This classic Coca Cola Cake is a rich, fudgy, thick chocolate cake with deep flavor and a delicious frosting that sets up on top. It’s the perfect cake to share with friends and family and serves a crowd!
This Coca Cola cake reminds me of my delicious buttermilk texas sheet cake. Rich and moist. You may have even seen today’s recipe featured on the menu at Cracker Barrel!
This recipe was originally published in February 2023. The photos and recipe notes have been updated in January 2025.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
- Taste: Sweet and rich with a deep chocolate flavor, enhanced by a subtle hint of Coca-Cola.
- Texture: Moist and tender cake topped with a creamy chocolate frosting.
- Ease to Make: Easy, with simple ingredients and minimal prep time.
- Cooking Method: Baked in the oven, with frosting added while the cake is still warm.
- Top Tip: Be sure to reduce (cook down) the Coca cola for best results.
Some of our best cakes came from our grandparents generation. My chocolate wacky cake is a perfect example!
Coca Cola Cake is a traditional recipe that dates back to the 1950s. It uses soda in the cake batter AND in the frosting.
The cake is baked in a 9×13 baking dish and can serve up to 20 people, making it perfect for parties and gatherings!
- The combination of the buttermilk and the chocolate lends a rich, tangy flavor to this cake.
- Reducing the soda before adding it to the batter and the frosting really concentrates the flavor and ups the WOW factor of the taste of this cake.
- The frosting sets up nice and thick on top of the cake and makes this dessert extra special.
Love adding soda to recipes? My 7-Up pound cake is truly one of a kind. Readers also love this delicious apple dumpling recipe, with it’s mountain dew (or Sprite) glaze!
- Flour – All-purpose flour works great for this cake. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly!
- Cocoa Powder – Use a good quality unsweetened cocoa powder for best results.
- Buttermilk – The buttermilk in the batter gives this cake a tanginess that can’t be beat. You can also use this buttermilk substitute.
- Coca Cola – You need 2 cans for this recipe. You can also substitute diet cola, sugar free cola or even root beer if you prefer. However, the orginal Coke reduces much better than the sugar free versions.
- Unsalted butter – Using unsalted butter helps control the sodium of your cake. If you use salted butter, omit 1/4 teaspoon of the salt from the cake recipe.
Try my chocolate mayonnaise cake recipe next for an ultra moist cake!
How to Make Coca Cola Cake
- Prepare Dry and Wet Ingredients: Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Reduce Coca-Cola in a saucepan, then combine with butter and cocoa powder.
- Finish Batter: Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Make Frosting: Reduce more Coca-Cola, mix with butter, cocoa, and powdered sugar.
- Spread: Pour frosting over the warm cake, cool completely, and serve.
Tips & Tricks
- Some traditional Coca Cola cakes use cinnamon, but I prefer the tang of the buttermilk with the chocolate to create a rich fudgy flavor.
- Be sure to reduce the Coke! You need to reduce the can of soda to 1/2 cup for both the cake batter and the frosting. Reducing it both enhances the flavor and decreases the water content. This is a must!
- You need to pour the frosting over the cake immediately after making, as it sets pretty quickly and can be difficult to spread. If you’re worried about this, you can wait to make the frosting when the cake comes out of the oven.
- Store the cake in the original baking dish and cover with plastic wrap once completely cooled. It can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Serving suggestions: Serve Coca Cola Cake with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and cherries for a fun presentation!
- Leftover cake. Obviously freezing the cake is an option. BUT, did you know you can make a chocolate cake shake? Toss slices of chocolate cake in a blender with chocolate ice cream for a unique treat.
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Coca Cola Cake Recipe
This classic Coca Cola Cake is a rich, fudgy, thick chocolate cake with deep flavor and a delicious frosting that sets up on top. It's the perfect cake to share with friends and family and serves a crowd!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 can Coca Cola 12 ounce
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1 can Coca Cola 12 ounce
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with baking spray (or use our homemade cake release). Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat Coca-Cola on low until it reduces to about 1/2 cup. Use a measuring cup to accurately measure (and discard the extra).
- Add the butter and cocoa to the saucepan with the Coke and whisk until the butter is melted and the cocoa is dissolved completely. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
- Once cooled, combine the Coke mixture to the flour mixture. Add in eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Use a mixer and beat until well blended.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting. In a small saucepan over medium heat, pour in the second can of Coca cola. Reduce to 1/2 cup (discard excess).
- Add butter, vanilla, and cocoa to the coca cola and whisk until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
- Add in powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking until dissolved. Repeat until all the sugar has been added.
- Pour the frosting over the baked cake (cake can be slightly warm still).
- Cool completely before serving.
Notes
- The carbonation from the soda gives the coke and extra light texture and a bit of a lift. It adds a deep flavor that you will recognize, but can’t quite tell what it is! You can substitute diet, sugar free cola or even root beer if you prefer.
- Store cake at room temperature in baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Can also be stored in the refrigerator. Will keep fresh for about 4-5 days.
- Serving suggestions: Serve Coca Cola Cake with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and cherries for a fun presentation!
- Leftover cake. Obviously freezing and eating the cake is an option. BUT, did you know you can make a chocolate cake shake? Toss slices of chocolate cake in a blender with chocolate ice cream for a unique treat.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 359kcal, Carbohydrates: 56g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 117mg, Sugar: 46g
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