Coca-Cola Cake

Soda is an unexpected ingredient that works well in cakes, especially this Coca-Cola Cake! It adds sweetness, and the carbonation keeps the cake wonderfully soft and moist as it bakes. Topped with a homemade Coca-Cola glaze, and you have an impressively delicious chocolate cola cake.

I love a good, rich chocolate cake recipe, and this one surprised me with how good it is. You don't get a strong cola flavor; it actually enhances the chocolate in a way that's almost addictive. Once you make this for guests, they will want you to make it for every special occasion.

If you love a rich chocolate cake, then you should try chocolate orange cake and chocolate caramel poke cake.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It's budget-friendly: This is an affordable dessert that you can make even on a tight budget. It mostly consists of common, cheap baking staples!
• It's easy to customize: You can get creative with this chocolate Coca-Cola cake and make it feel more like your own. Swap ingredients or add your own for a fun rendition.
• It's great for a crowd: I make this cake in a 9x13 pan, and that makes it perfect to serve for a larger group of people! There are no layers to fiddle with, so it's a breeze.

Ingredients

All the essential components of this old-fashioned Coca-Cola cake recipe are listed below. None of them are seasonal, so they are easily found at any grocery store, any time.

• Coca-Cola: I use the original Coca-Cola brand for this recipe, but you can use your favorite brand of cola (including store brand) in this cake instead.
• Butter: Unsalted butter works best, but if you only have salted butter, leave out the extra salt in the cake batter. You will melt it down with the soda and other ingredients, so there is no need to let it soften first.
• Cocoa powder: This is key to making a rich chocolate Coke cake. I prefer to use Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder because it provides the best authentic chocolate flavor without making the cake too sweet.
• Sugar: The combo of white and brown sugar in the cake itself ensures its sweetness and depth of flavor, while keeping it moist and fluffy. I use some powdered sugar to sweeten the glaze.
• Buttermilk: I like to use buttermilk to add moisture to the cake. It makes it perfectly tender, too. If you don't have buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to ½ cup of whole milk, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Then, it's ready to add to the batter.
• Espresso powder: Coffee is a great way to enhance chocolate flavor in desserts. I like the concentrated flavor of espresso powder. I only use a teaspoon, so it isn't too overpowering. You may leave it out if you prefer.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Variations

• Chocolate cherry: Use cherry Coke in place of the original to create a chocolate cherry cake.
• Chocolate orange: Try orange cream Coca-Cola in this recipe. Some fresh orange zest in the glaze will take it over the top!
• Vanilla: Use vanilla Coke in this recipe for a subtle, sweet hint of vanilla.

How to Make Coca-Cola Cake

Here are the instructions for making this Coke cake recipe. Before you get started on the batter, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease your 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray or a light coating of oil.

Step 1: Prepare the cola mixture. Combine the soda, butter, oil, and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat until they all melt together and bubble. Take it off the heat and set it aside.

Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients. Pour all your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk until fully incorporated.

Step 3: Whisk the eggs and buttermilk. Next, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla in a smaller bowl until they are combined.

Step 4: Stir it all together. Now you can pour the cooled Coke mixture and egg mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Give it all a gentle stir with a wooden spoon.

Step 5: Pour and bake. Then, pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and pop it in the oven. Bake it for about 30-35 minutes and use a toothpick to test it for doneness.

Step 6: Prepare the cola glaze. While the cake cools, combine all of the soda, butter, and cocoa powder in a saucepan as you did for the cake. Once it bubbles, take it off the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and salt.

Step 7: Pour it on the cake. Now you can pour the glaze evenly over the top of the warm cake.

Step 8: Set and serve. Allow it to sit for 30-45 minutes to completely cool, and then you may slice and enjoy!

Another tasty dessert that stars soda is this Dr. Pepper ice cream.

Storage Directions

• Storing: Store this Coca-Cola cake at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can freeze it tightly covered for up to 2 months.
• Make Ahead: Prepare the cake a few days in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve it. I love to do this for parties and gatherings!

Serving Suggestions

• One of my favorite combinations is cake and ice cream. You can go simple with store-bought vanilla, or you can try a homemade flavor like red velvet ice cream or homemade dark chocolate ice cream.
• A sweet drink like Dr. Pepper ice cream float is a great pairing with a slice of Coca-Cola cake.
• If you're looking for a delicious meal to serve before this dessert, I recommend cast-iron chicken and brussels sprouts casserole.

More Delicious Cake Recipes

Do you like cake recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.

If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!