Dr Pepper Chocolate Cake

This is the moistest chocolate cake I have ever eaten.  Simply delicious!  The secret ingredient?  Ok, it's not so secret.  :)  But a bonus secret ingredient is real chocolate melted into the Dr Pepper and then added to the rest of the ingredients.  And buttermilk.  Everything is better with buttermilk.... so maybe there are three secret ingredients.  I've tried the recipe as cake and cupcakes and both worked wonderfully.  [I also think it would be AWESOME in the dutch oven with cherry pie filling and a little whipped cream.  I'm dying to try that out on the next camp out.  I'll let you know how it goes :)]  A word to the wise, though: if making a cake and not cupcakes, it would probably be easier to do so in a 9 x 13 pan.  When I made a birthday cake with two 9 inch pans I found that the moistness made it a little tricky to handle the cakes.  Luckily they did not break, but I was very careful.  This recipe came from my husband's friend, Eric, who made this for his Dr Pepper loving wife's birthday. What a guy!

Dr Pepper Chocolate Cake
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup Dr Pepper
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate once and they were great, too)
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans (or 9x13 or prepare cupcake liners).  Sift together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa and baking soda and set aside.  Heat the Dr Pepper in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted.  Remove from heat.  With an electric mixer, beat the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla for 2 minutes.  At lowest speed, slowly add the Dr Pepper mixture and beat for 1 additional minute.  Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks, lift off pans and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Dr Pepper Frosting:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup Dr Pepper (I added an additional 1-2 Tablespoons once, and I actually liked that better.  However it did make the frosting thinner...)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy.  At low speed, gradually beat in the powdered sugar and cocoa.  Add the Dr Pepper and vanilla, and turn mixer to high speed until frosting is light and fluffy ~ about one minute.