This moist Chocolate Coca Cola Cake recipe is topped with sweet and fudgy icing and is such an easy recipe to make. It’s a family favorite that uses real Coca-Cola, which gives that unique flavor and ultra-moist crumb. The chocolatey cake is ready to serve in less than 1 hour, and decorating is no fuss since you just pour the warm frosting over the delicious cake.
If you’ve ever been to Cracker Barrel restaurants, you know you can’t leave without a slice of your favorite cake. You may find that this is a copycat recipe that tastes very similar to the Cracker Barrel coca-cola cake. Soda cakes are special because they react with baking soda to make little bubbles. This makes the cake light, but super moist.
This is an old-fashioned dessert that never goes out of style, which makes some of the best cakes! You may also like Hot Milk Cake, Chess Pie, or my easy Chocolate Meringue Pie. For those craving more chocolatey treats, try mini chocolate puff pastries or double chocolate molten muffins.
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🍰 Ingredients:
- Sugar – just plain table sugar
- Salt – omit if you are using salted butter
- Flour – we are using all-purpose
- Oil – vegetable oil or canola is best
- Butter – we used unsalted
- Coca-Cola – you’ll need a cup of Coca-Cola or you can use one mini can
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – the Hershey brand works great for this recipe
- Buttermilk – don’t have buttermilk? Read below how to make it from scratch
- Eggs – helps to bind the ingredients together
- Vanilla extract – adds just a hint of vanilla
- Baking soda – helps to make the cake rise and reacts with the soda so it’s fluffy and moist
- Heavy cream – can also use milk if needed
- Powdered sugar – adds sweetness to the frosting
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Garnish:
- Serve this decadent chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a little whipped cream on top.
Substitutions and Variations
- Soft Drink – Dr. Pepper or root beer can be used in place of Coca-Cola. Do not substitute for diet soda.
- Nuts – if desired, sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over top of the frosting before serving.
- Mini marshmallows – some like to add miniature marshmallows to the cola mixture. It adds a little more of a brownie texture to the cake. If you choose to do so, you can add ½ cup.
- Frosting – if you wanted to switch up the icing, you can go with a chocolate buttercream.
- DIY Buttermilk – to make your own buttermilk, combine a cup of milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it set for 5 minutes. Then measure out ½ cup.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar, then set aside.
Step 2: Add the oil, butter, Coca-Cola, and cocoa powder to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Pro Tip: We like to mix the ingredients in the saucepan to reduce dishes. If needed you can transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Step 3: Once the mixture is boiling, carefully stir in the dry ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
Step 4: Mix in the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda.
Step 5: Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Step 6: Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the chocolate coca-cola cake from the oven. Let the cake cool for 5-10 minutes before making the homemade frosting.
Step 7: Heat the butter, cream, and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Beat with a mixer on low speed until combined.
Step 8: Pour the frosting over the warm cake and spread with an offset spatula.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Once the icing has set, slice your Coca-Cola cake and serve the best chocolate cake you have ever tasted!
Recipe Tips for Coca Cola Cake
- When you can insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and only come out with a few crumbs, the cake is done.
- The frosting may remind you of a Texas sheet cake.
- Pouring the hot frosting across the warm cake adds more moisture at the top and is very delicious.
- Let the frosting set before slicing the cake.
Fun Fact
Did you know that Coca-Cola was the first sponsor of the Olympics in 1948?
Recipe FAQs
Cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and keep the leftover cake at room temperature for 3-4 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
No one really knows where the Coca-Cola cake recipe came from. Some say that households started adding soda to their baked goods because they had it on hand at home. However, there is a record of a recipe similar to this being published in the 1960s. In the 1990s, it became the Cracker Barrel Coca-Cola cake, and they eventually made it a permanent menu item.
No. We recommend only using regular Coke. However, you can also use Dr. Pepper or root beer if that’s what you have on hand.
More Decadent Chocolate Cake Recipes
If you tried this Coca Cola Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Coca Cola Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 7.5 oz. can of Coca Cola 1 mini can or 1 cup
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, and flour. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the oil, butter, Coca Cola, and cocoa powder. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Once the Coca Cola mixture boils, carefully dump the flour mixture into it. Beat with a hand mixer or using a large wooden spoon until well combined.
- Mix in the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, and baking soda. The batter will form small bubbles.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before preparing the frosting.
- To make the frosting, combine the butter, cocoa powder, and cream (or milk) in a saucepan. Heat over medium until the butter melts. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar to the pan and beat with a hand mixer until well combined.
- Pour the frosting over the warm cake and spread with an offset spatula.
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