Cook's notes:

• Incorporating soda into cake batter is a quick way to add flavor and replace other wet ingredients if you don’t have them on hand. For vegans, soda can replace eggs in a cake mix recipe. It can also lower the fat content of a cake by replacing oil as well. The carbonation in soda imparts lightness to the cake and many different flavor combinations can be achieved with a little creativity. Perhaps the simplest way to bake a cake with soda is to use a cake mix. This method limits your ingredient list to two common items found in many kitchens and will have a dessert on your table in less than one hour.
• Typically, using light colored sodas with light colored cake mixes and dark sodas with dark cake mixes work best. You can use a dark soda with a light cake mix and the flavor will be fine, but the color will be darker than normal.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of cake mix (I used a chocolate cake mix)
• 1 can of cola

Directions:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
• Combine the cake mix and cola in a large bowl. Use a hand whisk to mix ingredients until light and smooth. Do not over stir. 
• Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
• Bake cake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.
• Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting.