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    You are here: Home / Desserts / Cake / Coca Cola Cake

    Coca Cola Cake

    September 13, 2021 By Sam 23 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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    collage of coca cola cake, top image of single slice being removed from baking dish using spatula, bottom image close up of slice on white plate

    Crack open a can and make this Coca Cola Cake! Soft, chocolatey cake meets rich, fudgy icing in this classic southern dessert made with a not-so-secret ingredient. Scroll down to the recipe for a how-to video!

    Thick squares of coca cola cake with shiny brown frosting in white cake pan

    The Best Coca Cola Cake

    If the idea of pouring soda into cake batter doesn’t sit right with you, let me ease your mind.

    Southerners have been making soda cakes like this Coca Cola cake since the early 1950s. At that time, busy home bakers loved the versatility of the bubbly beverage; not only did it provide sweetness and moisture, but it also acted as a leavening agent, adding lift and air. Using soda saved time and money, and it made some seriously crowd-pleasing desserts.

    It’s worth noting that the cola in this cake is not overwhelming; instead, it imparts a very subtle flavor that complements the chocolate beautifully. It’s like a lighter (in texture, not in calories), less chocolatey version of my devil’s food cake that’s both moist and flavorful. To finish, it’s topped with a thick layer of soft, just-set icing (like the one on my Texas sheet cake) that is one of my favorites.

    Let’s get started!

    What You Need

    Overhead view of ingredients to make coca cola cake

    Making Coca Cola cake isn’t complicated, and neither are the ingredients! You’ll most likely have most these on hand already.

    • Coca Cola. As mentioned above, cola adds a subtle flavor in addition to lift. It also adds acid, which balances the sweetness of the cake and the icing. If you don’t have cola, you could try substituting another dark soda, like root beer or Dr. Pepper.
    • Butter. Between the cake and the icing, we need a lot of butter. While I often love to use a blend of butter and oil, I found it wasn’t necessary in today’s recipe and even weighed down the crumb too much. Skip the oil, you’ll still have a moist and very flavorful cake!
    • Cocoa powder. Use plain, unsweetened/natural cocoa powder to give this cake its chocolate flavor. Do not use Dutch-processed cocoa; not only are the chemical properties different but Dutch-processed also has a more intense chocolate flavor that will overwhelm the cake and completely bully the already light cola flavor!
    • Flour. Since we’re using cocoa powder and cornstarch in this recipe, stick with all-purpose flour. Cake flour likely won’t hold up properly with those two light ingredients.
    • Sugar. We don’t need as much sugar as we would in your average cake recipe since we’re getting a fair bit from the cola. However, we do need to add some to achieve a tender, moist (and perfectly sweetened) cake. While I played around with using a blend of brown and white sugar, I ultimately settled on just granulated sugar, to better let the cola flavors shine.
    • Baking soda and powder. When using acidic ingredients (cola, cocoa powder, and sour cream here!) it’s often necessary to use both baking soda and baking powder for proper rise.
    • Sour cream. This adds moisture and fat, which ultimately enhances flavor. Full-fat plain Greek yogurt would also work here.

    SAM’S NOTE: Traditional recipes like this Coca Cola cake have been passed down through generations, with each making their own modifications to suit their tastes. I’ve done the same with my recipe, omitting the marshmallows and pecans that appeared in the classic recipe, in order to let the cola flavor shine. The end result is a simple but standout chocolate cake that I think you’ll love. Side note: if you’re looking for chocolate cake that does include marshmallows and pecans, I suggest you try my Mississippi Mud Cake.

    Remember, this is just an overview of some of the ingredients used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Coca Cola Cake

    Collage of four photos showing how to make coca cola cake
    1. Combine cola, butter, and cocoa powder in saucepan and heat until butter has melted and the mixture comes to a boil. The ingredients may be separated and it might not look pretty, but don’t panic! Things will come together a bit later on.
    2. Remove from heat and cool for several minutes before pouring into to dry ingredients.
    3. Add remaining wet ingredients and mix well until smooth and combined. With this cake, there’s a low-risk of over-mixing the batter and it’s more important to ensure that the ingredients are well-combined and the batter is smooth.
    4. Pour batter (it will be thin) into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

    Making the Frosting

    collage of four photos showing the preparation of coca cola cake icing and the icing being spread onto a cake
    1. Reduce cola over stove until you have roughly ⅓ to ½ cup. This step is important, we cook out much of the water and concentrate the cola flavor.
    2. Add butter and salt and cook until the butter melts. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder (adding the cocoa to a warm liquid “blooms” it, helping to really bring out the rich chocolate flavors!).
    3. Add powdered sugar and whisk again until completely lump free.
    4. Immediately pour over warm cake. Allow Coca Cola cake and frosting to cool before serving… or be impatient like I am and scoop it out by the messy, fudgy, hot spoonful and slap some vanilla ice cream on top!

    SAM’S TIP: This cake pairs perfectly with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream.

    Square slice of frosted coca cola cake being lifted out of cake pan

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What does Coca Cola cake taste like?

    This cake is chocolatey, but with a crumb that’s a bit less intense and less fudgy than my chocolate cake. As with most Coca Cola cakes, the cola taste itself is understated, but it adds a unique flavor that you’ll be able to distinguish when you try it.

    Can I add nuts to this cake?

    Yes! While I like it as is, you can certainly add a cup or so of chopped pecans or walnuts immediately after frosting. Just sprinkle them overtop! If you add them directly into the cake batter they may sink to the bottom.

    Is it okay to use a flavored Coca Cola?

    I don’t see why not! Cherry, orange, or vanilla would all be worth a try. If you do try this, definitely let me know how it turns out in the comments.

    Close-up view of square piece of coca cola cake on white plate

    Enjoy!

    More Southern Recipes You Might Like

    • Banana Pudding
    • Pecan Pie
    • Hummingbird Cake

    Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

    Thick squares of coca cola cake with shiny brown frosting in white cake pan

    Coca Cola Cake

    Crack open a can and make this Coca Cola Cake! Soft, chocolatey cake meets rich, fudgy icing in this classic southern dessert made with a not-so-secret ingredient.
    Recipe includes a how-to video!
    4.96 from 25 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cake, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 45 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings: 12 Servings
    Calories: 624kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 12 oz Coca Cola 1 ½ cups (354ml)
    • 1 cup unsalted butter (226g), cubed
    • ½ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (50g) see note
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
    • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar (350g)
    • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¾ cup sour cream (190g)
    • 2 large eggs lightly beaten. room temperature preferred
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    For Frosting

    • 12 oz Coca Cola 1 ½ cups (354ml)
    • ½ cup unsalted butter cut into pieces (113g)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 3 Tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 4 cups powdered sugar (500g)

    Recommended Equipment

    • 13×9 baking dish
    • Medium saucepan
    • Mixing bowls
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and spray a 9×13” (23x33cm) baking pan with baking spray.
    • Combine 12 oz cola, butter, and cocoa powder in a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium-heat until butter has melted (the mixture may separate in the saucepan, that is OK). Bring to a boil, stirring frequently then remove from heat and allow to cool while you prepare your dry ingredients.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
    • Pour cola mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
    • Add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract and stir again until the batter is smooth.
    • Pour batter into prepared 9×13 (23x33cm) baking pan and transfer to 350F (175C) oven. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs or clean. Baking time given is for a metal baking pan, glass or ceramic will take longer to bake (approximately 35-38 minutes).

    Frosting

    • While cake is in the oven or is cooling you can prepare the frosting.
    • Pour cola into a clean medium-sized saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until it has reduced in volume so that it is between ⅓ and ½ cup (79-118ml). You will need to carefully pour the cola into a heatproof liquid measuring cup to check if it has been reduced enough.
    • Once cola has been reduced enough, add butter and salt and continue to cook over medium/low heat until the butter is melted (if the mixture looks a bit separated this is fine, it will come together in the next step).
    • Remove from heat and add cocoa powder, whisking until smooth.
    • Add powdered sugar and whisk again until frosting is smooth and lump free and immediately pour/spread over warm cake.
    • Allow cake to cool and frosting to set before slicing and serving. This cake is great served by itself or with vanilla ice cream!

    Notes

    Cocoa Powder:

    I do not recommend substituting Dutch-process cocoa powder, which has a stronger flavor and will overpower the already subtle flavor of the coca cola.

    Storing:

    I always store this cake directly in the pan that it is baked in. It will keep, covered, at room temperature, for 3-5 days. The cake may also be refrigerated but keep in mind that this will dry out the cake. Coca Cola Cake may also be frozen (tightly covered) for several months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 435mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 74g | Vitamin A: 838IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Related Recipes

    • Mississippi Mud Cake (with Video!)
    • The Best Devil’s Food Cake Recipe
    • Best Texas Sheet Cake Recipe (with Video!)
    • Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake
    « Snickerdoodle Scones
    Applesauce Recipe »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lorraine Cronin

      May 11, 2022 at 2:25 pm

      Hi Sam,
      I used Cherry Pepsi and it tasted great, thoughI had way too much icing and it poured off the cake and all over my counter. I tend to have this problem with glazes usually, do you have any advice? 😊

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 16, 2022 at 3:59 pm

        Thanks for the feedback, Lorraine! Are you pouring your frosting on while it’s still in the pan? If you invert it and pour the frosting on it’s probably going to end up running off simply because it’s meant to spread out. If you do choose to do it that way, I would put it on a rack with some wax paper underneath to catch the drippings. 🙂

        Reply
    2. RobF

      February 24, 2022 at 6:46 pm

      5 stars
      I made the cake and frosting with Coke Zero and it turned out delicious. I’m sure Diet Coke would be okay also.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        February 25, 2022 at 10:07 am

        Thanks for letting us know how it went for you with that substitution, Rob! We really appreciate your review ❤

        Reply
    3. Ambriel

      January 25, 2022 at 11:07 am

      4 stars
      The cake came out beautifully light but the icing came out hard as a rock and terribly sweet. I made sure I measured 4 cups icing sugar and had to add some butter. What did I do wrong?

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 25, 2022 at 4:11 pm

        Hi Ambriel! We’re so sorry to hear that your icing didn’t turn out as expected. How did you measure your powdered sugar? It can be very easy to over-measure powdered sugar, just like with flour.

        Reply
    4. Rebekah

      November 25, 2021 at 11:15 am

      5 stars
      This is the best chocolate cake recipe I have found. Easy and better than a two days ago and refrigerated it. Got it out this morning to serve for my family’s Thanksgiving. Since there will be several other desserts, I cut the cake into small petit fours and placed them on a pretty tray. They now look so fancy and decadent. I would definitely recommend this way of serving if you are doing a dessert bar for a party. Looks like something a caterer would do.

      Reply
    5. Vicky

      September 17, 2021 at 5:48 pm

      5 stars
      Soft fudge chocolate moist delish … a winner . Sam how many cups of batter is there as I may try a different size, although the rectangle is easy when your sneaking in slices, naturally just evening up😂
      Thank You Once Again Vicky💛

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        September 20, 2021 at 12:43 pm

        Hi Vicky! We haven’t tried it ourselves, but this recipe should also work in a 10-inch bundt cake pan. It should also work in two 9-inch round cake pans or three 8-inch round cake pans, but stacking might get interesting with the frosting…🙃 Whichever you choose, keep an eye on it because the baking times will be different for different pans. Please let us know how it turns out!

        Reply
    6. Shanthi

      September 14, 2021 at 7:45 am

      Hi Sam what’s the substitute for sour cream? Thank you 😊

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 14, 2021 at 9:12 am

        Full-fat plain Greek yogurt will work 🙂

        Reply
    7. Lorley

      September 13, 2021 at 6:31 pm

      My husband loves Coca Cola and I love chocolate. This sounds like a winner for us. Do you know if this will work with Diet Coca Cola?

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 13, 2021 at 9:37 pm

        Hi Lorley! I have only made this with regular coca cola but I don’t think it would be an issue to use diet. If you try it would you let me know how it turns out for you?

        Reply
    8. J F

      September 13, 2021 at 4:13 pm

      Just have a question~ could I use Diet Coke?

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 13, 2021 at 9:31 pm

        I think that should be fine! Let me know how you like it 🙂

        Reply
        • Violet Lemm

          March 14, 2022 at 7:02 pm

          At 89 Iam not baking from scratch anymore. Could I just add the Coke to a Chocolate or Devil’s Food cake mix instead of the water, or wouldn’t it be enough to make a difference?

        • Sam

          March 15, 2022 at 8:55 am

          Hi Violet! I’m not sure how it would work. Let me know how it goes if you do try it. 🙂

    9. Katherine

      September 13, 2021 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      O…M…G…

      Reply
    10. Carmen

      September 13, 2021 at 9:53 am

      Can I use diet coke for less calories?
      Thanks?

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 13, 2021 at 9:34 pm

        Hi Carmen! I’ve only ever used regular coke but I think it would work. If you try it out would you let me know how it turns out for you?

        Reply
        • Tammy Williams

          September 14, 2021 at 11:08 am

          5 stars
          OMG……My Dad Loves Choc Cola Cake Thank You for this Recipe

        • Lisa

          December 21, 2021 at 11:34 am

          5 stars
          I have baked the coke cake three times in the last two weeks…Everyone loves it ..😃

        • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

          December 21, 2021 at 11:41 am

          Wow! Sounds like our recipe really is a hit for you, Lisa. Thanks so much for using it again and again 🙂

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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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