Coca-Cola Cake
Coca-Cola Cake is a sinfully rich chocolate sheet cake covered in decadent chocolate icing. The addition of the soda creates a moist texture.
There is a running joke here in the South … all soda is called a coke. If someone tells you to help yourself to a coke in the fridge, they could actually be talking about Pepsi, Sprite Dr. Pepper, etc.
We love Coca-Cola down here. Not just to drink, but also for cooking. I’ve used coke as a marinade for chicken legs and brisket, as the base for a jello fruit salad, and now as an ingredient for this decadent chocolate sheet cake. The addition of the coke results in a wonderfully moist texture.
How to Make Coca-Cola Cake
Some variations of Coke cake start with a boxed cake mix. This recipe is made completely from scratch. It is extremely easy and only requires a few extra steps.
Bake the Cake
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt two sticks of unsalted butter, one cup of Coca-Cola and three tablespoons of baking cocoa. Bring the mixture just to a boil, then remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
Next, combine two cups of all-purpose flour with two cups of white granulated sugar. Pour the butter and cocoa mixture over the flour and sugar. Add ½ cup of buttermilk, two slightly beaten large eggs, one teaspoon of baking soda and one teaspoon of vanilla. Whisk everything together until everything is well combined.
Pour the cake batter into a greased 9 x 13 x 2-inch cake pan or casserole dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before covering with the frosting. If you try to frost a hot cake, the icing will melt.
Make the Frosting
Thirty minutes beforehand, take one stick of unsalted butter out of the fridge so it can come to room temperature. Once it has softened, cream the butter with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy.
Add six tablespoons of Coca-Cola, one 16-ounce box of powdered sugar (which comes to 3 ½ cups), one teaspoon of vanilla extract and three tablespoons of baking cocoa. Start with the mixer on low and beat until everything is just combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat well until everything is evenly incorporated.
Pour the frosting over the cooled cake. Using a spatula, evenly spread the icing over the top and around the edges. You can sprinkle the top of the icing with chopped pecans ago. I recommend covering the pan with plastic wrap or a lid at this point and putting it in the fridge for a couple of hours to set.
How to store Coca-Cola Cake
Leftover Coca-Cola cake can be stored in the pan it was baked in. You will need to cover the top with a lid or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. The cake will keep for several days, but honestly, it will probably be eaten long before then.
The baked cake and the icing can be frozen separately. I do not recommend freezing an iced cake as the icing will need to be stirred a bit to get it back to the right consistency. To freeze the cake in the pan, cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent ice crystals from forming, then cover with a layer of aluminum foil.
To freeze the icing, spoon it into a plastic freezer bag. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible, then seal. I like to place it into a second bag before freezing to prevent a weird flavors from permeating the bag and the icing.
Related Recipes:
- Coca-Cola Chicken Drumsticks
- Coca-Cola Jello Fruit Salad
- Coca-Cola Brisket
- Pineapple Carrot Cake
- Strawberry Sheet Cake
- Pineapple Poke Cake
Coca-Cola Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
- 1 cup Coca-Cola
- 3 tablespoons baking cocoa
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the icing:
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 tablespoon Coca-Cola
- 1 16- ounce box (3 ½ cups) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons baking cocoa
- 1 cup chopped pecans, optional
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, Coca-Cola and cocoa. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar.
- Pour the cooled cocoa mixture over the top.
- Add the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla extract. Whisk or beat until the ingredients are well combined.
- Pour the cake batter into a 9 x 13 x 2-inch cake pan or Pyrex dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before icing.
For the icing:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter until it is light a fluffy. Add Coca-Cola, powdered sugar, vanilla and baking cocoa. Mix on low until everything is wet, then increase the speed to medium and mix until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Pour the icing over the cooled cake. Using a spatula, evenly spread the icing over the top and to the edge of the cake pan. Cover the cake with a lid of plastic wrap, then refrigerate for two hours to allow the icing to set.
Thank you, Brian! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Excellent cake! Keep up the good work.