Coca Cola cake is a Southern chocolate sheet cake made by boiling 1 cup of Coca-Cola with butter and cocoa, pouring it over flour and sugar, and covering the hot cake with a warm Coke and cocoa frosting. This recipe takes about 50 minutes (15 minutes prep and 30 to 35 minutes baking at 350°F), bakes in one 9×13 inch pan, and makes 15 servings.
There is no mixer and no creaming. The hot cola mixture blooms the cocoa and hydrates the flour in one step, and the frosting soaks a little way into the warm cake so every square stays moist. If you like this style of cake, it sits right next to my chocolate peanut butter cake and chocolate hazelnut cake in my rotation, but it is the simplest of the three.
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- Pan and yield: one 9×13 inch pan, 15 servings
- Time: 15 minutes prep, 30 to 35 minutes in the oven, about 50 minutes total
- Oven: 350°F (175°C)
- Coca-Cola: 1 cup in the cake and ¼ cup in the frosting, full sugar Coca-Cola Classic (not diet)
- Cocoa: ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa in the cake and another ¼ cup in the frosting
- Butter: 1 cup (2 sticks) in the cake, ½ cup (1 stick) in the frosting
- Frosting sugar: 3½ to 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
- Storage: 3 days covered at room temperature, up to 6 days in the fridge
Why the Coke Gets Boiled With the Butter and Cocoa
The whole method rests on one pot. Butter, cocoa, and Coca-Cola go into a saucepan over medium heat and come to a gentle boil while you stir. Hot liquid draws out much more chocolate flavor from cocoa than cold liquid does, so the cake tastes deeper than the ¼ cup of cocoa suggests.
That hot mixture is then poured straight over the flour, sugar, and salt. You are not just melting butter, you are hydrating the dry base and building flavor at the same time. Keep the boil gentle and keep stirring. If it boils hard, the butter can separate from the cola and the finished cake feels greasy.
What Coca-Cola Does in a Chocolate Cake
The soda is not there for novelty. Full sugar Coke adds sweetness, a light caramel note, and moisture, and it softens the crumb. Diet cola does not have the sugar the recipe counts on, so the cake turns out less tender and less rich. I stick with Coca-Cola Classic because other sodas give an inconsistent flavor.
Buttermilk and baking soda do the lifting. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the soda, which gives the cake its light structure and a faint tang that keeps all that sugar in check. Milk with a little lemon juice works in a pinch, but I always keep real buttermilk on hand. The optional cup of mini marshmallows melts into soft, gooey pockets, a classic touch in old fashioned Coca Cola cake.
Coca Cola Cake vs Texas Sheet Cake
These two are close cousins, and people mix them up all the time. Both are boil and pour chocolate sheet cakes finished with a warm frosting poured over the hot cake. The difference is the liquid and the shape.
- Liquid: Coca Cola cake uses 1 cup of Coke in the batter and ¼ cup in the frosting. A classic Texas sheet cake uses water.
- Flavor: Coke adds a light caramel sweetness; a Texas sheet cake tastes more purely of cocoa.
- Pan: this cake bakes thicker in a 9×13 inch pan. Texas sheet cake is usually baked thin in a large half sheet pan.
- Add ins: Coca Cola cake often has mini marshmallows in the batter; Texas sheet cake often has pecans in the frosting.
If you want the thin version, try my Texas sheet cake. For a plain frosted slab without soda, my chocolate sheet cake is the one to bake.
Mixing the Batter by Hand in One Bowl
Heat the oven to 350°F and grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan, or line it with parchment so the corners are covered. Whisk 2 cups flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
Bring the butter, cocoa, and 1 cup Coke to a gentle boil, then pour it over the dry mix right away and stir just until no dry pockets remain. Stir in the 2 eggs, ½ cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Fold in the marshmallows last if you are using them. Do not overmix once the flour is wet; stir until just combined.
Spread the batter evenly into the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. A light colored metal pan gives the most even browning.
Pouring the Coke Frosting Onto a Hot Cake
Make the frosting while the cake bakes. Melt ½ cup butter, stir in ¼ cup Coke and ¼ cup cocoa, and bring it just to a boil. Off the heat, whisk in the sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth and pourable, then add the vanilla.
Timing is the whole trick. The frosting goes on the moment the cake comes out of the oven, so it settles slightly into the surface and locks in moisture. Cool cake plus warm frosting will not give you that signature melt. If you are short on powdered sugar, use the lower 3½ cups and expect a looser, more glaze like finish. Want a thicker spread for another cake? My chocolate fudge frosting holds swirls, but this pour over icing is what makes a Coca Cola cake.
How to Tell This Sheet Cake Is Baked Through
The center should feel soft with a little spring when you press it, and a toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, never wet batter. If you added marshmallows, the pick may come out sticky from a melted pocket; test in a second spot. A cracking top usually means it is overbaking, so start checking at 30 minutes.
Dry Cake, Clumpy Icing, Sunken Middle: Fixes
- Dry cake: it was overbaked or the flour was packed. Spoon and level the flour instead of scooping it, and check at 30 minutes.
- Clumpy frosting: the powdered sugar hit a base that had cooled. Warm it gently, whisk again, and sift the sugar next time.
- Sunken center: the cake was underbaked or the leavening was measured heavy. Use exactly 1 teaspoon baking soda.
- Greasy texture: the butter separated from the Coke during a hard boil. Keep it to a gentle boil and stir constantly.
- Frosting sits on top instead of soaking in: the cake cooled before frosting. Pour it on straight from the oven.
Root Beer, Pecans and Other Swaps
Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon to the dry mix for a Mexican chocolate note. For a root beer version, swap the Coke for root beer and add 1 teaspoon molasses to deepen the flavor. Scatter chopped pecans over the hot cake before the frosting goes on for a crunchy layer.
For individual cakes, bake the batter in mini bundt pans and start checking about 5 minutes early. To serve, top a warm square with vanilla ice cream, sprinkle a little flaky salt over the frosting, or spoon on cherry compote, a pairing I also love in this chocolate cake with cherry pie filling. If the marshmallow pockets are your favorite part, my marshmallow brownies lean all the way in.
Keeping Coca Cola Cake Moist for Days
Leave the cake in its pan and cover it tightly. It stays fresh for 3 days at room temperature, or up to 6 days in the fridge; bring chilled squares back to room temperature before serving so the frosting softens. To freeze, wrap slices in parchment and then foil, and warm them gently in the microwave or a low oven. The texture holds up surprisingly well.
Because it travels in its own pan, this is my go to potluck cake. Cover it with foil and it is ready to carry. For other bring along bakes, a peanut butter sheet cake or a chocolate dump cake work the same way.
Coke Cake Questions People Ask
Can you taste the Coca-Cola in Coca Cola cake?
Not as soda. The Coke reads as a light caramel sweetness under the chocolate rather than a cola flavor.
Can I use Diet Coke or Coke Zero?
Use full sugar Coca-Cola. Diet colas lack the sugar the recipe relies on for tenderness and richness.
Does the Coke need to be flat?
No. It is boiled with the butter and cocoa, so the bubbles cook off before it reaches the batter.
Is this the Cracker Barrel Coca Cola cake?
It is a homemade copycat style of that classic Southern Coca-Cola cake, with Coke in both the batter and the poured frosting.
Do I have to use the marshmallows?
No, the 1 cup of mini marshmallows is optional. Without them the crumb is more even; with them you get soft, gooey pockets.
Can I make Coca Cola cake a day ahead?
Yes. Bake and frost it, cool it, cover the pan tightly, and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Before You Grab the Saucepan
Pin this Coca Cola cake to your chocolate dessert board so it is there for the next potluck. If you bake it, tell me in the comments whether you went with or without marshmallows, or tried the root beer swap. For a coffee version of a cocoa cake, my chocolate espresso cake is the next one to try.
Coca Cola Cake Recipe
This Coca Cola cake is an old fashioned Southern chocolate sheet cake made with Coca-Cola, cocoa, butter, buttermilk, and an optional cup of mini marshmallows. It takes about 50 minutes, bakes at 350°F in one 9x13 inch pan, and makes 15 servings of moist, tender cake under a glossy chocolate frosting. The Coke, butter, and cocoa are boiled together and poured over the dry ingredients, then the warm Coke frosting goes onto the hot cake so it soaks in slightly. Serve this chocolate Coca Cola cake warm with vanilla ice cream, bring it to potlucks and holiday gatherings, or make it as a Cracker Barrel style copycat. Swap root beer for the Coke for a twist. It keeps for 3 days covered at room temperature or 6 days in the fridge.
Ingredients
- FOR THE CAKE
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Coca-Cola (not diet)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 cup mini marshmallows
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/4 cup Coca-Cola
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- PREPARE THE PAN AND OVEN: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper, making sure the corners are well covered.
- MIX DRY INGREDIENTS: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
- COOK THE COCOA-COLA MIXTURE: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, cocoa powder, and Coca-Cola. Stir constantly and bring the mixture to a gentle boil until everything is melted and smooth.
- COMBINE WET AND DRY: Immediately pour the hot Coca-Cola mixture over the flour mixture. Stir gently until just combined, making sure no dry pockets remain.
- ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS: Stir in the eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth. If using marshmallows, fold them in last.
- BAKE THE CAKE: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- PREPARE THE FROSTING: While the cake is baking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the Coca-Cola and cocoa powder and bring just to a boil, stirring constantly.
- FINISH THE FROSTING: Remove the saucepan from heat and gradually whisk in the sifted powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- FROST THE CAKE: As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour the warm frosting evenly over the hot cake. Use an offset spatula or spoon to spread it to the edges. The frosting will slightly soak into the cake as it sets.
- COOL AND SERVE: Let the cake cool slightly at room temperature before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature for best texture.
Notes
Use full sugar Coca-Cola, not diet. Do not overmix once the flour is wet. Pour the frosting over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven so it soaks in slightly; if it has cooled and clumps, warm it gently and whisk again. Sift the powdered sugar to avoid lumps. Mini marshmallows are optional and melt into soft pockets. Store leftovers tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Slices can be wrapped in parchment and foil and frozen.
Nutrition Information
Yield
15Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 602Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 13gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 79mgSodium 207mgCarbohydrates 94gFiber 3gSugar 63gProtein 6g
